Miscarriage is natural ending of pregnancy before the fetus has developed to survive outside the uterus.

In general, a miscarriage occurs when the fetus and the placenta stop developing.

A miscarriage that occurs naturally before the first 20 weeks of pregnancy is known as spontaneous abortion or pregnancy loss.

The possibility of having miscarriage increases as you age. Moreover, early miscarriages are so common that about 10-20% of all pregnancies lead to miscarriage within first twelve weeks of pregnancy.

The early signs of  a miscarriage can differ from one woman to another. In some cases, you may develop early miscarriage signs and lose your pregnancy without knowing that you are pregnant.Early Miscarriage Signs

Vaginal bleeding is the early sign of miscarriage. However, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy is so common that only 50% of all pregnancies lead to miscarriage.

If you have late period and experience a vaginal bleeding that is heavy with blood clots, then it is a sign of early miscarriage and need to inform your doctor right away about the condition.

Spotting doesn’t always indicate a sign of miscarriage. However, spotting in early stages of pregnancy is common but if it is moderate to heavy bleeding (brown or bright red) with or without pain, you can consider it as an early miscarriage sign.

Remember that your chances of continuing pregnancy are very low if you have heavy bleeding with pain.

Abdominal pain is another early miscarriage sign that usually starts once the bleeding occurs. The pain may be mild or severe. You may also experience a pain in your lower back and in the pelvic region.

Remember that the early miscarriage signs such as vaginal bleeding, pain, or spotting also signifies an ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg develops outside the uterus.

If you are experiencing any of these early miscarriage signs, consult your doctor immediately. Your doctor will then perform an ultrasound test to identify the heartbeat of the fetus, size and shape of the uterus and placenta. A pelvic and cervical exam will also be performed to determine the condition of your pregnancy.

An ultrasound releases very high-frequency sound waves, which passes through the uterus to produce an image of the fetus position on a screen. [Pregnancy Ultrasound]

In case, if your doctor detects no heartbeat or image of the fetus or fetal tissue passing through the cervix that is dilated, then you have had a miscarriage. Dilation and Curettage (D & C) will be performed to scrape the remaining tissue from the uterus so that a fast recovery takes place.

However, if a fetal heartbeat or image is detected and the uterus is still enlarged then you still have chances of continuing pregnancy. In this case, your doctor will continue the treatment by prescribing a complete bed rest, medications to avoid uterine contractions. In some cases, cervix will be stitched to prevent dilation.

Remember that vaginal bleeding, an early miscarriage sign, continues for few weeks even after having a miscarriage. However, consult your doctor if bleeding continues more than few weeks.

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  1. […] there are more risks associated with a later pregnancy such as miscarriage and difficulty in conceiving; however, one really need not feel apprehensive or scared or at all […]

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