Pregnancy loss support
Holistic approach to pregnancy complications
We provide compassionate care for individuals and couples experiencing miscarriage and other pregnancy complications. Our obstetrics and gynecology specialists offer counseling and research-based guidance, empowering you and your family.
Our patient-centered approach puts you first. If you’re currently experiencing a pregnancy loss or have previously had one, we give you the tools to take the next step. Whether you need a fertility evaluation or counseling services, we are by your side.
Conditions we treat
Our OB/GYN specialists care for early pregnancy-related conditions, including:
- Pregnancy complications
- Pregnancy loss
- Recurrent pregnancy loss
Specialized care for recurrent miscarriages
Recurrent miscarriages, or recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), occur when you consecutively lose two or more pregnancies before 20 weeks. RPL happens in about 2 percent of pregnancies.
Half of the time, miscarriage happens because of abnormal chromosomes in the embryo or fetus. Other times, the cause of pregnancy loss is unknown. We may have you undergo prenatal genetic testing if we think a chromosomal abnormality may be the cause of recurrent miscarriages. Some medical conditions like diabetes, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), and thyroid disorders can increase your risk of RPL.
If you’ve experienced recurrent pregnancy loss, we provide resources to help you process your grief. Our experts in reproductive endocrinology (fertility specialists) also do a thorough fertility evaluation to understand why you may be experiencing miscarriages and how we can prevent them in the future. The assessment may include a review of your medical history, blood work, physical exam, and ultrasounds of your uterus.
Treatments for recurrent miscarriages
Your provider helps you manage conditions that may be contributing to RPL with lifestyle changes, medications, or procedures. We also offer several fertility treatments that increase your chances of a successful pregnancy, including:
- Progesterone (hormone supplementation that helps prepare your uterus for pregnancy)
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)
- Reproductive surgery
About 65 percent of people who have had multiple miscarriages eventually have a successful pregnancy. At Penn Medicine, we provide expert care and innovative treatments to help you build your family after RPL.
Pregnancy loss support services
Losing a pregnancy is difficult and painful. Whether you’ve experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth, we support individuals and couples as they grieve, heal their bodies, and process the loss.
If you are miscarrying, we help you safely pass the pregnancy and monitor you for any complications. Depending on your situation, we may recommend:
- Expectant management: You wait for the pregnancy tissue to pass naturally.
- Medical management: We give you medication that helps your body pass the pregnancy tissue.
- Surgical management: Our skilled surgeons remove the tissue.
Our compassionate team also cares for your emotional needs after a pregnancy loss. We offer grief support after pregnancy loss, perinatal palliative care, and outpatient psychiatric care if needed. After a stillbirth, our bereavement counselors follow up with you regularly to make sure you’re grieving well and connected to support.
You’re not alone in pregnancy loss. You can join other grieving parents online or in person at one of our stillbirth and miscarriage support groups. Led by a trained facilitator, you can share your experience and honor your baby in a safe place.
Find a pregnancy loss support group at:
- Chester County Hospital
- Pennsylvania Hospital
Perinatal palliative care
Our perinatal palliative care services provide holistic care and support to individuals and families whose pregnancies and newborns have life-limiting conditions.
Penn Medicine Pregnancy Early Access Center (PEACE)
A service of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), PEACE offers compassionate pregnancy care to individuals and families. Whether you’re experiencing a miscarriage or have concerns you might be, our providers see you quickly. We do diagnostic tests and ultrasounds, providing the specialized care you need.
PEACE offers:
- Care for early pregnancy concerns (before 16 weeks)
- Future family planning
- Pregnancy loss care
Our doctors
Our providers work with you to plan and deliver exceptional treatment and personalized care.
Locations
Our hospitals, multispecialty medical centers, pharmacies, labs and more offer outstanding, personalized care for patients all across the region.
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Patient stories
High tech, high touch care for baby Lucas and his family
Baby Lucas Robinson came unexpectedly early, with unexpected complications. The Intensive Care Nursery at Doylestown Hospital was there for him and his family. “We love having Lucas home, but the care and compassion of our doctors and nurses will forever stay with us,” said mom Lauren.
A healthy family after a harrowing childbirth complication
Today, Talicia Williams is a healthy mother who delights in seeing her two young children play alongside a gaggle of nieces and nephews. On the night of her daughter’s birth, a severe hemorrhage made that outcome uncertain. She survived, in part thanks to efforts at Penn Medicine to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce racial and ethnic disparities.
Starting their family with Penn Medicine help near home
“It really gave us the power to decide to be parents,” said Carly Albright Keller. As an employee of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, she said that the fertility benefit was a huge asset, and one she mentions to others interested in growing their family.