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Jun 11, 2024 · Cramping or bleeding during early pregnancy may cause worry and have you wondering if what you're seeing is a miscarriage. Miscarriages early in pregnancy can cause similar symptoms to a period, including bleeding and cramping, so you may wonder how to know if you miscarried.
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Bleeding types and patterns
- How long does the bleeding last?
- Miscarriage vs. period
- Missed miscarriage
- When to seek help
- Options
- When is it safe to try conceiving again?
- Chances of recurrence
Miscarriage, or pregnancy loss, can look and feel different for each person. Possible symptoms include bleeding, blood clots, cramping, and more.
It is important to note that bleeding is common during pregnancy — especially in early pregnancy. It does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong.
The only way to accurately identify a pregnancy loss is to test pregnancy hormone levels and have an ultrasound of the uterus.
Read on to learn more about what pregnancy loss can look and feel like.
According to a 2016 study, not all pregnancy losses involve bleeding. Overall, they do not follow a single pattern. This is why it is crucial to seek medical care for bleeding and any unusual symptoms during pregnancy.
Pregnancy loss during the first trimester may involve:
•heavy bleeding
•bleeding that starts light and gets heavier
•passing blood clots or tissue
•cramping, which may come in waves
According to a 2019 meta-analysis, one-quarter of pregnant women experience bleeding during the first trimester. Another study from 2016 puts that percentage higher, at closer to 20–40%.
A large-scale 2010 study found that about 12% of pregnant women experienced pregnancy loss, and about two-thirds of that group reported bleeding during their pregnancy.
Some differences between bleeding due to a pregnancy loss and other types of bleeding during pregnancy include:
•Amount of blood: Heavy bleeding is more likely to signal a pregnancy loss.
•Bleeding pattern: Bleeding that gets progressively heavier may indicate a pregnancy loss.
•Pain: Cramping, especially when it occurs in a clear pattern, is more likely to signal a pregnancy loss.
For people who do experience bleeding during a pregnancy loss, the duration tends to depend on how far the pregnancy has progressed.
Pregnancy losses that occur in the first weeks of pregnancy tend to cause bleeding that lasts a few days. Those that occur later may cause bleeding that lasts for as long as 4 weeks.
A very early pregnancy loss is sometimes called a chemical pregnancy. These pregnancies are lost shortly after the embryo implants, usually within a few days or weeks.
A chemical pregnancy may be detectable by a pregnancy test, but it would likely not be seen on an ultrasound.
In many cases, early pregnancy losses can happen before a person knows they are pregnant.
In fact, around 80% of early pregnancy losses occur in the first trimester, or in weeks 0–13. The end of these early pregnancies may be mistaken for a period because the symptoms are similar.
For example, both a period and an early pregnancy loss can involve bleeding and cramping. Pregnancy tissue that passes out of the vagina may look like typical blood clots that occur during a period.
It is possible that a person will not realize they have missed a period. Instead, they may mistake the symptoms of a pregnancy loss for those of a menstrual period.
A “missed miscarriage” refers to a delay between the loss of the pregnancy and any bleeding or passing of tissue.
During a missed miscarriage, an embryo dies but does not leave the uterus for several weeks. In fact, a pregnant person may not realize the pregnancy has ended until an ultrasound finds no heartbeat.
When the embryo does leave the uterus, the blood, tissue, and clots may be dark brown. The tissue has had time to deteriorate, so bright red blood or heavy bleeding may not occur. The bleeding may last several days to several weeks.
A doctor may prescribe medication to help the person who has had the pregnancy loss bleed and pass the tissue. Surgery may also be necessary.
It is not possible for healthcare professionals to stop a pregnancy loss once it starts.
Call a doctor and schedule an appointment within 24 hours if any of the following occur:
•vaginal bleeding
•a fever
•intense pain or cramping
•bleeding that stops and starts again
Most pregnancy losses pass on their own.
In some cases, the fetus dies without causing any bleeding. When this happens, the person carrying the fetus may want to wait for the pregnancy to pass on its own or want it to be over as quickly as possible.
If a person wants to expedite a pregnancy loss, a doctor can supply medication that helps with passing the pregnancy at home. This approach is safest during early pregnancy.
A healthcare professional can also perform surgery to remove the remains of the embryo or fetus.
Doctors used to advise couples to wait 1 month, or sometimes much longer, before trying to conceive again after a pregnancy loss.
However, research now shows that there is no medical justification for this recommendation. If a couple feels ready, it is safe to begin trying to conceive again right away.
A 2017 study indicates that fertility may even be slightly higher immediately following a pregnancy loss.
Sometimes, however, it takes a while for a menstruating person’s cycle to resume following a pregnancy loss.
This can make it difficult to time sexual intercourse for conception and to accurately date a pregnancy — especially if a person becomes pregnant before the first menstrual period after a pregnancy loss.
To improve accuracy, it can be helpful to:
Early pregnancy losses can sometimes result from chromosomal irregularities. This means that the developing embryo or fetus has an irregular number of chromosomes.
These irregularities usually occur at random, meaning they are unlikely to reoccur. In other words, experiencing one pregnancy loss does not increase the likelihood of experiencing another.
A 2017 study finds that 15.7% of women with a previous pregnancy loss had another during the 2-year study period.
Meanwhile, a 2016 study finds that women were more likely to become pregnant in the 3 months following a pregnancy loss.
Many people become pregnant again shortly after a pregnancy loss, and a smaller number experience multiple losses in a row.
The risk of repeat pregnancy losses increases with age, according to a 2019 study. The risk is also higher among people with a history of:
Symptoms. The most common sign of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding. This can vary from light spotting or brownish discharge to heavy bleeding and bright-red blood or clots. The bleeding may come and go over several days.
Dec 15, 2015 · An overview of miscarriage (early pregnancy loss), including aetiology, clinical features (symptoms, signs) investigation and management.
A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks. Symptoms of a miscarriage. The main sign of a miscarriage is vaginal bleeding, which may be followed by cramping and pain in your lower abdomen. If you have vaginal bleeding, contact a GP or your midwife.
Oct 9, 2019 · Every woman and every pregnancy is different when it comes to what a miscarriage feels like. Signs and symptoms may also vary depending on your stage of pregnancy. Here's a closer look.
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