After a long time, she was excited and happy when she got her pregnancy reports. It was confirmed that she was pregnant. She had no one to share her happiness with. Her husband came back from work and the same old fights started again. It was unbearable for her to stay with that man. She thought of leaving the house but she had nowhere to go. She continued living in the same stressful environment only to find out that she was bleeding again…she had to face that brutal spontaneous abortion – miscarriage!

 

According to miscarriage statistics, many women lose their pregnancy due to stressful life situations. A lot of research studies have been conducted to find out the correlation between stress and miscarriages. If you are thinking whether can stress cause a miscarriage in early pregnancy or otherwise, then the answer is yes. It is evident that stress causes miscarriage. Women who face high levels of physical and emotional turmoils just before or during the pregnancy or conception generally miscarry their pregnancy. To know more about how can stress cause a miscarriage, read further. How Can Stress Cause a Miscarriage The whole process of miscarriage is related to one hormone in the human body which is known as cortisol. It is secreted by adrenal glands and plays a key role in regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and glucose metabolism. Cortisol levels are generally higher in the morning and lower in the night. This hormone is known as stress hormone because it also gets secreted at higher levels in response to the stress. A little increase in cortisol is alright as it provides people with quick energy, improved memory functions, increased immunity and lowered pain sensations. But if a person is always stressed then his or her body hardly gets a chance to come back to normal, resulting in chronic stress. Such chronic stress keeps your cortisol levels high always which has a lot of adverse effects on the body, including high blood pressure, imbalanced blood sugar, impaired cognition, weak bones and muscles, etc. This increased cortisol can be problematic for pregnant women as it affects the progesterone levels in woman’s body. Progesterone is a steroid hormone that plays a vital role in the female menstrual cycle. After ovulation progesterone is secreted to thicken the uterine lining so that embryo rests well on the wall. When there is no ovulation or embryo the progesterone levels decrease naturally. This results in shedding the inner lining of the uterine wall, which means women start menstruating. The problem is when cortisol levels increase, the progesterone levels go down. So if a pregnant women is worried all the time the cortisol level increases which decreases progesterone levels. This gives the brain a signal of no egg implant and the miscarriage bleeding takes place. So it is important for pregnant women to maintain moderate progesterone levels by lowering cortisol levels. And this is possible only if they keep the stress away. It is suggested that pregnant women should learn some stress management techniques to avoid miscarriages that occur due to stress. Preventing Miscarriage Now you know how can stress cause a miscarriage and you should also know how to avoid it. Though miscarriage caused by critical medical conditions cannot be avoided, there are many ways by which you can keep yourself healthy during pregnancy. The first thing is that you must lead a stress free and relaxing life. If you cannot then you must learn to manage your stress effectively. Chances of miscarriage increase as you age so it is suggested to conceive within your maternal age limits. Apart from this what can cause a miscarriage is your carefree attitude, so pay attention to your health. Given below are some of the ways to avoid miscarriage that you must observe to have a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery.

 

1. Eat healthy foods

2. Exercise regularly

3. Maintaining healthy weight every month during pregnancy

4. Keeping the abdomen safe from trauma

5. Do not smoke and avoid the company of smokers

6. Do not drink alcohol

7. Avoid excessive consumption of caffeine

8. Do not take any over the counter drugs without consulting your doctor

9. Do not engage in rigorous and risky activities

10. Visit your doctor immediately if you observe any miscarriage symptoms

Can stress cause a miscarriage is no more a mystery. So take care of your self and most importantly enjoy your pregnancy by leading a stress free life.