What really happens during a miscarriage

A miscarriage often causes vaginal bleeding. This could range from light spotting to heavy bleeding. It can also cause cramping and lower abdominal (tummy) pain. As a miscarriage progresses, you may also pass blood clots from your vagina (Opens in new tab).

Spotting or bleeding during pregnancy doesn't always mean you are having a miscarriage, but if you notice bleeding, speak to your doctor or midwife immediately.

Some people only have mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all, and find out they have had a miscarriage at a routine pregnancy visit or ultrasound.

It is normal to feel very worried if you think you are having a miscarriage.

Unfortunately, nothing can be done to stop a miscarriage once it has started. Treatment is important to help manage your health if you have heavy bleeding or an infection.

How long the miscarriage process takes depends on the management pathway you and your doctor or midwife decide on. Options include:

• expectant management — waiting for the pregnancy tissue to pass by itself
• medical management — taking medicines to help your body pass the pregnancy tissue
• surgical management — a surgical procedure to empty your uterus

While you are waiting for a miscarriage to finish, it's best to rest at home and do what feels right for you. You can use paracetamol (Opens in new tab) for your pain. If you are bleeding, use sanitary pads instead of tampons to lower the chance of infection.

The type of pregnancy tissue you might see depends on how many weeks pregnant you were when the miscarriage occurred. It may look like blood clots, or you may be able to see membranes or tiny body parts.

At 6 weeks

Most women can't see anything recognisable when they have a miscarriage at this time. During the bleeding, you may see clots with a small sac filled with fluid. The embryo, which is about the size of the fingernail on your little finger, and a placenta might be seen inside the sac. You might also notice something that looks like an umbilical cord.

At 8 weeks

The tissue you pass may look dark red and shiny — some women describe it as looking like liver. You might find a sac with an embryo inside, about the size of a small bean. If you look closely, you might be able to see where the eyes, arms and legs were forming.

At 10 weeks

The clots that are passed are dark red and look like jelly. They might have what looks like a membrane inside, which is part of the placenta. The sac will be inside one of the clots. At this time, the developing baby is usually fully formed but still tiny and difficult to see.

At 12 to 16 weeks

If you miscarry now, you might notice water coming out of your vagina 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. It might also be attached to the umbilical cord and the placenta.

From 16 to 20 weeks

This is often called a 'late miscarriage'. You might pass large shiny red clots that look like liver as well as other pieces of tissue that look and feel like membrane. It might be painful and feel just like labour, and you might need pain relief in hospital. Your baby will be fully formed and can fit on the palm of your hand.

After a miscarriage, bleeding will get lighter over time and will usually stop within 2 weeks.

Signs of pregnancy, such as nausea and tender breasts, will go away after the miscarriage. If you had a miscarriage close to 20 weeks of pregnancy, your breasts might produce some milk.

You will usually have your next period (Opens in new tab) within 4 to 6 weeks.

Emotional effects

It is normal to feel a range of different emotions at this time. There is no right or wrong way to feel.

It may help to talk to loved ones or others who have experienced pregnancy loss. Some people find it helpful to seek counselling (Opens in new tab).

Find out more about coping after miscarriage from ForWhen.