Miscarriage and Surrogacy–A Comprehensive Guide On What You Need To Know For Intended Parents & Surrogates
One of the most heartbreaking moments that a pregnant woman can endure is a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. Sometimes it can happen so early that the woman didn’t even know she was pregnant.
Other times, it can occur later in the pregnancy and have a devastating effect on the mother emotionally. Miscarriages are more common than you might originally think. Studies have shown that 10-25% of all pregnancies will suffer from a miscarriage.
If you’re a mother who has suffered from multiple miscarriages, then you might wonder if you are able to carry a baby full-term.
For those who have been unable to carry a child to its full term, it is unlikely that you will be able to do so in the future. These women are likely struggling with some form of infertility.
However, that does not mean that they are unable to have children of their own. Surrogacy in California can be a valid option for having the biological child you have always wished for. We see many women who are consistently losing pregnancies by miscarriage but are reluctant to choose to find a surrogate. A surrogacy specialist can help you start a family today!
At Made in the USA Surrogacy, we know the process is heartbreaking and the emotional pull to have the child on your own is strong. But we know first-hand the successful pregnancies that have resulted from using a surrogate when a miscarriage has happened frequently–it may be your best option!
Women who are interested in the surrogacy process and becoming surrogate mothers may also wonder what suffering from miscarriages means for them. If you’re looking to become a surrogate and you have had a miscarriage or two in your life, then you might still be able to become a surrogate.
This article will discuss everything you need to know about miscarriages, pregnancy loss, and surrogate pregnancy.
It will also delve into surrogacy as a means to circumvent future miscarriages, and whether or not a prospective surrogate can put forward her name as a surrogate mother despite having had miscarriages in her past.
Miscarriage Overview
A miscarriage is a medical term given to a pregnancy that ends within the first 20 weeks of being pregnant.
The pregnancy must end on its own to be considered a miscarriage. It’s the most common type of loss during pregnancy. It’s typical for a miscarriage to occur within the first 13 weeks since conception.
Because miscarriages occur in around a quarter of all pregnancies, it’s something that most women will struggle with. However, despite how common it is, a lot of women and men don’t understand the facts surrounding it.
There are actually different types of miscarriages.
While some can be treated, in most cases, if your body continues to have miscarriages, then it is likely due to issues with infertility.
The causes of miscarriage are mostly unknown. However, there are some factors that may increase the chances of it occurring. For a miscarriage that occurs within the first trimester, however, the cause is usually due to abnormal chromosomes.
This is when the baby’s chromosomes aren’t quite correct. It could be that there isn’t the correct number of them or the chromosomes have been damaged.
In this case, the chromosomal abnormality occurs because of a damaged egg or sperm cell. Or it may be due to a division problem that the zygote had.
If the abnormality occurs because of a damaged egg or sperm cell, then this could mean that the couple is struggling with infertility. They may need to undergo in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, in order to successfully unite a healthy sperm cell with a healthy egg cell.
To ensure that the embryo grows, the couple should consider using surrogacy in California. Finding healthy egg and sperm cells can be difficult enough. You wouldn’t want to risk the chances of a healthy baby further by placing it back within your own body.
A surrogate mother can offer a healthy womb for the embryo to grow within until birth.
Surrogacy pregnancies are not immune to miscarriages and it is possible for a miscarriage to happen regardless of how healthy the surrogate is.
Miscarriages: Other Causes
There are also other causes of miscarriage that may factor into one arising. Sometimes, the problem may be hormonal.
If women are unable to produce the proper amount of estrogen at the beginning of a pregnancy, then the embryo may not receive the nutrients it needs to survive. Or they may produce too much estrogen and the body might not recognize the baby.
Infections can also cause miscarriage. If a virus enters the body and manages to drift into the embryo, then the body may choose to attack it. This can kill the embryo and cause a miscarriage.
Even maternal health problems can make a woman miscarry her child.
If the mother is quite sickly, for example, then the body may choose to remove the fetus in order to prioritize the mother’s health. Women who are sickly should find a surrogate to carry their child. Intended mothers can still be an egg donor and their partner can still be a sperm donor. The resulting embryo will just be placed in a surrogate mother for safe development.
A lifestyle choice can also increase the chances of miscarrying a child.
Women who smoke or use drugs have a greater chance of miscarrying their child. Malnutrition can also increase the chances because the body is unable to support the growth of the fetus. Sometimes even increased caffeine uptake can cause a miscarriage to occur. Finally, women who work in toxic environments or who are exposed to radiation are likely to miscarry their child.
Other biological reasons like age can limit the chances of a successful full-term birth. The older that a mother is when she becomes pregnant, the more likely she will miscarry.
However, just because an intended mother chooses to wait to have a baby doesn’t mean she can’t have one. She should simply utilize surrogacy to ensure her baby makes it to full-term.
Pregnancy complication such as preeclampsia, is also known as a high blood pressure disorder with high protein levels in the urine.
Finally, a trauma that occurs can increase the chances of miscarrying.
This trauma can come in the form of violence or an accident and is quite common, unfortunately. It can be both physical and emotional trauma that the body has suffered that causes a biological response and ends up removing the fetus.
Miscarrying and Implanted Embryos
There does seem to be a relationship between miscarrying a baby and an embryo transfer. However, this is typically in women who have already suffered from miscarriages in the past.
Again, this is another reason that mothers who are suffering from the loss of pregnancies often through miscarriage should only consider surrogacy as their method for having a baby. Pursuing IVF could also result in a more recurrent loss as well as more heartache, loss of funds, and general loss of hope for the outcome they have wished for all of these years.
It can also occur when the transplant is not done successfully.
This transplant is performed typically through in-vitro fertilization at a fertility clinic. Women who are struggling with infertility may choose to have in-vitro fertilization performed on themselves by doctors at the fertility clinic.
When this occurs, the egg donor, or the intended mother, has one or several of her eggs removed. The sperm donor, or her partner, then offers up a few sperm cells. These are placed within a dish where the cells can find each other with ease.
Fertilization occurs, and the brand-new embryo is then placed within the intended mother. However, if the mother has experienced miscarriages before, then she might have one again even with in-vitro fertilization. This may be due to any of the causes explained earlier.
Intended mothers who have suffered from miscarriages in the past without the use of a transplant should think about utilizing a surrogate.
When a surrogate is used, IVF is still performed except that the embryo is placed within the surrogate mother instead at the fertility clinic. The surrogate then carries the baby to full-term.
Miscarriages can occur within surrogates, too, because of IVF. However, this is more due to the fault of the transplant being placed incorrectly than anything else. Surrogates are given numerous medications to ensure that their body is prepared to receive and accept an embryo. The fertility clinic ensures that the surrogate is at their fertility peak before transferring the embryo.
Normally, IVF is successful and the surrogate is able to carry the child. If something does occur, however, then a new embryo can be made from the eggs and sperm that were collected before.
Miscarriage Signs
There are a few signs that can indicate that your body is about to miscarry.
One of the potential signs is a pain in your back. This pain can be mild or severe. It is sometimes even worse than normal menstrual cramps. The pain may be coupled with contractions. These contractions can be extremely painful and may occur every 5-20 minutes.
You may also experience sudden weight loss.
Bleeding may also occur. However, it should be noted that 20-30% of all pregnancies will likely see some spotting or bleeding. Of that percentage, 50% will result in a normal pregnancy, still. So, if you notice brown or bright red blood that comes with or without cramps, then you may be fine. However, it may also be a sign that you’re about to miscarry.
Among the bleeding, if you notice that there are clumps of tissue or tissue with clots that pass through your vagina, then you might miscarry or have already done so.
Finally, a sign that you might be miscarrying is if you notice a sudden decrease in the initial symptoms of being pregnant. These symptoms are nausea, missed menstruation, or larger breasts. If those symptoms revert, then you might miscarry.
Different Types Of Miscarrying
While all early termination of pregnancies that occur naturally are termed as miscarriages, there are different types. When you suffer from one, your doctor may one of these terms to explain what kind you experienced.
- Threatened: This type of miscarrying involves uterine bleeding. Sometimes cramping and low back pain can occur. This type also requires the cervix to be closed. This is the most common type that occurs with incorrect implantation.
- Inevitable or Incomplete: This type is similar to Threatened except that the cervix is opened. It’s considered inevitable because once the cervix is opened, the embryo will perish. Sometimes there is also a rupture of the membranes. You may experience further bleeding and cramping if the miscarrying is not complete.
- Complete: When an embryo empties out of the uterus, it is known as Complete. Bleeding and cramping should end quickly after. This type is usually confirmed through an ultrasound.
- Missed: Sometimes a woman does not realize that she has miscarried. That’s what the Missed type covers. It’s when the embryo has died but it never exited the body. The reason why this type occurs is yet unknown. A mother will likely notice that her symptoms of pregnancy have stopped and that there is no longer any detectable heartbeat in the womb.
- Recurrent: This type refers to three or more miscarries that are consecutive. Women who are Recurrent are likely unable to carry a baby to full-term. As such, surrogacy may be their only option of ever having a biological child.
- Blighted Ovum: This occurs when a fertilized egg manages to implant itself within the uterine wall. However, actual development never occurs.
- Ectopic Pregnancy: When an egg moves to the fallopian tube or another place that isn’t the uterus, that’s what this type covers. Growth outside of the uterus, such as in the fallopian tube, can have disastrous results for the mother if not halted.
- Molar Pregnancy: This last type involves a genetic error. Abnormal tissue growth occurs in the uterus but it doesn’t actually have an embryo developing within it. Women often experience some of the symptoms of pregnancy but do not actually have a growing embryo within their bodies.
Miscarrying Treatment Options
The primary goal of treatment after miscarrying is to stop any further bleeding and ensure that infection does not occur and preserve the well-being of the mother. Luckily, women who miscarry early in their first trimester don’t need much medical help following the episode.
This is because the fetus and its tissue are typically expelled from the body completely.
However, in the event that not all of the tissue is removed, a procedure known as dilation and curettage is performed.
Commonly called D&C, the process involves a doctor opening up your cervix. Smaller tools are then used to remove the remaining pieces of tissue from your body. Sometimes the tools are sharp enough to cut away tissue that may be sticking to the uterine wall. Other times, they may be simple suction tools.
After the procedure is performed, you are given some medications and are able to go home.
Because further bleeding can be extremely problematic for your health, doctors ask that you keep an eye on your bleeding. If it increases or if you start to experience chills or a fever, then you will need to return to your doctor.
Miscarrying Prevention
Although most miscarriages occur because of chromosomal abnormalities, it can be possible to help limit the number that you experience. The overall goal is to remain as healthy as possible.
This will create a healthy environment for the fetus to grow within and minimize risk factors.
To help prevent miscarrying, you should exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.
You should couple that exercise with eating well and healthily. Stress can sometimes play a role in miscarrying, and so you should also find means of managing your stress in a positive and productive way.
Another task that you can perform is to take or eat folic acid daily. Folic acid can increase the amount of blood in your body. When you’re pregnant, you need an excess of blood. Folic acid can be a healthy way of providing that blood. Finally, you should stop smoking or ensure that you are not around smokers.
Can I become a surrogate if I have miscarried?
Women who have experienced multiple miscarriages likely cannot carry a baby full-term.
For women who have experienced only one miscarriage, then you may not need to find a surrogate. You can attempt to have a baby naturally with your partner.
However, women who have recurrent miscarriages should find a surrogate.
Because miscarriages can sometimes be dangerous for your body, you shouldn’t further the stress and pain of trying more with your partner.
Instead, using a surrogate mother can still give you a biological child just without the concern of miscarrying the baby yourself. Surrogate mothers have their body prepared for embryo transplant by the fertility clinic to further help ensure that a miscarriage doesn’t occur due to the transplant and that the surrogate pregnancy can be carried out.
For those women who are interested in becoming a surrogate, you may wonder if you’re eligible if you have miscarried in the past. Our surrogacy agency in the Sacramento area will accept you as a surrogate if you have had successful pregnancies or a pregnancy in the past- and you don’t suffer from recurrent miscarriages.
Surrogate agencies like to see that you are able to carry a baby full-term after you have miscarried to ensure that your body is still healthy enough to develop a baby.
As long as you do not have a medical condition that causes miscarriages, or that miscarrying a baby has become a regular occurrence, then you’re able to become a surrogate.
Intended mothers who have suffered miscarriages in the past don’t have to give up their dreams. Find a surrogate for your family today and fill out our parent inquiry.
If you would like to become a surrogate with Made in the USA Surrogacy- please fill out this form.
