Miscarriage Information
for New Zealanders
The Physiology of Miscarriage
What is happening in your body during a miscarriage? If you are experiencing waves of pain this could be due to your uterus contracting (like it would in full term labour, just with lower intensity). Your cervix may also be dilating (opening) to a size that will accomodate the release of your baby. If this is your first pregnancy this could be the first time that your cervix has ever dilated! Read more...
We know that it can be hard to be kind to yourself when you experience a miscarriage, but please do! We have some great ideas for practicing self-care that have been compiled for us by registered New Zealand psychologist, Christina Bond. Christina has put together lots of ideas that are founded in scientific research. Have a read through and choose the ones that fit with you xx.
When pregnancy loss occurs it can be unclear what we should expect from our midwives. Will she come to the emergency department with me? We have put together a flowchart to give you a better idea of what care the government is paying midwives for, and what care is being given without pay.
What caused my baby to die?
Most couples never receive an answer to this question. Current research suggests that the VAST MAJORITY of miscarriages are caused by a chromosomal abnormality. Read more...
Sometimes a cause can be diagnosed. This usually only happens once a couple has experienced pregnancy loss three or more times in a row (recurrent miscarriage). Read more...