Miscarriage Misconceptions Worsen Mom's Shame, Guilt Feelings

Misconceptions about women's miscarriage bring about negative outcomes beyond what many may expect. According to The Guardian, a US research revealed that misconceptions in relation to miscarriage cause worsened guilt and shame among women.

The study's participants included 55 percent of females who suffered miscarriage and are aged 18 to 49. Among the participants, 57 percent admitted that causes for the loss of their unborn children were not disclosed to them. New York's researchers at Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center observed moms' negative emotions after miscarriage stemmed from such misconceptions.

Dr. Zev Williams, the director of Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Program for Early and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, shared, "The results of our survey indicate widespread misconceptions about the prevalence and causes of miscarriage. Because miscarriage is very common but rarely discussed, many women and couples feel very isolated and alone after suffering a miscarriage. We need to better educate people about miscarriage, which could help reduce the shame and stigma associated with it."

"Patients who have experienced miscarriage may benefit from further counselling by healthcare providers, identification of the cause, and revelations from friends and celebrities," Williams and her team of researchers assessed in conclusion. "Healthcare providers have an important role in assessing and educating all pregnant patients about known prenatal risk factors, diminishing concerns about unsubstantiated but prevalent myths and, among those who experience a miscarriage, acknowledging and dissuading feelings of guilt and shame," they stated.

According to Healio.com, Williams added, "Because of the folklore surrounding miscarriage and the reluctance of those who experience a miscarriage to share that experience, there is a significant information gap between the medical diagnosis of miscarriage and the patient's personal experience."

Williams let mom readers in on more details surrounding miscarriage at this time and age. "In fact, miscarriage is a woman's body sensing that something is wrong, that the baby can't be brought to term and survive, and therefore ends the pregnancy," she said. "There's this ancient thinking about miscarriage that persists because it's not discussed, and we set out to do the study to find out just how much this secrecy has promoted myths about it."

Alyssa Dweck, an OB-Gyn from Westchester, New York, said in an interview with Yahoo Parenting, "I hear women all the time who blame themselves - they think that having a Venti coffee or even having sex caused their miscarriage, and I counsel them that it was probably something beyond their control."

Dweck is a co-author of "V is for Vagina."