Deciding to take "the pill" to quicker MC process - Miscarriage Support | Forums | What to Expect (2024)

FAQs

What week do most miscarriages happen? ›

Most miscarriages - 8 out of 10 (80 percent) - happen in the first trimester before the 12^th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies. Pregnancy loss that happens after 20 weeks is called stillbirth.

Most women pass the pregnancy within 4 hours after taking the medication. For others it can be quicker or take longer. Every woman is different but most women pass the pregnancy within a few days. It's normal to have some bleeding or spotting for up to 2-3 weeks following the miscarriage.

If it is not removed by scraping the uterus with a curette (a spoon-shaped instrument), you may bleed for a long time or develop an infection. Unless all the pregnancy tissue has been passed, your doctor will usually recommend that a curette (also called a 'D&C' – dilation and curettage) be performed.

Sometimes pain and bleeding may start straight away, but there may be a delay of 2 or 3 days, or even longer. Most women start to bleed within the first 24 hours. Bleeding and pain may last for up to 1-2 days before the miscarriage is completed. You may then experience period-like bleeding for the next two weeks.

Occasionally it happens beyond the first few weeks, perhaps at eight weeks or 10 weeks, or even further on . Your body may still give you signals that you're pregnant because your placenta can develop and produce a pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

In general, major birth defects of the body and internal organs are more likely to happen between 3 to 12 embryonic/fetal weeks. This is the same as 5 to 14 gestational weeks (weeks since the first day of your last period). This is also referred to as the first trimester.

The most common sign of miscarriage is vagin*l 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.

Most women pass the tissue within 2 weeks of a miscarriage diagnosis, but it can take longer. If it takes too long, your ob-gyn may recommend medication to start the process. (Once the process starts and cramping and bleeding begin, most of the tissue passes within a few hours. More on that below.)

If it is an incomplete miscarriage (where some but not all pregnancy tissue has passed) it will often happen within days, but for a missed miscarriage (where the fetus or embryo has stopped growing but no tissue has passed) it might take as long as three to four weeks.

If you miscarry naturally, even in the early weeks of pregnancy, you are likely to have period-like cramps that can be extremely painful. This is because the uterus is tightly squeezing to push its contents out, like it does in labour – and some women do experience contractions not unlike labour.

What does the sac look like when you miscarry? ›

During the bleeding, you may see clots with a small sac filled with fluid. The embryo, which is about the size of the fingernail on your little finger, and a placenta might be seen inside the sac. You might also notice something that looks like an umbilical cord.

This depends upon your individual situation—in fact, half of women who have experienced a miscarriage do not need a D&C procedure for miscarriage. In general, if the pregnancy ended before 10 weeks, women can safely miscarry without a D&C.

Common First Trimester Miscarriages

Most miscarriages happen between 6 and 8 weeks gestation. We know that most of these occur due to a major genetic abnormality in the fetus. The sperm and the egg (which are known as gametes) each contain half the genetic material necessary for a complete person.

“Once a fetus's heart rate is established (around six to eight weeks), the risk of a miscarriage goes down significantly.” And as long as you're not bleeding or cramping, you'll typically have your first ultrasound around 12 to 14 weeks. It's normal to be worried about other symptoms too.

Your nausea and vomiting may be worse than ever: Morning sickness peaks around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy for many women. That's when levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are highest (morning sickness is thought to be linked to rises in hCG and estrogen).

The most common sign of miscarriage is vagin*l bleeding.

The bleeding may come and go over several days. However, light vagin*l bleeding is relatively common during the first trimester (first 3 months) of pregnancy and does not necessarily mean you're having a miscarriage.