Miscarriage symptoms on birth control

Miscarriage Signs & Symptoms | How to Recognize Miscarriage

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Miscarriage

How do I know if I'm having a miscarriage?

The most common signs of a miscarriage are bleeding and cramping. Call your doctor if you think you’re having a miscarriage.

What are the signs of miscarriage?

Sometimes, there are no miscarriage symptoms and you don’t find out until an ultrasound, or you don’t feel pregnant anymore. Usually there are signs and symptoms. They include:

Other things that are less serious than miscarriage can also cause these symptoms. But if you think you might be having a miscarriage, see your doctor right away just to be safe.

What happens during a miscarriage?

Miscarriages are different for every person, but there are some common symptoms.

Not all miscarriages are physically painful, but most people have cramping. The cramps are really strong for some people, and light for others (like a period or less). It’s also common to have vaginal bleeding and to pass large blood clots up to the size of a lemon. Heavy miscarriage bleeding can be scary or surprising, but it’s usually normal.

The bleeding and cramping can end quickly, or it may last for several hours. Your doctor can give you medicine and tips on how to manage pain and cramps during your miscarriage.

No matter how fast it happens or whether or not it hurts, miscarriage can be upsetting. Keep in touch with your doctor about what’s going on and how you’re feeling. Your doctor can let you know what is and isn’t normal, and give you resources for emotional support if you need it.

What can I expect to feel after having a miscarriage?

There’s no one way that all people feel after having a miscarriage. You may feel a mix of emotions, including disappointment, despair, shock, guilt, grief, and relief — sometimes all at the same time. All of these feelings are really normal, and usually fade as time passes.

Take care of yourself physically and emotionally, and give yourself permission to grieve your loss if you need to. Grief and sadness are very normal responses to miscarriage. Try to surround yourself with supportive and loving people who will let you grieve and comfort you. If you have a partner, they may be grieving the loss and dealing with a range of emotions, too. Talking about your feelings and supporting each other can help you both cope.

The amount of time it takes to emotionally heal after a miscarriage is different for everyone. Give yourself as much time as you need to grieve. Most people feel better when they have someone supportive to talk to. Even if you don’t think there’s anybody in your life you can lean on, know that you’re not alone. Your nurse or doctor can talk with you, or help you find a counselor or support group in your area. There are also many online support groups, where you can connect with others who are going through the same thing as you. All-Options has a free hotline that gives you a private space to talk about your feelings after a pregnancy loss.

If you want to get pregnant again, your doctor or local Planned Parenthood health center can give you advice on planning your next pregnancy and help you figure out when it’s best to start trying again. They can also give you tips on preventing pregnancy and help you get birth control if you don’t want to get pregnant right now.

What if I’ve had more than 1 miscarriage?

If you’ve had 2 or more miscarriages in a row, your doctor might want to do some tests to help figure out if something specific is causing problems with your pregnancies. The tests will check for any hormonal imbalances, genetic disorders, or other problems. Some conditions can be treated to help you have a healthy pregnancy in the future.

Bleeding, Clots, Timing, and Other Signs

Miscarriage is fairly common in the first trimester. It happens in about 10 percent of known pregnancies.

In some cases, miscarriage can occur before you know you’re pregnant. If this happens, you might not notice anything different from your usual period.

The further along you are in a pregnancy, the less likely it is that a miscarriage will feel like a period.

Continue reading to learn more about early miscarriage, including specific symptoms to watch for, when you should see a doctor, and more.

The most common symptoms of early miscarriage are cramping and bleeding.

However, spotting or light bleeding during early pregnancy aren’t always a sign of miscarriage. If this happens, watch for any other unusual symptoms.

Other symptoms of miscarriage

cramping in your abdomen or lower back (This could start out like period cramps, but the pain typically worsens over time.)
nausea
diarrhea
passing fluids, larger-than-normal blood clots, or tissue from your vagina

Timing

A miscarriage can happen any time after fertilization. If you didn’t know you were pregnant, it would be easy to mistake it for a period.

Both a period and a miscarriage can cause spotting to heavy bleeding.

After the first eight weeks or so, it’s less likely that you’ll mistake a miscarriage for a period.

Duration

You know how long and heavy your typical period is.

During a miscarriage, bleeding gets heavier and lasts longer than a period.

As your cervix starts to dilate, cramping may become more painful than typical period cramping.

Characteristics

Bleeding during miscarriage can appear brown and resemble coffee grounds. Or it can be pink to bright red.

It can alternate between light and heavy or even stop temporarily before starting up again.

If you miscarry before you’re eight weeks pregnant, it might look the same as a heavy period. Later, you’re more likely to notice fetal or placental tissue.

Menstruation products

Heavy bleeding, pieces of tissue, or large blood clots on your menstruation products could mean that you’re having more than a heavy period.

See a doctor if you’re soaking through a tampon or pad every hour for more than two consecutive hours.

You should call a doctor or other healthcare provider any time you experience unexpected pain or excessive bleeding.

These symptoms can result from an ectopic pregnancy. This occurs when a fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus, possibly inside a fallopian tube. It’s a medical emergency.

You should also call a doctor if you experience bleeding alongside:

mucus
tissue
blood clots
what feels like uterine contractions

If you believe you’re having a miscarriage, ask your doctor the following:

Should I collect a sample of blood or tissue? (This isn’t always necessary.)
Should I go to an emergency room or make an office appointment?
Is it fine to drive myself, or do you recommend against it?

If it appears that you’ve had a miscarriage, your doctor will want to perform a physical exam.

Be sure to discuss all your symptoms, including the amount of:

bleeding
clotting
pain
any tissue that may have been expelled

Testing may include:

an ultrasound to check the uterus for signs of an embryo or a heartbeat
a blood test to check for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a substance that indicates pregnancy

There’s no way to stop a miscarriage in progress. If your doctor determines that you’ve experienced a miscarriage, they’ll want to check for:

signs of infection
uncontrollable bleeding
tissue that may be left in your uterus

It can take two weeks or more to completely expel the tissue naturally. Your doctor will review with you typical bleeding patterns to expect. If you have heavy bleeding lasting several days or any signs of infection, you may need medical treatment.

If your doctor isn’t sure that all of the pregnancy tissue has been cleared from your uterus, they may order an ultrasound to confirm.

Your doctor can prescribe medication, such as misoprostol (Cytotec), to increase uterine contractions to help you expel the tissue.

You’ll experience cramping and bleeding as you pass tissue and blood.

Most people pass the tissue within 24 hours after taking the drug. For others, it can take a few days to complete. Either way, it doesn’t require a hospital stay.

Your doctor may be able to prescribe pain medication to help ease your symptoms.

If your blood type is Rh negative, you’ll need an injection of Rh immunoglobulin. This may help prevent complications in a future pregnancy.

There are also a few surgical options to remove tissue from the uterus. This includes:

Vacuum aspiration. Your doctor inserts a thin tube that contains a suction device into your uterus. This can be done with local anesthesia in your doctor’s office.

Dilation and curettage (D&C). Your doctor dilates your cervix, and then uses an instrument called a curette to scrape your uterine lining. This can be done at a surgical center or operating room on an outpatient basis. Regional or general anesthesia can be used.

Both of these treatments have been well-studied and are considered safe. They each carry a very small risk of serious complications.

If you’ve experienced a miscarriage, it’s important to understand that it isn’t your fault.

In many cases, doctors are unable determine the cause. Here are some things that can contribute to miscarriage:

During the first trimester

As many as 80 percent of miscarriages occur in the first trimester.

When a miscarriage occurs in the first five weeks after fertilization, it’s called a “chemical pregnancy.” It’s so early that you might not have known you were pregnant.

Although your period may seem heavier than usual, there might not be any other noticeable sign of miscarriage.

Miscarriages in the first trimester often have to do with chromosome abnormalities that interfere with normal development. Missing or extra chromosomes are linked to 50 percent of all miscarriages.

Sometimes, a fertilized egg simply doesn’t develop into an embryo (blighted ovum).

It may help to know that having sex, exercising, morning sickness, and previous use of oral contraceptives don’t cause miscarriage. Even an accidental fall doesn’t necessarily cause it.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), smoking and alcohol consumption in the first trimester may result in a slightly higher risk of miscarriage. But the research on this is mixed.

It’s also worth noting that drinking less than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day doesn’t appear to increase the risk of miscarriage.

Some things that may increase the risk of early miscarriage are:

fibroids or other abnormalities of the uterus
hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
uncontrolled diabetes
use of cocaine or similar drugs

During the second trimester

About 2 to 3 percent of miscarriages occur during the second trimester.

Some things that may increase the risk are:

conditions that can cause blood clots
early preeclampsia or eclampsia
fetal abnormalities
fibroids or other abnormalities of the uterus
infection of the uterus
lupus
prior surgery of the cervix
trauma
uncontrolled diabetes
hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
high blood pressure
use of cocaine or similar drugs

During the third trimester

Losing a pregnancy starting from the 20th week of pregnancy and into the third trimester is considered stillbirth, not miscarriage.

In general, the risk of stillbirth increases with maternal age.

If you’ve experienced a miscarriage, it doesn’t mean you’ll have another, and it doesn’t mean you can’t have children.

Most people who experience a miscarriage can go on to have a successful pregnancy.

Miscarriage shouldn’t affect your ability to get pregnant. You can ovulate and become pregnant within two weeks of an early miscarriage.

If you don’t want to become pregnant again, you should use birth control right away.

About 1 percent of people have multiple miscarriages. If you’ve experienced several miscarriages, your doctor might recommend special testing.

Even if you’ve had three miscarriages in a row, there’s a 70 percent chance your next pregnancy will be successful.

Your doctor will probably advise you to avoid sex, tampons, and douches for two weeks. This will help prevent infection.

They may also want you to take a pregnancy test after about two weeks. This can help them determine whether your hormone levels are back to normal.

In the meantime, call your doctor if you:

are bleeding heavier than expected or notice that the blood stays bright red
are soaking through more than two maxi pads an hour for more than two hours
notice a foul-smelling discharge
experience abdominal tenderness or severe pain
have persistent cramping
develop a fever or chills

For the first few days, you may notice blood clots and tissue passing, but this should taper off after about a week. It will take about four to eight weeks for your regular period to return.

Mild exercise following an early miscarriage is usually fine, but check with your doctor. It may depend on how far along you were, as well as your overall health.

There are many emotions a person might have following a miscarriage. Some feel anger, sadness, or profound loss. Others might feel relieved.

These feelings may have to do with whether you knew you were pregnant or if you were trying to have a baby.

Pregnancy and miscarriage also cause hormone fluctuations, which can affect your emotions.

Everyone is different, so there’s no correct way to feel about experiencing a miscarriage. It may take some time for you to process everything.

You may find it helpful to talk to your partner, family, or friends about what you’re going through.

You may also consider looking into support groups for people who have experienced miscarriage. Sometimes it helps to talk to others who have been through the same thing.

Here are a few places to seek support:

your doctor’s office or local hospital for referrals to support services
clergy
Compassionate Friends, which has a searchable database of local chapters
March of Dimes Loss and Grief Forum
Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support which offers online support and information on how to find local groups

If grief continues to worsen after a few weeks, talk to a doctor about your options for treatment. You may benefit from grief counseling or treatment for depression.

Miscarriage isn’t your fault.

Physical recovery generally takes a few weeks. Everyone has their own timetable for emotional recovery.

There’s no need to rush yourself or to pretend to “get over it” for anyone else’s sake.

And if you need it, reaching out for support is a reasonable thing to do. You aren’t alone in this.

Miscarriage, symptoms - Health Clinic 365 Yekaterinburg

Causes of miscarriage

Questions to the doctor about miscarriage

Diagnosis of miscarriage

Treatment and prevention of miscarriage

According to statistics, 10 to 20% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. However, the real numbers could be much higher, as a large number of miscarriages occur very early in pregnancy, and women are not even aware of their pregnancy. Most miscarriages happen due to abnormal development of the fetus.

Miscarriage is quite common, but this fact does not make things any easier. It is always difficult to cope with the realization that there was a pregnancy, but no child. Try to deal with the situation psychologically and understand what could be causing the miscarriage, what increases the risk of it, and what type of treatment might be needed.

Miscarriage symptoms .

Most miscarriages occur before 12 weeks. Signs and symptoms of a miscarriage include:

Vaginal bleeding or spotting (although quite common in early pregnancy)

Pain or cramps in the abdomen or lower back

Fluid vaginal discharge or tissue fragments

It is important to consider the fact that in early pregnancy, spotting or vaginal bleeding is quite common. In most cases, women who experience light bleeding during the first three months have an uneventful pregnancy thereafter. In some cases, even with heavy bleeding, the pregnancy does not end in a miscarriage.

Some women who have a miscarriage develop an infection in the uterus. This infection, also called septic miscarriage, can cause:

Fever (feeling hot, chills)

Body pains

Thick, foul-smelling vaginal discharge

When to see a doctor.

Call your doctor if:

Bleeding, even if only light spotting occurs

Profuse, liquid vaginal discharge without pain or bleeding

Isolation of tissue fragments from the vagina

You can put a piece of tissue to be isolated in a clean container and take it to your doctor for examination. It is unlikely that the study will give any accurate results, but if it is determined that the fragments of the excreted tissue are from the placenta, the doctor will be able to conclude that the symptoms that appear are not associated with the presence of a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy.

You can get more detailed information about miscarriage from the gynecologists of the Health 365 clinic in Yekaterinburg.

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Miscarriage. What to do after a miscarriage?

When a woman finds out about her pregnancy, she changes her rhythm of life, especially if the pregnancy is desired. However, depending on many circumstances, miscarriage , that is, a natural termination of pregnancy, may occur. Statistics say that up to 20 percent of pregnancies end in pathological abortions. Often a woman may not know that she was pregnant, as a miscarriage sometimes occurs at a very early stage and seems to be just a normal delay in menstruation followed by heavy discharge.

If a woman finds out that she is pregnant and wants to become a mother, she should be very attentive to her condition. The threat of miscarriage often occurs in the early stages of pregnancy and therefore it is necessary to know what symptoms and signs precede a sudden miscarriage.

Signs

The main sign of a suspected miscarriage is bleeding from the uterus. They happen not abundant, pale scarlet or gray-brown. The discharge most often gradually increases and is characterized by sudden spasms or pulling pains in the lower abdomen. These symptoms may last for some time.

The pains are often so mild that the woman simply does not pay attention to them. They are able to be interrupted, and the woman simply forgets about them, especially if the discharge also stopped, and before that they were insignificant. Meanwhile, the very first symptoms should alert you and you should urgently go to the gynecologist for examination and consultation. Even if the process has stopped, after a few days you can feel a sharp deterioration in health, and then you can no longer save the life of the unborn child. Be sure to pay attention to what exactly comes out with the discharge, if there are tissue fragments, it means that miscarriage has already occurred. Therefore, one should not hesitate to go to the doctor, the fetus may come out, in whole or in parts, there may be white particles or a round gray bubble. When the body is completely cleansed, the pain will subside, but before that it may continue for some time.

Terms of miscarriages

A miscarriage is classified as early if it occurred before twelve weeks from the onset of pregnancy. Starting from the 22nd week, if a spontaneous miscarriage has occurred, it is considered late. If the termination of pregnancy occurred before thirty-seven weeks, then this is already called premature birth. All subsequent fetal rejections are called term births and are generally considered normal, since during this period, mostly able-to-survive children are born. In modern medicine, children born after 22 weeks are nursed and subsequently do not differ from those born at term with normal weight.

Types of miscarriages

Specialists have identified several types of miscarriages.

Complete or inevitable - characterized by pain in the lower back and dilatation of the cervix, hemorrhages from it. The fetal membrane necessarily bursts, and the pregnancy is terminated. The fetus comes out of the uterus, and all discomfort in the form of pain and bleeding stops.

Miscarriage is different in that the fetus died, but remained in the mother's body. This can be detected by a doctor when examining a woman and when listening to the fetal heartbeat.

Repeated miscarriage is rare, it occurs only some time after the first and can occur up to three times in a row in the early stages.

Causes of spontaneous abortion

The vast majority of women, having learned about their pregnancy, want to give birth to a healthy baby. And if a spontaneous miscarriage occurs, then for a failed mother this is a real tragedy. Many, having experienced an abortion, try to conceive a child faster again, but first you need to know the reasons for what happened in order to save the fetus in the future. According to statistics, the largest number of miscarriages occurs precisely in the early stages.

There are several reasons for this:

Violations in genetics.

This is the most common cause of miscarriage. This is not due to heredity, it is a consequence of the mutation of parent germ cells, which accidentally ended up in unfavorable conditions. This is also the influence of radiation, poisoning, viruses, that is, temporary situations that affected the quality of germ cells. The body thus gets rid of a weak non-viable fetus. It is impossible and unnecessary to prevent such spontaneous abortion. It is only necessary, having decided to become pregnant, to try to cleanse your body of possible harmful influences.

Hormonal disorders

The cause of a miscarriage at a very early stage also lies in the lack of the hormone progesterone, or in the fact that a woman has an excess of male sex hormones that suppress the production of estrogen and progesterone in her body. In this case, the fetus can be saved medically by administering the necessary medicines to the woman. The work of the adrenal glands, as well as the thyroid gland, affects the production of hormones, so a lot depends on the work of these glands throughout the pregnancy process.

Immunological causes .

In this case, the vitality of the fetus is directly affected by the Rh conflict. The embryo will inherit the positive Rh of the man, and if the partner has a negative Rh, then her body simply rejects cells that are foreign to him. A similar situation can be prevented by injecting the expectant mother with a variety of progesterone, a process called immunomodulation.

Sexually transmitted infections such as toxoplasmosis, syphilis, trichomoniasis, chlamydia and others are of great danger. External infection: bacteria and viruses infect the fetal membranes, and the body will inevitably reject the embryo. Therefore, before becoming pregnant, you should be examined to know for sure that there are no infections, and if the result is positive, undergo treatment.

In addition, all inflammatory processes, various diseases of the internal organs, which are accompanied by a persistent high temperature, can also lead to unexpected rejection of the fetus. Rubella is especially dangerous, and viral hepatitis is common. But even a sore throat, mild pneumonia, appendicitis sometimes play a key role and lead to a miscarriage, so the expectant mother must undergo a thorough examination even before the child is conceived, and then beware of all kinds of infections and weakening of the body.

Medical abortion.

If a woman had an abortion in a hospital and then became pregnant and decided to give birth, there is a risk that she will have a miscarriage. Abortion is a stress factor for the body, ovarian dysfunction is often observed, inflammatory processes in the female genital organs can begin, and all this will lead, at best, to miscarriage and subsequent repeated miscarriages, and at worst, to infertility. Therefore, you need to think very seriously before going for an abortion.

Medicines and certain herbs.

Pregnant women should not take any medication at all, especially during the first three calendar months. Medicines and herbs can cause various defects in the fetus, which in turn will lead to its rejection. Analgesics and uncontrolled hormonal contraceptives are especially dangerous. Parsley and nettle should be eaten with caution - they cause a high tone of the uterus, which in turn can reject the fetus.

Stress.

It is no coincidence that in ancient times, pregnant women were protected from unrest, they were created comfortable conditions, they tried to give as many positive emotions as possible. Now the direct dependence of the health of the unborn baby on the mental state during pregnancy has already been proven. Any stress, fear and overstrain can cause an unexpected termination of pregnancy. If you have a problem (death of a loved one, divorce, etc.), you need to find sedatives with the help of a doctor, they will help you cope with this period.

Unhealthy lifestyle.

Of course, the intake of alcoholic beverages, the wrong lifestyle, smoking, even the use of coffee in large quantities, improper diet - all this can lead to a transient miscarriage. Therefore, the expectant mother should prioritize and change her rhythm of life in advance in order to give birth to a healthy child.

Sexual intercourse, falling, heavy lifting.

All of these factors can affect the fetus, so you should protect yourself and your baby by avoiding these activities.

What to do after a miscarriage?

Having experienced the tragedy of losing a child, parents often intend to immediately conceive a new baby, but they are afraid that everything will happen again. In this case, you do not need to make independent decisions, but consult a doctor. And first of all, it is necessary to identify the cause that led to the miscarriage. For this, the expectant mother needs to undergo as thorough an examination as possible.

If no obvious cause is found, the fetus most likely has a chromosomal abnormality. In this case, you should not worry, since the next conception will occur with a different set of chromosomes, which means that there will be no repeated miscarriage. If the miscarriage was repeated, it is necessary to contact a geneticist and conduct a study of the set of chromosomes of both parents. If it turns out that the cause was an infection, then it is necessary to fully recover. If we are talking about sexual infections, then both parents need to undergo therapy. It is necessary to take tests for hormonal studies, hemostasis systems and determine the immune status.

After a miscarriage, should be treated, if necessary, and pause between conceptions. During pregnancy, you should not take medications to prevent re-spontaneous pathological termination of pregnancy. Therefore, you can become pregnant only after the end of the course of treatment. If the cause was hormonal abnormalities, then the expectant mother should take special drugs to stabilize the background, and at this time she should never become pregnant. During the pause, you need to choose contraceptives with the help of a doctor. You can go to a specialized clinic where you will be prescribed a full course of rehabilitation.

The first week after a miscarriage women often experience pain in the lower abdomen, heavy bleeding, so you should refrain from sexual intercourse with a man. If there is severe bleeding, acute pain in the lower abdomen, convulsions, high fever, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, then you should immediately consult a doctor to identify the cause of this condition. It is necessary to plan a subsequent pregnancy not earlier than three months after this situation, but preferably six months later. Until that time, it is worth reconsidering your outlook on life, giving up hard work, eating right and wisely, taking vitamins, exercising, losing weight if you are overweight, stop smoking, drinking alcohol, think over your daily routine.

It is very important during this recovery period to have a positive attitude and confidence that the next attempt will be successful. This is harder to do than to say, because after a miscarriage the woman is depressed and afraid of a repeat of the situation. You can’t get hung up on your problem, during this period it’s better to do some favorite thing, relax, change the situation, travel, visit the city more often. The modern ecological situation in cities has a bad effect on women's health, so private trips to nature, a trip to the sea, to friends in another city can distract from painful thoughts. An important role in this case is played by the woman's relatives and, above all, the husband, who can surround her with care and attention, creating peace of mind.
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