Miscarriage
The most common sign of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding.
This can vary from light spotting or brownish discharge to heavy bleeding and bright red blood. The bleeding may come and go over several days.
However, light vaginal bleeding is relatively common during the first trimester of pregnancy (the first 12 weeks) and doesn't necessarily mean you're having a miscarriage.
If you have vaginal bleeding, contact your GP, maternity team or early pregnancy unit at your local hospital as soon as possible.
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Other symptoms of a miscarriage include:
On rare occasions, miscarriages happen because the pregnancy develops outside the womb. This is known as an Ectopic pregnancy . Ectopic pregnancies are potentially seriousas there's a risk you could experience internal bleeding.
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy may include:
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy usually appear between weeks5 and 14 of the pregnancy.
If you experience any of the symptoms above, visit your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department immediately. If you're unable to travel, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
In rare cases, vaginal bleeding can also be caused by a molar pregnancy. This is a pregnancy where the placenta (the part that feeds the baby) hasn't developed normally, resulting in a mass of abnormal cells within the womb instead of a baby.
A molar pregnancy is usually identified during the first ultrasound scan, at 10 to 16 weeks of pregnancy.
A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks. The main signs of a miscarriage include vaginal bleeding, followed by cramping and pain.
The most common sign of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding.
There are many reasons why a miscarriage may occur, although the causes of particular miscarriages are often not identified.
If you see your GP or midwife because of vaginal bleeding or other symptoms of miscarriage, you may be referred to an early pregnancy unit for tests.
If you have a miscarriage, you may need to have any remaining pregnancy tissue removed from your womb.
A miscarriage can have a profound emotional impact, not only on a woman, but also on her partner, friends and family.
As the cause of a miscarriage is often not identified, they cannot always be prevented.