JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE APRIL ISSUE | Page 24

Spotting in early pregnancy is fairly common, but it should never be considered normal, and it always warrants a call to your ob-gyn, Dr. Landy says. Although the presence of spotting does not always indicate a miscarriage, it is a sign that something abnormal may be going on in the pregnancy, she adds. "Even if everything looks normal, the fact that the patient's had spotting will be kept in the back of our minds throughout her pregnancy." Some women do not experience any symptoms of miscarriage at all; however, possible signs besides bleeding include:      Mild to severe cramps Back pain Loss of pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting White-pink mucus Passing tissue or clot-like material JOY FEELINGS MAG Is it possible to stop a miscarriage if symptoms are caught early enough? Sadly, there's no way to stop a miscarriage from happening once it's started. According to Dr. Landy, however, it is vital to be seen by your doctor and treated to prevent hemorrhaging and/or infection. What is a chemical pregnancy? A chemical pregnancy occurs when an egg is fertilized but never implants in the uterus. The fertilized egg signals the body to begin making hCG (human ghorionic gonadotropin, sometimes commonly referred to as the pregnancy hormone), which can result in an early positive pregnancy test--even three to four days before a woman's first missed period. Unfortunately, because the Page 24