Miscarriage
12-minute read
Key facts
- Miscarriage is pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of pregnancy.
- Up to 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage before 14 weeks of pregnancy.
- Miscarriage can cause vaginal bleeding and pain in your lower abdomen.
- There are different types of miscarriage, including missed miscarriage where your pregnancy has ended without any symptoms.
- Treatment options for miscarriage including watching and waiting (expectant management), medicine and surgery.
What is a miscarriage?
Pregnancy loss is when a pregnancy ends naturally before the baby can survive outside the womb. When it happens before 20 weeks of pregnancy, it is called 'miscarriage'.
Most of the time, it happens because of a problem with the baby's development, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
Early miscarriage happens in the first trimester of pregnancy and is the most common type of miscarriage.
Late miscarriage happens in the second trimester, up to 20 weeks.
If your baby dies after 20 weeks of pregnancy, this is called a stillbirth.
How common is miscarriage?
Pregnancy loss is common. Up to 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage before 14 weeks of pregnancy. For females, the chance of miscarriage gets higher as you get older.
Some people may experience more than one loss. If you have had 2 or more miscarriages, this is called 'recurrent miscarriage'. This affects up to 1 in 25 couples.
What are the symptoms of a miscarriage?
Miscarriage often causes vaginal bleeding, which can vary from light spotting to heavy bleeding. If it is very early in the pregnancy, you may not realise that you were pregnant, and think that the bleeding is due to your period.
Other symptoms may include:
- cramping pain in your lower abdomen
- passing of blood clots or pregnancy tissue from your vagina
What really happens during a miscarriage?
WARNING — This article contains some graphic descriptions of what you might see during a miscarriage.
What else could it be?
Up to 2 in 5 females experience vaginal spotting or bleeding in the first trimester. This does not always mean you are having a miscarriage.
Bleeding in early pregnancy could be caused by:
- changes in your uterus (womb) as the pregnancy begins
- ectopic pregnancy — where the pregnancy is located outside the uterus
- molar pregnancy — where a pregnancy develops into an abnormal growth instead of a baby
- problems in your cervix or vagina, such as infection or polyps
What should I do if I think I'm having a miscarriage?
If you are pregnant and have bleeding from your vagina, you may be having a miscarriage.
If the bleeding is light and you feel well, contact your doctor or midwife straight away. They can tell you if you should go to hospital or arrange tests to see what is going on.
If the bleeding is getting worse or if you have pain or feel unwell, go to your nearest hospital emergency department immediately.
If you are alone, consider calling your partner or a friend for help and support.
If you have very heavy bleeding, strong pain or feel unwell, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.
What are the types of miscarriage?
There are several types of miscarriage.
Threatened miscarriage
A threatened miscarriage is when you have symptoms such as light vaginal bleeding or lower abdominal pain, but your cervix remains closed. This may last for days or weeks.
The pain and bleeding may improve and you may go on to have a healthy pregnancy and baby, or your cervix may open and you may go on to have a miscarriage.
There is no proof that bed rest or any other treatment makes a difference.
Inevitable miscarriage
An inevitable miscarriage is a miscarriage that is already starting. You will have vaginal bleeding and strong lower abdominal cramps. Your cervix will be open.
Complete miscarriage
A complete miscarriage has taken place when all the pregnancy tissue has left your uterus. Bleeding and pain occur as the pregnancy tissue passes and settle down afterwards.
If you have miscarried at home, you should have a check-up with a doctor or midwife to make sure the miscarriage is complete.
Incomplete miscarriage
An incomplete miscarriage is when some pregnancy tissue has passed, but some pregnancy tissue remains in the uterus. You may have ongoing vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal cramping as your uterus tries to complete the miscarriage. In some cases, your symptoms may have stopped.
If some pregnancy tissue remains in your uterus, there is a chance that you will develop an infection.
Your doctor or midwife can check you and advise whether you need treatment to complete the miscarriage.
Missed miscarriage
A missed miscarriage is when the pregnancy ends and remains in your uterus without you having any symptoms of miscarriage. You may find out at a routine pregnancy visit or ultrasound scan.
Symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea and tiredness, may have reduced, or you may not have noticed any change.
If this happens, you should discuss treatment options with your doctor.
How is a miscarriage treated?
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and may examine you. You will usually have an ultrasound to confirm a miscarriage and check what type it is.
Based on the findings, your doctor will discuss the options for managing the miscarriage.
Expectant or natural management
Also called 'watch and wait', this option involves going home and waiting for the pregnancy tissue to pass naturally. This may happen quickly, or it may take a few weeks.
If the pregnancy tissue has not passed after 1 to 2 weeks, speak to your doctor. You might choose to keep waiting if you are feeling well, or you might choose to have treatment.
After the pregnancy tissue has passed, your doctor will organise a follow up ultrasound to check that the miscarriage is complete.
If you have very heavy bleeding, strong pain or feel unwell, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.
Learn more about expectant or natural management of miscarriage.
Medical management
You may be offered medicine that speeds up the passing of the pregnancy tissue. This medicine is called misoprostol. It works by encouraging the cervix to open and your uterus to contract.
You may experience heavy bleeding, pain and nausea. Your doctor can give you medicine to help with these symptoms. Your doctor may recommend that you stay in hospital until the tissue has passed, but in most cases you will be able to go home.
Learn more about medical management of miscarriage.
Surgical management
You may be offered a minor surgical procedure, called a 'suction curettage', to remove the pregnancy tissue from your uterus.
This procedure is often recommended if you have heavy bleeding or signs of infection. It may also be a good option if expectant or medical management has not worked. You may also decide that you prefer this option if you want to limit pain and bleeding, or if you don't want to wait for other treatment options to work.
Learn more about surgical management of miscarriage.
Why do miscarriages happen?
You may wonder why the miscarriage happened. In most cases, a miscarriage has nothing to do with anything you have or have not done.
Most parents never find out the exact cause. Miscarriages most often happen because the baby fails to develop properly, usually due to a chromosomal abnormality.
Occasionally, a miscarriage is caused by:
- health problems — such as thyroid problems or uncontrolled diabetes
- blood clotting problems
- some infections
- problems with your uterus (womb), such as fibroids or an unusual shape
- a weak cervix
If you have had 2 or more miscarriages, your doctor may recommend doing some tests to find out the cause.
What are the risk factors for miscarriage?
You are more likely to have a miscarriage if you:
Can I prevent a miscarriage?
Most of the time, there is nothing you can do to prevent a miscarriage.
If you have a health condition that may increase your chance of miscarriage, talk to your doctor about how to manage your condition before you become pregnant.
It's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, it's best to:
Resources and support
Pregnancy loss can cause strong feelings, such as sadness and grief. It may help to talk to loved ones or others who have experienced pregnancy loss.
You can also talk to your doctor or midwife, or call or visit one of these organisations for support:
- Grief Australia provides support and counselling for people grieving any type of loss.
- Miscarriage Australia has resources on what you can expect physically and emotionally after a miscarriage.
- Pink Elephants Support Network provides information and support for people who have had a miscarriage.
- Red Nose Grief and Loss provides support for miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death. Call their support line on 1300 308 307.
- ForWhen provides mental health support throughout your pregnancy journey. Call their support line on 1300 24 23 22.
Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available from 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week (including public holidays).
Do you prefer to read in languages other than English?
Find information in many community languages about:
Looking for information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people?
See this booklet to support your journey after losing your bub.
Supporting family, friends or employees after pregnancy loss
When a family member, friend or employee has a pregnancy loss, you might not know what to say or do. Visit Bears of Hope for brochures and guides.
Speak to a maternal child health nurse
Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.
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Last reviewed: June 2025
