Things I Wish My Doctor Told Me About Miscarriage

There are many things you go through when you have a miscarriage. Pain. Worry. Fear. And there was very little I was told by my physician in the emergency room. Besides being given a confirmation that I was indeed losing my baby--little more was disclosed to me. As I was discharged I was informed of "how much blood was to much" and given a suggestion to wait 3-5 months before "trying again".

I know that every experience of child loss is different. But these are some things I wish my doctor had told me about miscarriage.

• Hair loss. Just like when you give birth, the hormones from having a miscarriage can result in hair loss. Quite a lot of hair loss. When my hair started falling out about a month after my second miscarriage, I kinda freaked out. And it also happened with my third. My hair has finally begun to grow back again (took like 3 months) I was totally unaware and unprepared for this. 
• Depression. I was severely depressed after all my miscarriages. I couldn't get out of bed and I could not stop crying. I couldn't cook and the fact that I couldn't even provide for my husband made me even more depressed. It got to the point that I wanted to cease existing. The only way I could cope was to read books nonstop and ignore life while my hormones attempted to regain whatever "normal"was. (I am okay now, don't worry!)
• My first period after each miscarriage was very weird. Extra heavy, extra painful, early and longer then normal. I had no idea this would happen.
• Weight gain. After all three of my miscarriages my hormones were all sorts of whack. I gained 10 pounds in two months and my diet didn't change at all. This, as you can imagine, did not help me feel better about myself. When I had my third miscarriage I made sure to exercise a little extra for the month after but I still ended up gaining some weight. 

A miscarriage is tragic and sensitive time for all those involved. If you or someone you love is going through this please pass a long this information in a kindly manner. Knowing what to expect can take away a lot of the anxiety and the foreknowledge especially helped me practice the right kind of self-care throughout my difficult time.