How to support a woman after miscarriage

A miscarriage can be emotionally very stressful for a woman. An understanding of what a miscarriage is and what to expect after that can help you better support a woman who has had a miscarriage.

Miscarriage is the premature loss of a fetus up to 23 weeks of pregnancy and weighing up to 500 g.

Over 30 to 40 percent of women experience symptoms of anxiety, and around 10 to 15 percent of women go through depression following a miscarriage. These symptoms can persist for about 4 months or more.

It is definitely a disastrous loss to the pregnant mother and hard for any woman to go through it as the misery is unrelenting.

So, what could be done about the same, and how to support a woman after miscarriage?

Here are few tips to cope with the same:

• First and the most important aspect of helping a woman cope with the loss is to make her aware of the miscarriage. The woman has to come to terms with the loss and only then would she be able to get over it. She needs to be given her time to grieve about it.
• The husband plays an important role in making the woman understand and lend a supporting and comforting presence for her.
• Explain to her that she is not at fault.
• Women with a miscarriage grieve the loss of the fetus and ponder over it. They turn to friends, family members, and healthcare professionals to talk about it. Just give a ‘listening ear’.
• The woman who has suffered a miscarriage should talk thoroughly to her doctor about the same. This helps educate the woman about the miscarriage and learn about the precautions to be taken for preventing it in future.
• In the later weeks, talk to her often and engage her in new activities. It is important that she knows her worth and importance in the family.
• Good nutrition is essential. Encourage her to drink plenty of fluids  
• Try and get her to move around and mingle with other relatives and friends and most importantly give her the time that she needs to get over the loss. .

Although a gradual and time consuming process but the lady will get over it and become normal again. So, the next time you come across a woman in your family, friends, or neighborhood who has to deal with miscarriage and related trauma just lend her a listening ear to comfort her.