Repeated miscarriages in Chinese medicine
A spontaneous or spontaneous miscarriage is a common occurrence. In fact, almost every woman who has been pregnant a few times will experience a miscarriage. Miscarriage is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. Approximately 15% of pregnancies of 4 to 20 weeks end with miscarriage. The true prevalence of early pregnancy loss is higher and is estimated to be close to 50%. The reason for the difference between the miscarriage rate we are aware of and the actual miscarriage rate is that most miscarriages occur in the two weeks after ovulation, even before there is a significant delay in menstruation. This is also the reason women who undergo fertility treatments diagnose more miscarriages, as these pregnancies are often diagnosed early on.
When a pregnancy is diagnosed by a blood test for pregnancy, but ultimately an intrauterine pregnancy sac does not develop, it is a chemical miscarriage.
First trimester bleeding and miscarriage:
Bleeding to a pregnant woman always raises the fear of miscarriage, which is why doctors call this a “threatening miscarriage”.
It should be known that almost at one-third of all pregnancies appear at any stage brown discharge or bleeding, and therefore not every bleeding ends with miscarriage. But when the doctor finds that the cervix is open, he will see an “Inevitable miscarriage“, which means that the pregnancy will almost certainly end in miscarriage.
Case study:
Dalit (false name), age 41, came to the clinic after 13 IVF fertility treatments that resulted in multiple miscarriages (approximately 5) and without pregnancy. After a series of 12 weekly acupuncture treatments along with guidelines for a supportive diet and drinking of specially prepared Chinese herbs, Dalit went to IVF treatment no.14, this time much more prepared, strengthened and relatively calm. From previous disappointments, she decided not to perform a (HCG) beta test at the time and waited to see what the day would bring. The menstrual cycle did not come, and after about 3 weeks she dared to take a urinary home pregnancy test that showed positive. She went and did a blood test that showed HCG (beta) at high and good levels. But at 10 weeks constant bleeding from the vagina began, and the fear of miscarriage soon increased. We continued to support and treat and strengthen her body with herbs. Dalit did not agree to take progesterone support at all, although I advised her to take them and the doctors all pressured her to do so. Dalit stayed calm and kept getting acupuncture treatment and taking herbs, eating a good diet and to our joy the bleeding stopped slowly and gradually until the 16th week. Dalit continued to safeguard her pregnancy and gave birth to Alma in December 2009 in a natural and healthy birth.
Woman’s age and miscarriage:
There is a strong correlation between miscarriage rates and women’s age. The prevalence of miscarriages is 12% in women 20 years old, but the prevalence is 26% among women 40 years old. In fact, if you check the presence of pregnancy from an early stage after ovulation, you will find that the miscarriage rate beyond the age of 40 reaches 75%! Understanding this fact may help couples cope with early pregnancy loss. The effect of age can be illustrated in another example. In a woman who is pregnant after IVF, the probability of miscarriage at age 30 is approximately 15%, at age 40, about 30%, and at the age of 43 years and over – more than half of pregnancies result in miscarriage. The reason for the increase in miscarriages is mainly due to an increase in the frequency of chromosomal problems with age, but there is also an increase in miscarriage rates without genetic problems.
The reasons for repeated miscarriages:
After a woman has experienced three consecutive miscarriages, she is diagnosed with tendency toward miscarriages. In this case the woman will be directed to diagnose the cause of the miscarriage. In certain situations, for example, in a woman aged 40 years or older, it is possible that after two miscarriages, the woman will be directed to diagnostic.
- Excessive blood clotting (Hypercoagulation): factor 5, lack of S protein, lack of anti-thrombin 3, and anti-phospholipid syndrome.
- Hormonal disorders, low progesterone levels, corpus luteum (yellow body) failure to mature, thyroid balance problems.
- Mechanical problem, thin uterine lining.
- structural factors such as: uterine bilateral and uterine wall, cervical deficiency.
- Genetic factors.
- Unexplained cause.
- Environmental factors: Smoking, alcohol and drinking of large amounts of coffee have been reported as connected to the increased incidence of repeated miscarriages. There seems to be a direct correlation between the number of cigarettes a woman smokes and the risk of miscarriage. Physical activity and sexual intercourse have no adverse effect on the risk of miscarriage, and rest in bed does not help prevent miscarriages.
- Stress, anxiety, and depression have a profound impact on the woman’s body and uterus, and studies show that there is a strong connection between the woman’s emotional state and her body’s ability to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Often, mental state causes a sharp drop in the body’s immune system and weakens its systems. A weak physical and mental woman may not succeed in holding the fetus in the womb and causing a miscarriage.
Why turn to Chinese medicine in cases of repeated miscarriages:
The view of Chinese medicine on the diagnosis of diseases is very different from conventional medicine, so in the case of repeated abortions, where loss of pregnancy will naturally cause physical and mental trauma. Chinese medicine, unlike traditional medicine, tends to look at the person as a whole, treat the mental-emotional aspect no less than the physical limitations of normal blood tests, clean womb, etc. Therefore, patients who have repeated miscarriages are instructed by doctors to try to conceive immediately after miscarriage, which in turn weakens the body more and increases the chances of the possibility of another miscarriage.
Naturally, the first trimester of pregnancy requires the most out of the woman’s body. In the first trimester, all the body’s resources are directed to feed the fetus in the womb. There is still no placenta who takes charge of feeding the fetus only around the 10th week. As a result, all the body’s resources are directed to feed the uterus with blood. Therefore, women in the first trimester of pregnancy experience many symptoms of weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, hypersensitivity to odors, and so on. In case where the woman experiences miscarriage in the first trimester, the body remains exhausted and with it the grieving for loss.
Giving birth according to the Chinese philosophy greatly weakens the woman due to the loss of blood – especially in the case of miscarriage, and more so in natural miscarriage. The trauma of miscarriage and loss of blood weakens the woman to such an extent that the body can not properly pump blood into the lining of the uterus, which reduces the ability to hold the pregnancy, especially in the case of repeated miscarriages.
The feminine physiology relies mainly on the blood of the uterus. It is a muscle fed by blood that can grow to 10 times its size and can build blood vessels. Therefore, when trauma is caused both mentally and physically (weakening due to blood loss), the body loses the ability to send nutrients and hormones to the uterus which are very important for proper feeding of the endometrium, good implantation of the fetus and of course proper support later in pregnancy. This weakness does not always appear in blood tests, but this can be seen mainly in the symptoms experienced by the woman, such as: restless sleep, depression, weakness, hair loss, dry skin, lack of appetite and more.
What is important in treating repeated miscarriages:
- It is especially recommended to start with 12 weekly treatments that include combined acupuncture treatments along with dietary changes and herbal formulas.
- The treatment should start 3 months before becoming pregnant to support and strengthen the uterus and prepare the body for pregnancy.
- During the treatments, the patient will be sent to perform various medical tests such as follicular scanning and endometrial thickness test, progesterone test on the 21-23 day of the cycle to monitor the progress of the treatment.
- Miscarriage in the first trimester require continued treatment until the 15th week of pregnancy.
- In later miscarriages, the supportive treatment will be given up to a month after the estimated miscarriage time (repeat miscarriages tend to recur at the same time).
- Repeated miscarriages due to over-coagulation such as factor 5, darkness, lack of S protein, lack of anti-thrombin 3, and anti-phospholipid syndrome – does not contradict or prevent the administration of clexane, micropirin (aspirin), pregnyl or progesterone, but on the contrary, the treatment supports blood flow to the uterus and helps balance the natural hormonal mechanism that enables the proper administration of progesterone.
A miscarriage leads to despair, anxiety, and frustration. However, it is important to remember that even without any clear treatment, chances are that the next pregnancy will be successful and will end with the birth of a healthy newborn.
At Maoz Marpe Clinic:
At the clinic, we treat fertility in the most comprehensive and thorough manner. We have developed a program in which natural and medical methods that support the strengthening of women and men’s fertility can be obtained and a natural and rapid pregnancy can be conceived. Our goal is to assist as many women and couples with fertility problems as possible, including repeated miscarriages, whether due to coagulation problems such as Factor 5 or regardless of coagulation. One of the basic guidelines in the case of repeated miscarriages is not to try to get pregnant for a minimum of three months from the time of the miscarriage and at the same time, through acupuncture treatments, herbal formulas, and dietary changes the woman will strengthen her body and then in 80% of the cases there will be no problem in keeping the pregnancy.
