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Pregnancy Myth Conceptions: Falling can cause a miscarriage Pregnancy is shrouded with many misconceptions, old wives tales, myths; all containing both fact and fiction. As with many bits of information you should consider the whole truth before falling for a myth. This especially holds true with the myth of how falling during pregnancy can cause a miscarriage. While falling can be serious, much of the time no harm is done and both mother and baby will be fine. However there are a few precautions to adhere. The truth is many pregnant women fall and go on to delivery full-term healthy babies. A baby is very cushioned by the amniotic fluid within the uterus. It would take a very hard blow to the lower abdomen to cause the bag of waters to bust. I even personally know a woman who fell down a flight of steps at seven months pregnant and she and the baby were unharmed, except for a few bruises on the mom’s arms and legs. The mother did go immediately to her physician to be checked out. This is not to say that if you fall you should just get up assuming that you and baby are fine and not seek medical attention. It is strongly advisable to see your physician immediately after a fall, just to rule out any complications. This will ease the mind of the pregnant mom as well. Possible warning signs after a fall are bleeding out of the vagina, sharp pain in the lower abdomen, tightening around the abdomen, and unusual movement or no movement of the fetus are possible warning signs that should be checked out immediately. The concern is that placenta abrupto may happen. This is when the placenta tears away from the uterine wall, causing bleeding and possibly accompanied by pain. Placenta abrupto is very serious and can be fatal to the baby if left untreated. This is why it’s important to be checked out thoroughly after a fall, to rule this out. Remember that pregnancy brings on dizziness which in turn makes it easier to fall down. Low blood pressure, low blood sugar, low iron and rising too quickly can make a pregnant woman feel dizzy. It’s important for a pregnant woman to eat nutritiously, to maintain a healthy blood sugar and iron level. Also, when rising from a prone or sitting position, she should do so slowly, allowing the blood to circulate and to keep proper balance. And pregnancy is not the time to take up a new sport or exercise. Heeding these things will keep the falls during pregnancy at a minimum. Resources: http://www.holyname.org/health_information_resources/health_manuals/pregnant/discomf.htm http://health.discovery.com/diseasesandcond/encyclopedia/2956.html http://www.lpch.org/HealthLibrary/ChildrensHealthAZ/pregnant/discomf.htm Lori Ramsey's website: Stages in Pregnancy |
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