Pregnancy Loss

Growing numbers of women who experience pregnancy loss of all kinds - from early spontaneous miscarriage to stillbirth - seek help from practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in their recovery and preparation for future pregnancy. However, CAM is largely unregulated, and can be an unfamiliar and confusing area for mainstream health professionals. Many of these also have questions about the efficacy and safety of complementary or alternative treatments, and what they may be able to offer. Meanwhile, CAM practitioners may be unaware of the medical investigations and treatments available for conditions such as miscarriage, ectopics, gestational trophoblastic disease, preterm labour, foetal reduction, intrauterine death and stillbirth, and other less common complications. This book, written by an experienced CAM practitioner, aims primarily to provide medical professionals with the knowledge and confidence to advise women seeking complementary or alternative treatments. The author draws on her experience as a CAM practitioner to illustrate key areas where integrating sound and professional CAM into standard practice can offer women benefits, including improved psychological recovery from pregnancy loss. It also gives CAM practitioners greater insight into conventional medicine, and aids them to better understand, respect and care for women experiencing pregnancy loss. This book will be essential reading for all those who work with women who have experienced pregnancy loss, including health visitors, midwives, GPs, practice nurses, counsellors, psychotherapists, and CAM practitioners of all kinds.

Janetta Bensouilah, Private practitioner, Surrey, England

Pregnancy of loss defined. Causes and risk factors. Multiple pregnancy and infertility. Investigations, treatment and management. Psychological issues in pregnancy loss. Preparing for the next pregnancy. Complementary and alternative medicine in context. Professional issues.