Why does frozen pregnancy happen and can it be prevented?

A frozen pregnancy is classified as one of the types of miscarriage and is characterized by termination of pregnancy before the due date. Most often this occurs in the first and second trimester of pregnancy, less often in the third. A frozen pregnancy can happen in one of 2 scenarios - the fetus in the uterus either does not develop and cannot be seen on an ultrasound, or the embryo dies for some reason during pregnancy. In order to prevent miscarriage in the future, it is necessary to carefully study the causes of this phenomenon, and also find out how safe it is to plan a baby after cleaning.

Causes of frozen pregnancy

Unfortunately, doctors cannot always determine the cause of embryo death, but there are a certain number of factors that affect the normal course of pregnancy:

• About 80% of miscarriage cases are directly related to genetics. Most often, freezing occurs at 7-8 weeks and is caused by disorders in which normal development and subsequent birth are simply impossible. The genetic factor can belong to both the father and the mother, often this manifests itself in complex incompatibility.
• Hormonal imbalance is one of the five most common causes of freezing. The failure can be of a different nature, usually it is associated with a deficiency of progesterone in the body of the expectant mother or an excess of the male hormone, androgen. In any case, this problem is easily diagnosed at the planning stage.
• At risk are those couples who use IVF in order to have a baby in their family; there is a high probability of termination of pregnancy for up to 10 weeks.
• A number of untreated STIs, for example, syphilis or chlamydia, certainly play their negative role.
• During the period of gestation, a woman’s body is especially susceptible to attacks from infections and viruses, some of which are dangerous to the fetus. The death of the embryo is affected not only by rubella or cytomegalovirus, but even by a banal acute respiratory infection.
• A lot is said about a healthy lifestyle, which a woman simply must lead while pregnant. Too tight clothes, stress and overexertion, bad habits - all this must be abandoned even before conception.

At what stage does a frozen pregnancy occur?

Since most of the reasons that influence the freezing of the embryo can be identified at the planning stage, experts recommend that women who are at risk be examined in advance and eliminate ailments. It is important to provide for everything so that trouble does not affect a happy married couple.

According to statistics, most problems with miscarriage occur in the first half pregnancy, namely in the first trimester. However, development can stop at any time, even several weeks before birth.

Doctors call the time frame when the fetus is especially vulnerable to negative factors; critical periods are the period from 3-4 weeks, 8-11 weeks and 16-18 weeks. At week 8, the unborn baby is actively developing vital organs, so there is a high probability of fading.

Signs of a frozen pregnancy

Embryo death or a stop in its development in the early stages may not be noticed. The most obvious factor signaling a missed abortion in the first trimester is the absence of probable signs of pregnancy, namely:

• all signs of toxicosis disappear - nausea and vomiting in the morning, drowsiness, aversion to certain odors, but sharp or nagging pain appears in the lower abdomen and lower back;
• for up to 10 weeks, the breast pain stops, the woman does not notice engorgement of the mammary glands;
• carefully monitor the basal temperature; a decrease to 37 degrees signals a threat or freezing of the embryo;
• The hCG level decreases, therefore, the pregnancy test will show a negative result or two weak stripes;
• act immediately if you notice dark bloody discharge.

In the later stages of pregnancy, it is quite difficult to miss the moment of freezing, because fetal movements are already obvious and noticeable. If they are absent, but you feel pain in the lower abdomen, consult a doctor immediately, because if you do not remove the dead fetus in time, severe intoxication will begin, accompanied by fever, weakness and malaise.

The basis for diagnosing a frozen pregnancy is ultrasound. The study, as a rule, does not reveal the presence of heartbeats and movements, the embryo may not correspond to the size of the period, and with anembryony, the specialist will see only an empty fertilized egg.

Cleaning after a frozen pregnancy

As soon as a woman is diagnosed with a frozen pregnancy, doctors immediately begin cleaning the uterus in order to remove the embryo and prevent subsequent intoxication and the development of inflammatory processes. The length of pregnancy directly influences which method of medical cleaning the doctor chooses.

• The safest and least traumatic method is cleaning with special medications, but it is suitable for patients whose period does not exceed 5 weeks.
• Another gentle method in the early stages of pregnancy (up to 8 weeks) is the use of vacuum aspiration under local anesthesia or general anesthesia. It involves suctioning out the contents of the uterus using a special device, causing minimal tissue damage, and the discharge lasts from one to three days.
• Medical curettage is considered a dangerous procedure and is performed under general anesthesia almost blindly. The specialist performs it with a surgical instrument - a curette, then treats the vagina with an antiseptic solution and puts ice on the stomach to speed up the contraction of the uterus. Curettage is considered a surgical intervention; any doctor’s mistake or sudden complications can lead to problems with subsequent pregnancy. In the first 2-3 weeks, the patient may have pain in the lower abdomen and spotting.
• After 20 weeks of pregnancy, labor is induced artificially using medications.

The recovery period after curettage can range from several weeks to several months. Despite the fact that in the absence of complications, the woman is discharged home in the first days after cleansing, she must take rehabilitation seriously and follow all the specialist’s instructions, including taking antibiotics and pain-blocking medications.

Weakness in the first days is normal; you should stay in bed, avoid stress and not overload yourself with physical work, which can cause bleeding. Refuse to have sex until the reason for the embryo freezing is determined or use contraceptives; pregnancy can occur very quickly, and this would be undesirable.

Don't hesitate and go to the hospital if:

• you're up high temperature;
• bleeding has started or increased;
• critical days last more than two weeks;
• painkillers do not block discomfort in the lower abdomen;
• The discharge has acquired an unpleasant odor, which means that an infection has begun.

Pregnancy after a frozen pregnancy

Theoretically, the next pregnancy after fetal freezing is possible almost immediately after curettage, the eggs are ready for maturation, but this does not mean that the woman’s body is ready for pregnancy, because the uterus and endometrium must recover after surgery, and the hormonal background and general condition of the expectant mother must return to normal.

The main step on the path to a new pregnancy should be studying the causes of miscarriage, diagnosis and treatment. Gynecologists recommend starting planning no earlier than six months to a year, and the longer the pregnancy, the more it affected the woman’s body and psyche. If a couple does not listen to advice and conception occurs again, the risk of detecting fetal pathologies due to weakened immunity increases, anemia, lack of vitamins, etc.