How to deal with depression after a miscarriage

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Miscarriage can happen to one in five pregnant women. It is defined as a spontaneous pregnancy loss and usually occurs during the first 20 weeks of conception. It's a painful experience -- physically and emotionally. It can certainly feel devastating for you and your partner but there are ways to get through these feelings of depression. Here are some tips from women who have suffered the same loss:

Don’t blame yourself. Do not blame your partner, either. Miscarriage can happen to anyone regardless of age or race. If you think that you did something to prompt spontaneous pregnancy loss, then learn from it and avoid doing the same in your next pregnancy.

Allow yourself to heal. I mean this as both emotionally and physically. Although your body may recover much faster than your broken heart, it is important to remember to take care of yourself. Give yourself some time to grieve. It won't be easy and you may want to take a couple of days off of work but it is necessary.

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Don’t push others away. You may feel like no one understands your pain (not even your partner) but that is not a reason to keep your feelings to yourself. Pushing people away will not help you overcome your feelings of anger, loneliness, and guilt. Let others help you get back on your feet.

Accept. Acknowledge that you have lost your child but do not think that this fact makes you less of a mother. Don't belittle yourself. Acceptance is the last stage of grief and you know you're on your way to recovery when you've finally accepted the reality of it all.

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Hello! I'm Louise Habash, a Texas-based obstetrician subspecializing in perinatology. Follow me on Twitter to learn more about the intricacies of pregnancy and motherhood.