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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffMost miscarriages occur before the 12th week of pregnancy. Signs and symptoms include:
- Vaginal spotting or bleeding (although spotting or bleeding in early pregnancy is fairly common)
- Pain or cramping in your abdomen or lower back
- Fluid or tissue passing from your vagina
Keep in mind that spotting or bleeding in early pregnancy is fairly common. In most cases, women who experience light bleeding in the first trimester go on to have successful pregnancies. Sometimes even heavier bleeding doesn't result in miscarriage.
Some women who miscarry develop an infection in their uterus. If you experience this infection, also called a septic miscarriage, you may then also experience:
- Fever
- Chills
- Body aches
- Vaginal discharge that's thick and has a foul odor
When to see a doctor
Call your doctor if you experience:
- Bleeding, even light spotting
- A gush of fluid from your vagina without pain or bleeding
- Passing of tissue from the vagina
You may bring any tissue that is passed into your doctor's office in a clean container. It's unlikely that any testing would define a cause, but confirming the passage of placental tissue helps your doctor determine your symptoms aren't related to a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy.
- Tulandi T, et al. Spontaneous abortion: Risk factors, etiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic evaluation. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 13, 2008.
- Tulandi T. Patient information: Miscarriage. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 13, 2008.
- Miscarriage. March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/printableArticles/681_1192.asp?printable=true. Accessed Aug. 13, 2008.
- Early pregnancy loss: Miscarriage and molar pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp090.cfm. Accessed Aug. 14, 2008.
- Blighted ovum. American Pregnancy Association. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/blightedovum.html. Accessed Aug. 14, 2008.
- Puscheck EE, et al. The impact of male factor on recurrent pregnancy loss. Current Opinions in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007;19(3):222-228.
- Tulandi T, et al. Spontaneous abortion: Management. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 13, 2008.
- Cytotec (prescribing information). New York, N.Y.: Pfizer; 2006.
- Cunningham, FG. First-trimester abortion. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. 1st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=514. Accessed Aug. 13, 2008.
- Misoprostol: Drugdex DrugPoint Summary. Micromedex Healthcare Series. http://www.micromedex.com/. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- Sifakis S, et al. High-dose misoprostol used in outpatient management of first trimester spontaneous abortion, Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2005;272(3):183-186.
- Blum J, et al. Treatment of incomplete abortion and miscarriage with misoprostol. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2007;99(2)(suppl):S186-S189.
- Stephenson M, et al. Evaluation and management of recurrent early pregnancy loss. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007;50(1):132-45.
- Patient's fact sheet: Recurrent pregnancy loss. www.asrm.org/Patients/FactSheets/recurrent_preg_loss.pdf. Accessed Sept. 25, 2008.
