[Jocelyn King]

From a naturopathic viewpoint miscarriage is preventable, it is not just ' one of those things' and there is little point in giving just the advice to 'try again' unless attention is given to those factors which could cause miscarriage and which are amenable to treatment.

Naturopathically, miscarriage can be prevented by ensuring that the foetus is viable, the environment in which it grows is healthy and that undue stress, physical or emotional especially during the first trimester is avoided.

Most miscarriages are often the results of factors present at the time of conception. Because of this the best way to avoid them is for both parents to practice preconception care for a few months before your pregnancy starts. This helps enormously to ensure that the foetus is viable and the environment that it grows in the early weeks is healthy. I know that a few months seems like a long time but especially if recurrent miscarriages is a problem it is really important to stop and get everything in order before attempting another conception.

Causes of miscarriage may be divided into 5 main groups and the percentage of contribution has been estimated as:

Infection ( Chlamydia, mycoplasma and ureaplasma most common) = 1%

Anatomical defect of uterus = 5 ? 12%

Progesterone deficiency/ luteal phase defect = 20%

Chromosomal abnormality = 7 ? 50%

Immune mechanism = 30 -50%

Unknown = 15%

A lot of the tests that have been listed above are to check for immunological causes of recurrent miscarriages. I will write some more information about these in detail separately.
I am one of the naturopaths working at the Belly Belly centre in Canterbury so if you find you are not getting anywhere with all these tests do come in to the centre to see us - our approach might just help. Some of our medicines help regulate any hormone imbalance as well as help to prevent miscarriages. On top of this we can help with your preconception care to make sure you are in tip top condition for conception and development of the foetus.
Hope this is of some help
Do look me up on the new Belly Belly pregnancy centre website
Jocelyn King