The first 13 weeks after your egg has been fertilised are crucial for the development of the embryo, and also contain the highest risk of miscarriage. Let’s look at reducing the risk of miscarriage first.

Why does miscarriage occur?

• Underpinning your Endometriosis is chronic, systemic inflammation. That means your uterine wall is likely to be inflamed as well, and a study into another chronic inflammatory disease showed that implantation is less likely to happen when the uterine wall is inflamed.
• Chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo. As I explained in my article on egg quality (if you haven’t read it yet, you can do so here), low quality eggs lead to chromosomal/DNA mutations, which are often not compatible with life. This is one of the main factors that increases the risk of miscarriage.
• Low levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D is needed to allow the placenta to develop optimally. If the placenta does not develop properly, the pregnancy is not viable.
• Thyroid conditions. Even very mild thyroid conditions can increase your risk of miscarriage.
• Gum disease has a major effect on fertility. It increases the time it takes to fall pregnant; increases the risk of miscarriage; and increases the risk of preterm birth as well as low birth weight.

Embryo development

The embryo goes through a very intense development during the first 13 weeks.

• Weeks 1-2: it divides rapidly from 1 cell to 2, to 4, to 16 etc. and at the end of week 2 it reaches your uterus
• Week 3: the embryo implants in the uterus and the placenta begins to form.
• Week 4-5: the heart begins to beat and all major organs and body systems start to form
• Week 6-7: facial features develop and the brain’s more complex parts begin to form.
• Week 8-13: bones start to form and some muscles start contracting.

As you can see, the first 13 weeks of your pregnancy lays the foundation for a healthy foetus and overall pregnancy.

How to reduce risk of miscarriage and optimise embryo development

Reducing the risk of miscarriage and optimising embryo development should start well before you even ovulate. The best time to start working on it is about 4 months before your egg is fertilised, but everything you do right now will make a difference and increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby.

• Follow a personalised anti-inflammatory diet. Reducing inflammation not only improves your Endometriosis symptoms, it also makes implantation more likely. (Read Why your need to reduce inflammation to improve your fertility). What your personalised anti-inflammatory diet looks like depends on your unique food intolerances.
• Focus on egg quality. As I describe in “Egg quality: why it is key in fertility and how-Endometriosis affects it”, Endometriosis directly affects the quality of your eggs. Diet and specific supplements can improve the quality of your eggs.
• Make sure you get your thyroid tested and take thyroid medication if there are any issues.
• Look after your teeth and gums. Brush, floss and see the dentist regularly to prevent gum disease.

For the tailored anti-inflammatory diet and supplements, you will need help from an expert. If you’d like to discuss how you could reduce the risk of miscarriage and improve embryo development, you can book a free 30-minute Endometriosis SOS Call.