By TAMARA MANNS

I walked into the emergency department already knowing the outcome. In these same rooms I had told women having the same symptoms as me, “I am so sorry, there is nothing we can do for a miscarriage”. I handed them the same box of single ply tissues I was now sobbing into, as I handed them a pen to sign their discharge paperwork.

Two weeks after my emergency room discharge, I continued to live life as if nothing happened, returning to work without any healthcare follow-up to address my emotional burden. Luckily, I had established obstetrician (OB) care with the physician who previously delivered my second child. At only nine weeks gestation I had not seen my OB physician yet, but I was able to follow up in the office to talk about my next steps.

After that two-week hospital follow up, I heard from no one.

Due to the environment of the emergency department, women often complain of unprepared providers with ineffective and impersonal delivery of miscarriage diagnosis and discharge education; this lack of emotional support can result in feelings of abandonment, guilt, and self-blame. Due to the psychological impact of pregnancy loss, a standard of care for screening and referral must be implemented at all facilities treating women experiencing miscarriage.

If I had not reached out to my healthcare provider after my miscarriage, I would have continued suffering through an aching depression without help.

Depression, anxiety, and grief are most severe in the first four months after miscarriage. The symptoms decrease in severity throughout the following year. These symptoms may influence future pregnancies by increasing maternal stress and fear, possibly leading to pregnancy complications.

In the United States (US), one in five women suffer with mood and anxiety disorders while pregnant, and up to one-year after delivery.