View our film about the experience of miscarriage and the work of The M.A.
Miscarriage
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More than one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage - around a quarter of a million in the UK each year.
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Most miscarriages happen in the first three months of pregnancy - but they can happen up to the 24th week. Pregnancy loss after 24 weeks is known as stillbirth.
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Any woman who is at risk of pregnancy is also at risk of miscarriage - it can happen to anyone.
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Even after several miscarriages, most women have a good chance of a successful pregnancy.
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It is common for women who have miscarried to feel high levels of anxiety in a subsequent pregnancy.
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Most women never know what has caused them to miscarry. Investigations are generally limited to women who have had three or more miscarriages. Even after investigations, in many cases a specific cause is not found.
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One in one hundred pregnancies is ectopic. This means the pregnancy is developing outside the womb - most often in one of the Fallopian tubes. This condition is life-threatening for the mother and, with exceedingly rare exceptions, the pregnancy cannot survive.
Recent research amongst a sample of over 300 women who had experienced miscarriage showed:
- nearly half (45%) of them did not feel well informed about what was happening to them
- only 29% felt well cared for emotionally
- nearly four out of five (79%) received no aftercare
Access to information and emotional support has been shown time and time again to help people cope with the experience of loss.
"Apart from loss, the most painful aspects of miscarriage are failure and grief. If you can talk about your feelings and be met with patient sympathy, you can heal."
Anna Raeburn Patron of The Miscarriage Association
The Miscarriage Association is a registered national charity, offering its services across the UK through:
Support
The Miscarriage Association's head office deals with over 20,000 letters, calls and e-mails per year from those who have suffered the loss of a baby in pregnancy. The charity has over 200 volunteer telephone contacts throughout the UK who offer support and understanding from the perspective of having been through miscarriage themselves. More than 50 local support groups, nation-wide, provide a safe space where people can meet and share their experiences and feelings.
"Thank you so much for being at the end of the phone when I really needed someone to talk to."
Information
The Miscarriage Association produces leaflets, fact-sheets and audiotapes which answer the most commonly asked questions about pregnancy loss. Our website provides an additional source of information, with most leaflets available on-line.
"It was only your organisation that answered the questions we needed to know and sent through readable information."
Awareness
Those experiencing miscarriage often feel isolated and ignored, and understanding and sensitivity from friends and family can help enormously. It is much easier for people to give this when they have some knowledge about pregnancy loss and the impact it can have. The Miscarriage Association works with the media to raise awareness of these issues.
"I read your article in the Express. For the first time in months I feel I'm not an alien."
Better Care
The Miscarriage Association works to raise awareness and sensitivity amongst health professionals through lectures, workshops and articles in professional journals. Their attitude and care can make all the difference in coping with the loss of a baby in pregnancy.
"We greatly appreciate the work of The Miscarriage Association in providing a place for women to turn to."
Roy Farquharson MD FRCOG
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
