Early Miscarriage Signs

After the process of fertilization in humans, the fertilized egg divides several times and transforms into a blastocyst, which is like a ball of cells. This blastocyst gets itself implanted to the walls of the uterus, called, endometrium. This process takes around ten to fifteen days and after the implantation only, a woman can be considered as technically pregnant. Sometimes, the implanted blastocyst fails to survive, causing a very early miscarriage. In some other cases, it thrives for a little longer and then gives up, leading to a miscarriage. There are various reasons for a miscarriage. A miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous end of pregnancy due to the inability of the embryo to survive. It must happen within a period of 20 weeks of pregnancy, in order to be classified as a miscarriage, which is otherwise known as spontaneous abortion.

More About Miscarriage

Miscarriage is one of the most common complications associated with early pregnancy. Studies show that around 15% to 20% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage and more than 80% of such miscarriages occur before the twelfth week of the last menstruation date. This figure does not include those miscarriages that happen before the confirmation of a pregnancy. Such miscarriages are called chemical pregnancies, wherein the pregnancy is lost before the confirmation via a pregnancy test. The woman may not even realize that she was pregnant. This happens shortly after the implantation, i.e., within six to eight weeks from the last date of menstruation. This is the earliest type of miscarriage. Apart from chemical pregnancies, miscarriages are classified as incomplete, threatened, missed, complete and inevitable. A miscarriage can be caused in case of an ectopic pregnancy, blighted ovum and molar pregnancy. Generally, miscarriages are caused by abnormalities with the fetus's chromosomes, hormonal problems or infection during pregnancy, maternal trauma, inability of the embryo to get itself implanted in the uterus wall, age of the mother, etc. There are various other early miscarriage causes such as, intake of certain medication by the mother, exposure to some chemicals, cigarette smoking and excess alcohol consumption by the mother and some medical conditions.

Warning Signs of a Miscarriage

In case of a chemical pregnancy, wherein the woman may not know about the pregnancy, a miscarriage will be like a late menstruation only. The symptoms will be the same as that of a late and heavy period. Bleeding may or may not be accompanied by stomach cramps. Bleeding may be accompanied by clots, which are more than normal. These clots may also be in the form of tiny lumps. As the bleeding is around the time of the normal menstruation date, the woman may not suspect pregnancy. A loss of pregnancy, up to a period of 20 weeks (from the last date of menstruation) will be classified as a miscarriage.

Early miscarriage signs include spotting, bleeding, pain or cramping in the lower abdomen, etc. Another early miscarriage sign is a loss of pregnancy symptoms, like, morning sickness, nausea and breast tenderness. The most common symptom is bleeding or spotting, which can be a sign of miscarriage. But, it is not conclusive, as other factors such as sexual intercourse may also cause slight bleeding or spotting. If the bleeding is heavy with abdominal pain or cramping is a sure sign of miscarriage. If it happens between the sixth and twelfth week of pregnancy, the pain or cramping may not be very severe. If the miscarriage happens after the twelfth week to twentieth week, the symptoms can be more severe and resemble the signs of labor. If the symptoms include severe pain and cramping, along with dizziness, it can also be signs of ectopic pregnancy, which may be fatal for the woman.

The warning signs of a miscarriage include weight loss, mild to severe backache, pinkish vaginal discharge, etc. These symptoms may worsen and progress to bleeding (brown or bright red blood), cramps and pain and clots in vaginal discharge. So, it is always recommended to seek immediate medical attention, if you notice such early miscarriage signs. Slight bleeding or spotting can normally occur in some pregnancies, but, can also be a symptom of a miscarriage. So, it is always better to get it diagnosed by a doctor. In some cases, a miscarriage can be prevented with timely medical attention. Otherwise, early miscarriage treatment is given which includes a common clinical procedure called D&C and medications to prevent infection and control bleeding.