What are the symptoms of a miscarriage?

Humberto Scoccia, MD on behalf of Castle Connolly Top Doctors

OBGYN (Obstetrics & Gynecology)

Symptoms of miscarriage include spotting, bleeding and cramping. It is important to contact your physician if you are experiencing these symptoms so that appropriate testing can be done, including blood tests and ultrasound.

HealthyWomen

Miscarriage, also know as a spontaneous abortion, is defined as the loss of your pregnancy before 20 weeks' gestation. Early warning signs of a miscarriage include:

vaginal spotting of blood
pain in the lower back
cramps in the lower abdomen
heavy bleeding with clots

Most women who have bleeding or cramps during early pregnancy are not miscarrying, and the pregnancy usually progresses normally.

Honor Society of Nursing (STTI)

It may be unclear whether or not a miscarriage is about to happen. That's because one of the symptoms, bleeding, can be a sign of a less-serious complication. Typically, though, a miscarriage may be signaled by vaginal bleeding, abdominal cramps, lower-back pain, and the discharge of tissue. If it is very early in the first trimester, a miscarriage may appear as minor bleeding. If it is later on, though, the bleeding may contain clots and the cramping will be quite obvious as the body loses the pregnancy. A miscarriage is believed to be "complete," if all pregnancy related tissues have left the uterus.

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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Miscarriage

Roughly 15% of all recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. Most miscarriages occur early into the pregnancy and are triggered by chromosomal abnormalities in the embryo. If you have had multiple miscarriages, blood-clotting issues, hormone imbalances, and immune responses could be factors in the terminations of embryos. Age also plays a large role. As you age, the risk factor of early miscarriage goes up as well.

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