stages of miscarriage 'A miscarriage can take hours, days or even weeks to unfold. The following are examples of what you may experience.' missed miscarriage Missed miscarriage (also called 'missed abortion') You may have no warning symptoms and discover through a routine scan that there is no heartbeat or an empty foetal sac (called a 'blighted ovum'). threatening miscarriage Threatening miscarriage may be experienced for days or even weeks before you lose the baby. At this stage you could experience any of the following: Light bleeding. Pain similar to period pain. Cramps The nausea and tender breasts associated with pregnancy may disappear. A sense of no longer 'feeling' pregnant. About 40% of bleeding episodes occur during early pregnancy, usually at 5 to 7 weeks, and is spotting (normally dark blood) at about the time your period would have been due. Sometimes a small amount of blood is lost when the placenta matures at about 7 weeks and takes over the progesterone production. This can be frightening but is quite common and in most cases your pregnancy will continue as normal without harming the baby at all. These situations only lead to a miscarriage in 20% of cases. Sometimes, if the corpus luteum is not functioning properly and is therefore not making adequate amounts of progesterone, you will miscarry. inevitable miscarriage This is when the cervix opens and the placenta breaks free from the uterine wall. The most common signs are: Pain is like bad period pain or birth contractions. Bleeding is heavy. Faintness and nausea. Passing pieces of placenta which look like blood clots or liver. You may see the foetus. If your miscarriage is due to an incompetent cervix, (from 16 weeks on) everything will happen very quickly and your baby may be born alive. incomplete miscarriage When some placenta remains inside the uterus you will need to be hospitalised for a few hours or overnight to have a dilation and curettage (D&C) operation. For this you will be given a general anaesthetic, your cervix opened and uterus emptied. Incomplete miscarriage occurs most commonly between 6 and 12 weeks of pregnancy.   complete miscarriage Once the uterus is empty the cervix closes, the pain stops and the bleeding slows down and should stop by seven days. N.B. If you continue to bleed after that time, have a temperature, pain or there is an odour, check with your medical professional. You may have an infection and if not treated it can have an effect on future pregnancies. See http://www.pregnancyloss.info/firstdays.htm for further information.

what is miscarriage? | why miscarriages happen recurrent miscarriage | ectopic pregnancy molar pregnancy | stages of miscarriage miscarriage at home | D&C and miscarriage treatment in NZ hospitals your health after miscarriage | subsequent pregnancy | medical FAQ email: support@miscarriagesupport.org.nz | Online forum Supportline: (09) 378 4060 | Fax: (09) 360 4034 Please note: The medical information included on our website has been supplied for us by doctors. Please take any further medical enquiries to your own LMC or try; www.AskAnOb.com (unlimited personalised email answers also offered for $29.95 US) ©2006 Miscarriage Support Auckland Inc Terms of Use & Legal

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