Unfortunately, not all pregnancies end in the birth of a baby. Sometimes it happens that a non-viable small heart stops beating, the fetus dies. But the uterus does not immediately reject it and the miscarriage does not occur, and the mother learns about what happened from the conclusion of the ultrasound.
The pathological condition in which the dead fetus continues to be in the uterine cavity is called a frozen pregnancy. A woman who has undergone such a condition is very difficult both physically and psychoemotionally. Many lose hope and faith in a favorable outcome for the next pregnancy after a frozen one. Pregnancy and childbirth will certainly be successful if you follow all the doctor's recommendations and do not give up.
How to understand that the fetus has stopped developing
The fetus can stop developing at any period of up to 28 weeks. But most often such a pathology occurs in the early stages, that is, up to 12 weeks. Usually, fetal growth retardation occurs without any serious symptoms, so a pregnant woman should be extremely attentive to her feelings. If you detect the slightest alarming signs, you must immediately see a gynecologist.
Signs in the presence of which one should suspect something was wrong:
toxicosis disappeared sharply;
basal temperature has fallen;
brown or spotting appeared;
pulling pains in the lower back and abdomen began;
general weakness, chills, trembling;
at a later date - the cessation of movement.
Another sign is the mismatch of the timing of pregnancy with the size of the uterus. Such a symptom can be detected by an obstetrician at a routine admission in a antenatal clinic. Of course, these are indirect signs and their presence does not always mean fetal death. The final diagnosis will be made by an ultrasound doctor.
Why did this happen
So that the next pregnancy after a frozen pregnancy proceeds without complications, so that similar tragedies no longer occur, you first need to find out the root cause of the pathology. Honestly, this is difficult to do, sometimes gynecologists themselves do not know why this happened, they advise a woman not to go in cycles. Factors in which a frozen pregnancy may occur:
Genetic problems. If development stopped at 8 weeks, then most likely a malfunction in genetics occurred, this is due to abnormalities in the chromosome. It is at this time that it is determined whether the embryo is viable or not. More than 70% of all missed pregnancies occur at 8 weeks.
Hormonal insufficiency. The death of the fetus can provoke both a lack of progesterone, namely it is a hormone of pregnancy, and an overabundance of male hormones. In general, it is advisable to take tests and check your hormonal background even before pregnancy. But if necessary, the doctor can prescribe the necessary drugs during gestation.
Various infections. Although the placenta and fetal membranes are struggling to protect the fetus from the effects of antibodies, some viruses can still harm the baby. Rubella, cytomegalovirus, and even common flu can provoke a frozen pregnancy.
Antiphospholipid syndrome with subsequent violation of blood coagulation.
Wrong way of life. Too dragging clothes, improper nutrition, a long stay at the computer - these are the causes of fetal death.
How to interrupt a frozen pregnancy
At the slightest suspicion of pathology, a woman should immediately inform her doctors of the antenatal clinic about her guesses. Next, she will be prescribed an ultrasound, with which it will be seen whether a small heart is beating or not. If the fetus still stops developing, then the pregnant woman is put in the hospital on the same day and prepared for cleaning. This is very important, since every day the risk of intoxication of a woman's body increases. So that the next pregnancy after a frozen pregnancy proceeds safely, you need to follow all the doctor's recommendations both before and after cleaning the uterine cavity. Ways to cleanse the uterus from the embryo:
Medical cleaning is one of the most gentle methods. The procedure is performed without surgical intervention, so that the risk of damage and infection of the uterine cavity is completely eliminated. The patient, being on stationary observation, takes the drug inside, which provokes strong contractions and causes fetal rejection. Among the disadvantages: the method is used only in the very early weeks of pregnancy.
Surgical method. A somewhat traumatic method is carried out under general anesthesia or with local anesthesia. The essence of this method is the curettage of a dead fetus along with the upper layer of the endometrium. Pregnancy after curettage of a frozen pregnancy is possible after 6 months.
Vacuum suction A more gentle and less traumatic method compared to the surgical one. Using a vacuum device, all the waste products of the embryo are aspirated. If a normal pregnancy after curettage of a dead pregnancy can occur in half a year, then in this case 3 months is enough to recover.
Childbirth. If for some reason the tragedy occurred at a later date, then you have to stimulate the birth process.
Who is at risk
Even a perfectly healthy woman may encounter such a pathology and more often the next pregnancy after a frozen pregnancy passes without any deviations. But sometimes this is repeated several times, which serves as an occasion for serious examinations. To repeated death of the fetus are more prone to:
those who have had abortions in the past;
a history of ectopic pregnancy;
pregnant women with infectious and inflammatory diseases;
late-born;
women with anatomical problems in the reproductive system, for example, a bicornuate uterus;
pregnant women with benign neoplasms (uterine fibroids);
women with endocrine disorders.
What measures to take before a new attempt
According to reviews, pregnancy after a frozen pregnancy directly depends on moral preparation. Do not get hung up on what happened and put an end to yourself. The next pregnancy will certainly be successful, if you believe in a favorable outcome and, of course, undergo a full examination. And for this you have to:
Re-visit the gynecologist, who will prescribe the necessary tests and take a smear for infection.
Consult a reproductologist to determine the cause of the incident.
You may need to consult specialized specialists, for example, a psychologist and an endocrinologist.
Complete a full TORCH test.
In order to find out genetic abnormalities, you will have to visit a geneticist with your spouse. He can direct a man to take a spermogram and determine the morphology according to Kruger. This is necessary to assess the quality of seminal fluid.
After all the research and identifying the causes of a missed pregnancy, you can think about therapy and eliminate the factors that may affect the next pregnancy.
How much to wait?
How much can you become pregnant after a frozen pregnancy? This is the first thing that excites the couple after the events experienced. Many women try to get pregnant immediately after suffering grief in order to forget what happened as soon as possible. Should not be doing that. An early pregnancy after a frozen pregnancy is dangerous and a repetition of what happened may well be.
The body needs at least 6 months to fully recover after cleansing. Sometimes doctors recommend a year or more to protect themselves. It all depends on what caused the embryo to freeze, how long the treatment will last.
How to get pregnant after a dead
When all stages of diagnosis and treatment have been completed, the most important thing before getting pregnant again is to tune inwardly for a successful outcome. There are frequent cases when a healthy couple after a postponed frozen pregnancy could no longer conceive a child. In this case, in the physical plane there is no reason for infertility, the problem lies in psychological factors.
Stress, fear, resentment should be left in the past, learn to forgive and forgive yourself. No one is to blame for what happened, the next pregnancy will necessarily end with the birth of a long-awaited baby.
Do not ignore the recommendations of your doctor. Even if it seems that there are no deviations, and you feel great, you should still wait for the required time. A minimum of 6 months is required for a healthy pregnancy after a dead one. After how long you can get pregnant in your particular case can only be said by a doctor.
Immediate pregnancy after a dead
Very often you can hear from a woman that she became pregnant after a frozen pregnancy in a couple of months and everything went well. This is quite possible, because curettage is essentially menstruation caused by mechanical stress. And the maturation of the egg can occur within 12-14 days, which means that a woman may well become pregnant again.
Nevertheless, the next pregnancy must be approached responsibly. The body after cleansing is too weak, so the risk of a recurrence of the pathology is great.
But this categorically does not mean that a month after a frozen pregnancy, pregnancy should end just as badly. Each case is individual, the probability that everything goes well and a healthy baby is born is very high. Therefore, if a pregnancy has nevertheless occurred, there is no need to panic and be afraid. Contact your gynecologist immediately for timely hormonal support.
Two frozen in a row
In cases where a non-developing pregnancy is repeated several times in a row, the genetic factor fades into the background. The reason most likely lies in the viral-infectious diseases of a woman, the Rh conflict of the mother and fetus, in the presence of serious endocrine abnormalities.
A serious examination is indispensable. Treatment should be comprehensive and strictly under the supervision of a physician.
How to endure to the end
When the therapy is left behind, a certain period of time will pass, and the loving couple will again be mentally ready to accept an attempt to conceive a child, no need to wait. More than 80% of women who survived a missed pregnancy again became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby.
As soon as the treasured two stripes appear on the test, it is worth notifying your gynecologist about this, who may prescribe hormonal support for you, this is necessary for safety reasons.
The woman herself is required to observe the correct lifestyle, abandon bad habits, take vitamins and most importantly - a positive attitude.
Conclusion
Losing a child is always a serious psychological trauma. Many women after this become isolated, start blaming themselves for everything, are afraid to relive this kind of thing again. The psychological state in this case needs to be controlled. In these difficult days, she, like no one else, needs the support of her relatives and friends, who must explain that no one is to blame for what happened, and that very soon the woman will certainly become the most wonderful mother.