Chromosomal abnormalities miscarriage is regarded as the most common type of pregnancy loss. More than half of all first-trimester miscarriages – estimates place it as high as 70 percent – are attributed to the chromosomal abnormalities in the embryos. Many women underwent said miscarriage so early in the process that they did not even know of their pregnancy until the doctor told them about it.
What It Means
Basically, a miscarriage arising from chromosomal abnormalities means that the embryo failed to develop the appropriate number of chromosomes – 23 pairs, in the case of humans. As a result, the pregnancy is either lost or a choice is made to end it because of the babies inability to survive the gestation or birth.
There are many types chromosomal abnormalities miscarriage depending on the number and location of the chromosomes missing. One of the most common is molar pregnancy where the fetus, the placenta or the amniotic membranes do not form as normally as these should have during the pregnancy. Other forms of chromosomal abnormalities include triploidy, monosomy, tetraploidy, and structural malformations.
What It Entails
This type of loss either occurs spontaneously or as a result of testing. When it occurs spontaneously there is no decision to make and the shock of what has happened is often difficult to come to terms with. In most cases when an abnormality is found, the parents have to make the difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy or to continue based on the circumstances and their beliefs.
If you find yourself in such a situation, the decision rests in your hands. Indeed, a miscarriage resulting from chromosomal abnormalities particularly when the termination was your decision is an extremely difficult one to make and to deal with. You must discuss your concerns with the people whom you trust including your partner and your doctor.
When Guilt Comes In
When you have decided to terminate the pregnancy for whatever reason, strong feelings of guilt can either immediately set in after the termination procedure or become a delayed reaction. Feelings of guilt can manifest when you were uncertain about whether you made the right decision for yourself or not, you were going against any particular beliefs that are held by your family or religion or for a variety of other reasons.
Even in a woman who has experienced a spontaneous chromosomal abnormalities miscarriage, feelings of guilt will be present. You may believe that it is your fault that your baby did not develop normally.
How to Recover
Like all other types of miscarriage, the road to emotional healing is a difficult one. Your recovery will also be compounded by your feelings of extreme guilt over your decision to terminate the pregnancy. But emotional healing is possible with a few of the important steps being:
Acknowledging how you feel throughout the experience and not judging yourself for how you feel;
Reading about other women’s experiences and learning from them
Talking to supportive family and friends as well as counselor
Working through your feelings instead of running away
In the end, your emotional healing from a chromosomal abnormalities miscarriage can only be achieved by you with the support and guidance that you need. Let the book Beyond Pregnancy Loss become your guidebook toward this path.
Until Next Time…
Helen
