Can Stress Lead to Miscarriage?

I am not a medical professional. The information I share is meant to supplement the information given you by your doctor. If you feel your doctor is not doing enough for you or not willing to listen to your concerns, I strongly encourage you to take what you've learned here and get a second opinion.

Stress triggers the production of cortisol in our body. Cortisol is produced in greater quatities when we are stressed or scared. It can cause an elevation in blood pressure and lower immune response. Sometimes you hear about people who have been severely injured but managed to so something miraculous like save somebody else from a fire. Well, that is cortisol at work. It lessens pain and gives us that burst of energy in highly stressful situations.

Why is increased cortisol a problem in pregnancy?
As cortisol increases, progesterone decreases. In your regular menstrual cycle, after ovulation progesterone is produced to thicken the uterine lining. If no egg implants, then falling levels of progesterone trigger the shedding of that lining and your period begins. To maintain a healthy pregnancy, your body needs to keep up the progesterone production to protect that lining as well as the baby within you.

Knowing that stress can actually be harmful to a pregnancy, when should a doctor mention that a woman may miscarry?

Should the physician wait until the miscarriage is happening?

If the physician is uncertain, should he monitor her more frequently before saying anything?

Should the physician mention it whenever he believes a miscarriage might be a possibility?

Many women report different reactions from their physicians. I get emails all the time from women whose doctors do not see the baby at only five or six weeks and diagnose a possible miscarriage. These women email me frantically wondering if there could still be hope. Some doctors give hope. Some doctors give only doom and gloom. Sometimes these women miscarry. Sometimes they go on to find their babies. In these cases, mentioning a possible miscarriage almost inevitably leads to incredible stress and often wait weeks to find out with any certainty. There is nothing that can be done to prevent miscarriage in these cases so should women be told this early especially when many women do not see their babies this early?

The physicians most guilty of stressing out their pregnant patients are the ones who do routine early ultrasounds. Until fairly recently in time, women were not monitored with ultrasound so early and often did not know they were going to miscarry until it was actually happening. Early ultrasounds can be beneficial if you suspect an ectopic pregnancy or some other complication. Some doctors use early ultrasound simply to date the pregnancy. Well, we've seen on the Misdiagnosed Miscarriage site that many women who know exactly when they conceived often are told they date one to two weeks behind which is an impossibility. These women, though, tend to have a retroverted uterus and dating is often right on again during the second trimester when the uterus is no longer tilted. Many of the women scared needlessly are given no hope only because they date a week or two behind. Since dating behind is fairly common, there are a lot of women needlessly frightened by their physicians. Also, we've seen that many women with a tilted uterus do not see their babies until eight or nine weeks and sometimes beyond! Many doctors give no hope after the seven-week ultrasound. Thank goodness I turned down my own D&C at seven and eight weeks because they found my baby at nearly nine weeks!

If you are stressed during pregnancy, what can be done? Well, many folks will tell you to relax and not worry.

Oh, that's easy...right???

No, of course staying peaceful and calm is not always easy. You're stressed for a reason. What you can do, however, if try and eliminate some of the stress from your life. Little things can make a huge difference. Some women go on mini-vacations. Some women get some extra help around the house. Exercise but do not overdo it. Not only can exercise lower your cortisol levels but it can increase endorphins which make you feel good. Also, many women tell me that just having somebody who will listen and be supportive helps so much.

Many women have their progesterone levels checked during the first trimester and take supplements if their progesterone levels are low or are dropping. While progesterone cannot save a pregnancy destined to miscarry, it can help if the reason you are miscarrying is because of low progesterone. Some women suffer from low progesterone and supplements do seem to help in those cases.

Can progesterone supplements help if you are stressed? That I do not know but getting your levels checked may be a good idea. If they are not within the normal range or seem to be dropping, discuss supplementation with your physician.

If you are interested in reading more, check out my Progesterone and Miscarriage page.

My Own Misdiagnosed Blighted Ovum Story
- After turning down the D&C twice, we found my baby at nearly nine weeks!
My First Misdiagnosed Miscarriage
- During my first pregnancy, we believed I was miscarrying at 12 weeks

A collection of Misdiagnosed Miscarriage stories

When You've Been Diagnosed with a Miscarriage

Bleeding during the First Trimester

What your Doctor may not know about your pregnancy after IVF

Miscarriage News and Research

hCG levels and Pregnancy FAQ

Tilted Uterus and Early Pregnancy

16 Days Past Ovulation (DPO) and hCG levels

Infant Survival Rates during Pregnancy

Is This Really an Ectopic Pregnancy?

High hCGs and No Baby?

The First Trimester: Enlarged Yolk Sac

Progesterone and Miscarriage

Asherman's Syndrome: Why you may want to rethink your D&C

So You've Been Told You Have A Blighted Ovum

Blighted Ovum FAQ

Non-Doubling hCG Levels in the First Trimester Do Not Mean Inevitable Miscarriage!

Can Stress Lead to Miscarriage?

Getting a Second Opinion about a Miscarriage Diagnosis

Why You May Want an Ultrasound Right Before Your D&C

Intravenous Iron Infusion and Me

Coping With A Miscarriage

Remembrance Gifts After A Miscarriage