What happens if you had a miscarriage

You might find a sac with an embryo inside, about the size of a small bean. If you look closely, you might be able to see where the eyes, arms and legs were forming. The clots that are passed are dark red and look like jelly. They might have what looks like a membrane inside, which is part of the placenta.

The sac will be inside one of the clots. At this time, the developing baby is usually fully formed but still tiny and difficult to see. If you miscarry now, you might notice water coming out of your vagina first, followed by some bleeding and clots. The fetus will be tiny and fully formed. If you see the baby it might be outside the sac by now. It might also be attached to the umbilical cord and the placenta. This is often called a 'late miscarriage'.

You might pass large shiny red clots that look like liver as well as other pieces of tissue that look and feel like membrane. It might be painful and feel just like labour, and you might need pain relief in hospital. Your baby will be fully formed and can fit on the palm of your hand. You will have some cramping pain and bleeding after the miscarriage, similar to a period. It will gradually get lighter and will usually stop within 2 weeks.

The signs of your pregnancy, such as nausea and tender breasts, will fade in the days after the miscarriage. If you had a late miscarriage, your breasts might produce some milk. You will probably have your next period in 4 to 6 weeks. Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on , 7am to midnight AET , to speak to a maternal child health nurse for advice and emotional support. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Miscarriage Despite being common and widespread, miscarriage can be a heartbreaking experience — with up to one in five pregnancies ending before week Read more on Gidget Foundation Australia website. A miscarriage is the loss of a baby, usually during the first three months or first trimester of pregnancy. Unfortunately, nothing can prevent a miscarriage from happening once it has started. How it is treated will depend on the type of miscarriage.

There are several types of miscarriage — threatened, inevitable, complete, incomplete or missed. It is important to know that there is no right or wrong way to feel after experiencing a miscarriage. Helping you understand the complex range of emotions you may experience during fertility treatment or after miscarriage or early pregnancy loss. Read more on Sands Australia website.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering. Video call. This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional. For more information, please visit the links below:. You are welcome to continue browsing this site with this browser. Your doctor can use an ultrasound to look for the heartbeat or, later in pregnancy, give you a fetal non-stress test.

This involves lying on your back with electronic monitors on your abdomen. The monitors record the baby's heart rate and movements, and contractions of the uterus. The most common cause of pregnancy loss is a problem with the chromosomes that would make it impossible for the fetus to develop normally.

If a woman miscarries, her doctor will do a pelvic exam and an ultrasound to confirm the miscarriage. Sometimes, the uterus still contains the fetus or other tissues from the pregnancy. A doctor will need to remove this. The doctor may give medicine to help pass the tissue or may dilate the cervix to do:.

After the delivery, the doctor will have the baby and the placenta examined to help find the cause of death if it's still unknown. Women who have had several miscarriages may want to get checked to see if any anatomic, genetic , or hormonal problems are making miscarriages more likely. Still, some things — such as smoking and drinking — put a woman at a higher risk for losing a pregnancy. Good prenatal care can help moms and their babies stay healthy throughout the pregnancy.

If you've had a miscarriage, take time to grieve. The loss of a baby during pregnancy is like the loss of any loved one. Give yourself time to heal emotionally and physically. Some health care providers recommend that women wait one menstrual cycle or more before trying to get pregnant again. Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD.

Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is a Miscarriage? What Happens During a Miscarriage? What Is Stillbirth? Why Do Miscarriages Happen? Losing 3 or more pregnancies in a row recurrent miscarriages is uncommon and only affects around 1 in women.

Page last reviewed: 01 June Next review due: 01 June 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.

What causes a miscarriage? The majority are not caused by anything the mother has done. Can miscarriages be prevented? The majority of miscarriages cannot be prevented.

But there are some things you can do to reduce the risk of a miscarriage. Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs while pregnant. What happens if you think you're having a miscarriage? Often the pregnancy tissue will pass out naturally in 1 or 2 weeks.

After a miscarriage A miscarriage can be an emotionally and physically draining experience.