What happens if you miscarriage

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On this page: No treatment expectant management Treatment with medicine Surgical treatment curette Waiting for treatment After a miscarriage No treatment expectant management You can choose to wait and see what will happen. Things to know There are many reasons why some women prefer to wait and see. It may feel more natural, it may help with the grieving process or it may give you more of a sense of control. Some women become worried or frightened when the bleeding gets heavier, especially if blood clots, tissue or even a recognisable embryo is passed.

Usually, the wait and see approach takes longer than any other approaches such as surgery or medication. Sometimes bleeding can last for up to four weeks. Although excessive bleeding and blood transfusion are very rare, they are slightly more common with expectant management than with surgery. A few women still need to have surgery — sometimes urgently — if they develop infection, bleed heavily or if the tissue does not pass naturally.

The waiting time can be emotionally draining for some women. Treatment with medicine Medicine is available that can speed up the process of passing the pregnancy tissue. Medication is not suitable if there is very heavy bleeding or signs of infection. It is usually not recommended for pregnancies that are older than about nine weeks. Things to know The pregnancy tissue will pass between four to six hours after taking the medicine, during which time you may be in hospital. This will depend on where you are and which hospital you are in.

The medicine has side effects which usually pass in a few hours but can be unpleasant, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and chills. The tablets can be swallowed or dissolved under the tongue, or inserted in the vagina.

After receiving the medication there may be some spotting or bleeding like a period. When the pregnancy tissue passes, you are likely to notice heavier bleeding and clots with strong cramping, period-like pains.

You can use sanitary pads and take pain relieving tablets such as paracetamol. Some women may need stronger pain killers or a pain relieving injection.

A few women still need to have surgery, sometimes urgently, if they develop infection, bleed heavily or if the tissue does not pass. The medical staff advise that this is a better option for you; this may be because of the amount of tissue present, especially with a missed miscarriage.

This is an option you prefer. This can cause prolonged or heavy bleeding and the operation may need to be repeated infection needing antibiotics damage to the cervix or uterus.

This is very rare around 1 in and, when it does happen, it is usually a small hole or tear which will heal itself excessive bleeding very rare anaesthetic risks. These are very low for healthy women, but no anaesthetic or operation is without risk. Waiting for treatment If you have heavy bleeding with clots and crampy pain, it is likely that you are passing the pregnancy tissue.

What to do while you are waiting You can try to rest and relax at home. 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.

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A miscarriage can be very upsetting, and you and your partner may need counselling or support. You may also have questions about trying for another baby and what happens to the miscarried foetus. For more information, read what happens after a miscarriage. Page last reviewed: 01 June Next review due: 01 June If there's no pregnancy tissue left in your womb, no treatment is required. However, if there's still some pregnancy tissue in your womb, your options are: expectant management — wait for the tissue to pass out of your womb naturally medical management — take medicine that causes the tissue to pass out of your womb surgical management — have the tissue surgically removed The risk of complications is very small for all these options.

Expectant management If you have a miscarriage in your first trimester, you may choose to wait 7 to 14 days after a miscarriage for the tissue to pass out naturally. If the test shows you're still pregnant, you may need to have further tests. Medicine You may choose to have medicine to remove the tissue if you do not want to wait, or if it does not pass out naturally within 2 weeks.

Surgery In some cases, surgery is used to remove any remaining pregnancy tissue. You may be advised to have immediate surgery if: you experience continuous heavy bleeding there's evidence the pregnancy tissue has become infected medicine or waiting for the tissue to pass out naturally has been unsuccessful Surgery involves removing any remaining tissue in your womb with a suction device.

After a miscarriage A miscarriage can be very upsetting, and you and your partner may need counselling or support.