The Basics
Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate � �
What is a miscarriage? " � A miscarriage is when a pregnancy ends before a woman has been pregnant for 20 weeks. (A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks.) The most common symptoms of a miscarriage are bleeding from the vagina and belly pain or cramping. � �
What is a threatened miscarriage? " � A threatened miscarriage is when a woman has bleeding from the vagina, but her pregnancy has not actually ended. The medical term for a threatened miscarriage is a "threatened spontaneous abortion. " � � �
In a threatened miscarriage, 1 of 2 things can happen. Most of the time, the bleeding will stop on its own and the pregnancy will continue normally. But sometimes, a threatened miscarriage will become a miscarriage. � �
Did I do anything to cause my threatened miscarriage? " � You probably did not do anything to cause your threatened miscarriage. And if your threatened miscarriage becomes a miscarriage, it is also probably not because of anything you did. � �
Most of the time, a miscarriage happens when a pregnancy does not grow normally from the beginning. � �
What are the symptoms of a threatened miscarriage? " � Women with a threatened miscarriage have bleeding from the vagina. Some women also have pain in their belly. � �
There are other conditions that can cause bleeding from the vagina during the first half of pregnancy. � �
Should I call my doctor or nurse? " � Yes. If you are pregnant and have bleeding from your vagina or pain in your belly, call your doctor or nurse right away. Bleeding during pregnancy can sometimes be a symptom of an emergency condition. � �
Will I need tests? " � Yes. Your doctor or nurse will ask about your symptoms and do an exam. He or she will check for your babys heartbeat. There are 2 main ways doctors can do this. They can use: � �
- A device called a "fetal Doppler monitor " � " � The doctor puts this device on your belly. It uses sound waves to let you hear your baby's heartbeat.
- An imaging test called an ultrasound " � An ultrasound uses sound waves to create pictures of the inside of your body and of your baby. This test can show pictures of your baby's heartbeat.
Your doctor will probably also do a test to measure the amount of "hCG " � (a pregnancy hormone) in your blood. You might need to have this test again a few days later. � �
How is a threatened miscarriage treated? " � Unfortunately, there are not many reliable treatments for a threatened miscarriage. � �
Sometimes, doctors recommend that women with vaginal bleeding lie in bed or avoid having sex, but these treatments have not been shown to help prevent a miscarriage. � �
If you have bleeding from your vagina, your doctor will follow your symptoms until one of the following things happen: � �
- Your bleeding stops, and your doctor has made sure that your pregnancy is growing normally.
- You have a miscarriage or another condition that affects your pregnancy. If this happens, your doctor will talk with you about what to do next.
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. � �
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. � �
Topic 17047 Version 3.0 � �
Release: 22.8 - C22.206 � �
� � 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you.The use of UpToDate content is governed by the UpToDate Terms of Use. � �2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �
Copyright
� � 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �