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The Miscarriage Association is a charity that offers support to people who have lost a baby. They have a helpline (01924 200 799) and an email address (info@miscarriageassociation.org.uk) and can put you in touch with a support volunteer. Cruse Bereavement Care helps people understand their grief and cope with their loss.
- Causes
Your age can also have an influence: in women under 30, 1 in...
- What Happens
If the pain and bleeding have lessened or stopped completely...
- Causes
Common feelings after miscarriage. You may have been deeply affected by the miscarriage. Or you may feel more removed. Many people who have lost a baby have talked about grief, guilt, emptiness, fear and loneliness. Sometimes it’s difficult to work out exactly what you are feeling and why. This is normal too.
- Overview
- 1. Abdominal cramping
- 2. Vaginal discomfort
- 3. Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
- 4. Back pain
- 5. Shoulder pain
- 6. Weakness and fatigue
- 7. Emotional pain
- What comes next with a miscarriage
- Recovering from a miscarriage
Having a miscarriage can cause both physical and emotional pain. Prioritizing rest, sticking with bland foods, and talking with a mental health professional are just a few ways to cope.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), miscarriage happens in at least 10 percent of clinically identified pregnancies. (Meaning, you actually knew you were pregnant; some miscarriages happen before you even miss your period.)
When miscarriage happens after you’ve already gotten a positive pregnancy test, it can be a physically and emotionally painful process.
We can’t make miscarriage any easier, but we can help you understand what’s happening. For instance, although abdominal pain is one of the most frequent symptoms of a miscarriage, it’s not the only type of pain or discomfort you might feel.
Cramping with a miscarriage is usually caused by your uterus contracting. Just like during your period, your uterus contracts to push contents out. Since your uterus is mostly a muscle, these contractions feel like muscle cramps (in other words, they hurt).
You’ll usually feel these cramps on both sides of your lower abdomen or pelvic region. The cramps may come and go in waves or your pain may feel more constant. Unless your doctor has told you not to, you can treat your pain with over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers like Motrin or Tylenol. You can also use a heating pad to ease cramping.
During a normal menstrual cycle, your uterus builds up lining to prepare for a pregnancy. When the pregnancy can’t continue, the lining needs to be shed.
Because your body has been preparing for pregnancy, there will be more lining and tissue, so your bleeding will be heavier than a period. The further along you are in the pregnancy, the heavier it will be.
Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can be caused by hormone changes, as well as side effects from any medication you take to manage the miscarriage. Diarrhea can also be caused by the relaxing of the smooth muscle, just like you experience with a period.
To combat nausea symptoms, drink plenty of water and try to eat small meals consisting of bland, gentle-on-the-stomach foods. These can include:
•rice
•bananas
•oatmeal
•scrambled eggs
Similar to how your period cramps can lead to back pain, the uterine contractions during a miscarriage can cause back pain. This is usually felt in the lower back and the pain can be mild, moderate, or severe.
You can treat it just like you would your cramps — with pain relievers and heating pads — but if it’s really uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor what else you can do.
Shoulder pain is a symptom of ectopic pregnancy and it’s a serious medical emergency. If you have severe, one-sided pain, dizziness or fever, or pain affecting your rectum, pelvis, shoulder, or neck, call your doctor or get urgent medical care right away.
Ectopic pregnancy may not cause bleeding, so it can be a harder type of pregnancy to identify.
It’s normal to feel tired and weak with a miscarriage. You may also have a headache. If you experience excessive dizziness or feel like you may faint, tell your doctor or call your local urgent care center.
It’s also important to rest and drink plenty of water to manage these symptoms. Try to sleep, stay hydrated, and eat nutrient-dense foods.
No matter how far along in your pregnancy you are when you miscarry, you’re allowed to feel grief. Miscarriage emotions can be complicated and messy. You may feel both sad and relieved that it’s over, or you may feel intense and sometimes overwhelming grief.
No matter your situation, you might feel disappointed, hopeless, or scared to conceive again. You might experience anxiety, mood swings and irritability, and even depression.
The severity of your miscarriage symptoms will depend on how far along you are in your pregnancy and what type of miscarriage you have. Still, a miscarriage at any stage can be difficult because all bodies respond differently.
You may choose expectant management to let your body pass the tissue on its own, you might use medication that can speed up the process, or you may choose a surgical procedure called a dilation and curettage (D&C) to remove the contents of the uterus.
Depending on the timing of your miscarriage and how it’s managed, it may be 2 or 3 weeks before you’re feeling like yourself again physically. In some cases, your doctor may order an ultrasound to confirm that your uterus is clear of retained tissue.
For some people, the emotional pain of a miscarriage can last much longer. It’s important to remember that the stage of your pregnancy when you miscarried doesn’t matter: You experienced a loss, and loss naturally comes with feelings of grief.
May 11, 2022 · A miscarriage can have many possible emotional effects. The way you feel after a miscarriage can be the result of a natural grieving process, symptoms of depression, and hormonal changes.
jealous – especially when seeing other pregnant women and babies. guilty – perhaps wondering if you might have caused the miscarriage (that’s very unlikely) empty – a physical sense of loss. lonely – especially if others don’t understand. panicky and out of control – feeling unable to cope with everyday life. For some people ...
Oct 5, 2024 · Perinatal loss causes emotional trauma. The pain of a miscarriage or any other perinatal loss is often minimized, dismissed as just a medical event. But women bear the brunt of it in silence ...
People also ask
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Mar 5, 2020 · However, a significant percentage of Americans still believe stressful events (76%) or lifting heavy objects (64%) cause miscarriage. Learning the facts about miscarriage can help dispel unhelpful myths, but both partners may still feel the painful loss and fear for future pregnancies.
