The time of pregnancy and the birth of a much anticipated and wanted baby should be the best time in a woman's life. It should be filled with shopping for cribs and thinking about baby names and friends holding baby showers. Time should be spent laughing with her partner about the strange food cravings and feeling a surge of maternal emotions when seeing someone with a baby.

Unfortunately, however, estimates are that ten to fifteen percent of women who have a confirmed pregnancy may have to face the devastation of a miscarriage. Each woman has to deal with such a horrendous loss in her own way, but there are ways to possibly help her. Perhaps more important, however, are knowing things that you should NOT do or say.

Why Does Such a Horrible Thing Happen?

The bottom line is that many women who have miscarriages will never know what caused it. Some of them simply happen without a known cause but many miscarriages that happen during the first three months of a pregnancy are associated with chromosomal problems and abnormalities while the cells are maturing. An abnormality with the chromosomes does not mean that something was wrong with either of the parents. There could be a genetic problem with the matching of two people, but most likely this will not be looked into unless there has been more than one miscarriage.

Sometimes, especially later than the first few months, things like falls or auto accidents are a catalyst that starts a "spontaneous abortion" (another name for miscarriage). If the pregnancy has progressed as far as the third trimester, the loss of a baby after this point is usually an illness or accident involving the mother.

Are There Still Additional Possible Causes?

If a woman's body does not produce enough progesterone to nourish a fertilized egg in the uterus, a miscarriage will occur. This also will generally not be known or tested until there are additional miscarriages.

A physical problem with the cervix (weak cervix) or uterus (fibroids) can cause a miscarriage to occur as well.