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Early miscarriage explained

Early miscarriage symptoms
Sophie Martin
Medically reviewed by
23rd Mar 2023
 

About one in five women who get pregnant have an early miscarriage. It may be very distressing, but most women go on to have a healthy baby next time. Here we explain what an early miscarriage is, what symptoms you may have and what will happen next.

What is an early miscarriage?

An early miscarriage is when you lose your baby within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. In most cases there is no apparent reason for the miscarriage. It’s most likely that there was a problem with the baby’s chromosomes (the structures inside each cell which carry the genes).This means that your baby would not have been able to develop properly.

What are the signs and symptoms of early miscarriage?

Sometimes there are no miscarriage symptoms at all, and you may only find your pregnancy has ended when you go for a routine scan.

But most women who have an early miscarriage get some vaginal bleeding. This can come and go over several days and could be light spotting, a brownish discharge or even bright red blood with clots.

You may have some cramping pain in your lower tummy or lower backache, which may be worse than your usual period pain. And you may notice a discharge of fluid or tissue from your vagina.

If you have been feeling sick (nausea) during your early pregnancy, this may stop if you have an early miscarriage

Having bleeding and/or cramping pain in early pregnancy does not always mean there’s a problem, but you should always get medical attention if you have them.

What does an early miscarriage look like?

This can really vary from light spotting to brownish discharge to heavy bleeding and bright red blood or clots. The bleeding may come and go over several days. However, it's important to note that light vaginal bleeding is relatively common during the first three months of pregnancy and doesn't necessarily mean you're having a miscarriage.

What do I do if I have symptoms of an early miscarriage?

If you have any of the symptoms of an early miscarriage, you should call your GP or your hospital’s early pregnancy unit (EPU) who will be able to give you advice. If you are bleeding heavily, have severe pain or feel unwell, you should seek urgent medical assistance or go straight to the hospital emergency department.

How is an early miscarriage treated?

If you are in the very early stages of pregnancy (less than six weeks) the advice may be to rest at home and see what happens.If you are further into your pregnancy, or if bleeding continues, you will need scans and tests at the hospital. You will be offered a vaginal ultrasound scan to see whether you are having, or have had a miscarriage. More than one scan may be needed before this can be confirmed.

The scan may show that you have had a miscarriage, and now your womb is empty. If so, you probably won’t need any further treatment. If your miscarriage is confirmed but some or all of your pregnancy tissue is still inside your womb, your doctor or midwife will talk to you about your options. These are usually:

  • Waiting for your womb to pass out the tissues in its own time while you rest at home
  • Taking tablets and/or vaginal pessaries to make your womb pass out the tissues inside it
  • Having a surgical procedure to remove the tissuespregnancy from your womb

Each option will be explained carefully to you, and you’ll have the chance to ask questions to help you decide.

What causes an early miscarriage?

Most miscarriages happen for no apparent reason and couldn’t be prevented. However, to maximise your chance of a healthy pregnancy :

  • Avoid drinking alcohol. Even small amounts can make a miscarriage more likely.
  • Give up smoking
  • Avoid drinking excessive amounts of caffeine- containing drinks such as tea, coffee and cola. Avoid energy drinks altogether
  • Avoid illegal or street drugs entirely
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet and avoid foods which could carry infections known to cause miscarriage. Ask your midwife for the complete list.

Being very overweight increases your chance of a miscarriage. So if you are planning to get pregnant, it’s a really good idea to try and lose any excess weight you have beforehand.

Will I still be able to have a baby after an early miscarriage?

You may wonder if having a miscarriage can cause infertility. The good news is that most women who have an early miscarriage go on to have a healthy baby next time.Having one or two early miscarriages doesn’t make it more likely that you will have another.

If you decide to try for another baby, you should wait until all the symptoms of your miscarriage have gone before you have sex.

Your periods should come back within four to eight weeks, but it may be a while before your cycle gets back into its normal pattern.

But as well as being physically ready to become pregnant again, you (and your partner) may also need some time before you are ready emotionally. For many, the emotional impact of suffering a miscarriage can be felt immediately afterwards, whereas for other women it may be several weeks afterwards. During this period, it’s common to feel tired, lose your appetite and have difficulty sleeping. It’s important to recognise that different people grieve in different ways – there’s no right way to do this.

It’s also important to remember the father of your baby may also be affected by this loss.

You may find it helpful to contact The Miscarriage Association, a charity which offers support to people who have lost a baby.

 

Approved by healthcare team

 

 

 

 

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