Signs of Miscarriage
The signs of miscarriage are usually noticeable in early pregnancy or before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain and cramping are the most common signs of miscarriage.
Last Updated: Oct 22, 2020 11:29 GMT
Miscarriage is a spontaneous loss of a fetus before 20 weeks of pregnancy.
From the day of conception up until 20 weeks, miscarriage can happen at any time. A recently fertilized egg before implantation or during the process of implantation can be lost too. Most of the miscarriages occur in the first trimester, that is, before 12 weeks of pregnancy.
It usually takes at least two to four weeks after conception for a pregnancy to be confirmed. Missing a period is almost the first sign of most pregnancies, and by that time if a miscarriage happens, it can go without being identified.
If you did not know of your pregnancy in the very early stages and you had a miscarriage, you will probably not see any signs.
Signs and symptoms of miscarriage can be one or all of the following:
Vaginal bleeding or spotting: When the fertilized egg or implanted embryo disintegrates, it will pass through the vagina like menstrual blood. In most miscarriages, this happens exactly around the time of the expected period date and can be mistaken for a period. Unless a pregnancy test or ultrasound has confirmed the pregnancy prior to the vaginal bleeding, there is no way to differentiate a miscarriage bleeding and a period bleeding.
Not all vaginal bleeding, however, point to a miscarriage. It can happen in normal pregnancies as well. A mild spotting of blood in the panty liner can be due to implantation bleeding and should not be feared for a miscarriage.
Also, vaginal bleeding or spotting can also happen with cases of ectopic pregnancy, that is, the embryo gets implanted in an organ other than the uterus, mostly in the fallopian tube.
Abdominal pain or cramps: An unusual pain or cramp-like sensation in the tummy can be a sign of miscarriage. Again, women who have cramps during their routine period days may not be able to distinguish if the cramps are due to period or menstruation.
Clots in vaginal bleeding: Sometimes pregnancy tissue after a miscarriage can pass through in lumps or clots through the vagina. Normal menstrual blood usually does not contain clots. So an abnormal vaginal bleeding with clots can be a sign of miscarriage.
