A miscarriage is labeled "incomplete" if bleeding has begun and the cervix is dilated, but tissue from the pregnancy still remains in the uterus. Most of the time, a miscarriage that is incomplete at the time of diagnosis will run its course without further intervention.
But sometimes the body has trouble passing the tissue, and the miscarriage remains incomplete until a woman seeks treatment. If the tissue isn't removed, the incomplete miscarriage can cause very heavy bleeding, prolonged bleeding, or an infection.
Symptoms of an Incomplete Miscarriage
The main symptoms of an incomplete miscarriage are similar to other types of miscarriage, and may include:
- Backache or back pain
- Abdominal pain orcramping
- Disappearance of early pregnancy symptoms (such as morning sickness or breast tenderness)
- vagin*l bleeding
If you experience bleeding or abdominal pain in pregnancy, consult your healthcare provider.
Symptoms and Signs of an Impending Miscarriage
Diagnosis of an Incomplete Miscarriage
To diagnose an incomplete miscarriage, your health care provider will use a combination of tests, including:
- Fetal heart scanning
- Pelvic exam
- Quantitative hCG blood test
- Ultrasound
An incomplete miscarriage diagnosis is not the same as a missed miscarriage. In that case, the pregnancy is nonviable and the fetus is no longer developing, but the cervix remains closed and no bleeding has begun.
How Doctors Diagnose Miscarriage
Causes and Risk Factors
While anywhere between 50% and 70% of all miscarriages are caused by random genetic problems in the developing baby, there are other causes and risk factors linked with miscarriage, including:
- Abnormal uterine shape
- Amniocentesis
- Congenital heart disease
- Exposure to environmental and workplace hazards (high levels of radiation or toxic agents)
- Hormonal irregularities
- Immune system disorders
- Improper implantation of fertilized egg in the uterine lining
- Incompetent cervix
- Kidney disease
- Lifestyle factors (smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs)
- Maternal and paternal age
- Previous miscarriage
- Thyroid disease
- Uncontrolled diabetes
Calculating the Odds of Miscarriage
Treatment for an Incomplete Miscarriage
Treatment for an incomplete miscarriage usually entails one of the following:
- Watchful waiting, which means waiting to see if the body passes the products of conception naturally
- A surgical procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C)
- Medical management with Cytotec (misoprostol)
Research shows that these three methods have similar rates of effectiveness for a first-trimester incomplete miscarriage, so a woman's preference is strongly considered, along with a careful and thoughtful discussion with her physician.
Watchful Waiting andExpectant Management
With watchful waiting, you will be carefully monitored as an outpatient. Quite often, the body naturally passes the products of conception without problems. This is the least invasive and most inexpensive approach.
For those who choose expectant management, there is a chance of needing a D&C later. There is also an increased risk of excessive bleeding, and this can be dangerous if it's heavy and persistent. When bleeding is excessive, a D&C is indicated. Sometimes, if bleeding cannot be rapidly controlled with surgery, a blood transfusion may be needed.
D&C Surgery
A may be chosen either due to a woman's wishes, or to prevent or stop heavy bleeding. With a D&C to manage an incomplete miscarriage, the cervix is usually already open so your OB-GYN does not need to dilate your cervix with small instruments or special medications. Once inside the uterus, the physician uses suction and then often a sharp instrument called a curette to scrape the sides of the uterus and gather retained products of conception.
This is done most often under general anesthesia. Although a D&C is, for the most part, a safe procedure, there are potential risks (as in any type of surgery), including:
- Bleeding
- Cervical damage
- Complications of anesthesia
- Incomplete evacuation of the products of conception
- Infection
- Perforation of the uterus
- Scar tissue or adhesions on the uterine wall, which can result in a rare condition called Asherman's syndrome
Women who continue to bleed days after a D&C or notice foul discharge should notify their physician immediately. Other worrisome signs after D&C include persistent pain and cramping.
Medical Management
Cytotec (misoprostol) is a medication that can be given vagin*lly or by mouth. The drug causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy tissue. Cytotec was first designed to treat ulcers, but is now used quite often to manage obstetric conditions.
Side effects may include:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Pain
- Vomiting
Overall, the success rate of Cytotec is around 80% to 99% for pregnancies of a gestational age of 13 weeks or less.
For some women, the treatment will not be effective, and a D&C will then be needed. Overall, medical management has the advantage of a lower risk of uterine adhesions, but a slightly increased risk of blood loss.
Some women prefer this option as a sort of compromise choice. It is not as invasive as surgery, but may speed the process of miscarriage along faster than watchful waiting. Some people appreciate the opportunity to take action instead of waiting.
Coping With an Incomplete Miscarriage
In addition to dealing with the physical concerns, you will need to care for yourself emotionally during this time. Here are a few coping strategies to keep in mind.
Give Yourself Time to Grieve
Losing a baby to miscarriage is a major loss, and as with any other loss, you may go through the following stages of grief:
- Denial and isolation
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
Involve Your Partner
If you are facing the grief of miscarriage with a partner, make sure to include them in your decision-making. Research shows that both partners grieve following a miscarriage, but may express this grief in different ways. This can lead to friction at an already difficult time. Let this be a time for you to grow closer rather than apart.
Seek Support
In addition to seeking support from a mental health professional, there are numerous nonprofit organizations that aim to spread awareness of pregnancy and infant loss and offer support services.
How Couples Can Cope With Grief From a Miscarriage
A Word From Verywell
If you are experiencing an incomplete miscarriage, discuss your management options carefully with your doctor and express your wishes and concerns. It is important that you feel supported in your treatment choice. The best treatment is the one which feels most acceptable to you. Take the time to learn about incomplete miscarriage and make sure all of your questions are answered.
5 Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hyde KJ, Schust DJ.Genetic considerations in recurrent pregnancy loss.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2015;5(3):a023119. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a023119
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Early pregnancy loss.
American College of Obstetrians and Gynecologists.Dilation and curettage.
Kim C, Barnard S, Neilson JP, Hickey M, Vazquez JC, Dou L. Medical treatments for incomplete miscarriage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;1:CD007223. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd007223.pub4
Volgsten H, Jansson C, Svanberg AS, Darj E, Stavreus-Evers A. Longitudinal study of emotional experiences, grief and depressive symptoms in women and men after miscarriage. Midwifery. 2018;64:23-28. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2018.05.003
Additional Reading
Hooker AB, Aydin H, Brölmann HA, Huirne JA. Long-term complications and reproductive outcome after the management of retained products of conception: A systematic review. Fertil Steril. 2016;105(1):156-64.e1-2. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.021
By Krissi Danielsson
Krissi Danielsson, MD is a doctor of family medicine and an advocate for those who have experienced miscarriage.
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