How do I know if I'm having a silent miscarriage? (2024)

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

A missed miscarriage is often diagnosed at a routine ultrasound scan, whether around 12 weeks or at the 20 week 'anomaly' scan. However it might also be seen at a non-routine scan, NHS or private, whether or not there are any symptoms.

Approximately 1-5% of all pregnancies will result in a missed miscarriage.

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.

Miscarriage (also called early pregnancy loss) is when there is pregnancy loss before 20 weeks. For women who know they're pregnant, about 10 to 20 in 100 pregnancies (10 to 20 percent) end in miscarriage. Most miscarriages - 8 out of 10 (80 percent) - happen in the first trimester before the 12^th week of pregnancy.

Sometimes the baby stops developing at such an early stage that it is absorbed back into the surrounding tissue. As with a missed miscarriage, you may still feel pregnant. pregnancy tissue is miscarried. You may still have pain and heavy bleeding.

A missed miscarriage happens when the fetus stops developing within the uterus without apparent signs such as bleeding, lower abdominal cramping, or back pain. It's also known as a silent miscarriage or silent abortion. A missed miscarriage typically occurs during the first trimester.

For missed miscarriages, it could take as long as three to four weeks.

Your doctor might do an ultrasound. This can reveal if the embryo is still growing, and it can check for a heartbeat. They may also order blood tests. These can measure pregnancy hormone levels.

4- Discharge of Fluid from Your vagin*

It's normal to have more vagin*l discharge than normal during pregnancy, but any very watery discharge, or leaking clear or pinkish fluid, could be a sign of miscarriage.

What does an early miscarriage look like?

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.

you're bleeding from your vagin*. you've cramps in your lower abdomen – these can feel like bad period pains. there's fluid or tissue coming from your vagin*. your breasts are no longer tender and any morning sickness has passed.

Lower abdominal cramping: Cramps are also common with periods, but during pregnancy loss, there may be strong muscle contractions and pain in the lower back and pelvis. Passing fluid: This does not typically occur during a period. Passing pregnancy tissue or blood clots: There may also be clots that are gray or white.

Pregnancy losses do not always involve bleeding. In fact, a woman may not experience any symptoms and only learn of the loss only when a doctor cannot detect a heartbeat during a routine ultrasound. Bleeding during pregnancy loss occurs when the uterus empties.

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. This is called expectant management. If the pain and bleeding have lessened or stopped completely during this time, this usually means the miscarriage has finished.

Missed or delayed miscarriage

Sometimes a miscarriage is diagnosed during a routine scan carried out as part of your antenatal care. A scan may reveal your baby has no heartbeat or that your baby is too small for the date of your pregnancy. This is called a missed or delayed miscarriage.

Missed Miscarriage Symptoms

In a typical miscarriage, you'll experience vagin*l bleeding, cramping, pinkish-white mucus discharge, and back or abdominal pain. With a silent miscarriage, however, you likely won't have any signs or symptoms. Brownish discharge might be present on some occasions.

Try to remember that your fears are normal, but that this phase will pass. Take time to practice mindfulness, meditation, and take some time for yourself. This could include any stress-reducing activities you enjoy like yoga or going for a walk.

It takes time for your hormones to return to their pre-pregnancy levels after a miscarriage. The amount of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) may still be high enough to trigger a positive result on a pregnancy test for several weeks after a miscarriage.

The only time a home pregnancy test result can suggest miscarriage is if you have a pregnancy test show a negative result after having taken a previous pregnancy test that was positive. This can be a sign of a chemical pregnancy—a very early miscarriage.

Should I take a pregnancy test if I think I miscarried?

Common symptoms of miscarriage include persistent cramping, bleeding, low pelvic or back pain, and loss of “pregnancy symptoms”. If you are having miscarriage symptoms and want an answer on whether your pregnancy is viable, don't rely on a home pregnancy test–see a doctor instead.

At 12 to 16 weeks

If you miscarry now, you might notice water coming out of your vagin* first, followed by some bleeding and clots. The fetus will be tiny and fully formed. If you see the baby it might be outside the sac by now.

Once the miscarriage starts you can expect some bleeding, and for a short time (up to four hours) it may be quite heavy with some tissue and clots passed. The bleeding will settle to 'period-like' bleeding within a few hours of passing the baby and pregnancy tissue.

Some miscarriages occur with an infection in the uterus. This is a serious condition that requires urgent treatment to prevent shock and death. With septic miscarriage, the patient usually develops fever and abdominal pain and may have bleeding and discharge with a foul odor.

A Miscarriage Can Take Several Days

For instance, in one scenario, a pregnant person might start bleeding a few hours after getting the diagnosis and, in another scenario, the miscarriage process might not begin for several weeks, even if the pregnancy is not viable.