Types of Miscarriages: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

While it’s true that many miscarriages happen so early that some women never even realize they’re pregnant, other times, there are obvious symptoms. Of course, any pregnancy loss can be heartbreaking.

This article will help you understand the different types of miscarriage, their symptoms, and the options available to help you if you’ve suffered this kind of loss.

A miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion, is the loss of a pregnancy before week 20 of gestation.

This is a (perhaps surprisingly) common phenomenon, with some estimates suggesting that 10%–20% of recognized pregnancies fail due to miscarriage. 1

Factors that affect the likelihood of miscarriage

You shouldn’t blame yourself or your partner for a miscarriage. The majority of miscarriages happen as a result of random chromosomal abnormalities that disrupt fetal development, and there’s usually nothing you could have done to prevent the loss.

With that said, health factors that can increase your risk of miscarriage include: 2

• Anatomical issues like fibroids, polyps, and other structural abnormalities
• Conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid issues, and hormonal imbalances
• Overactive immune system responses that negatively affect healthy tissue, including the developing embryo or fetus
• Lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol or substance abuse, and obesity

What are the signs of a miscarriage?

Miscarriage symptoms aren’t universal. You could experience clear signs, or none at all. As mentioned, it’s relatively common for women who miscarry to not even have known they were pregnant to begin with, so some miscarriages go entirely undetected.

Some of the more common signs of miscarriage include: 3

• Vaginal bleeding that may range from light spotting to heavy bleeding and possible blood clots
• Abdominal pain, similar to period cramps or even labor-like contractions
• Pain in your lower back
• Passing fluid or pregnancy tissue

Note that blood doesn’t always signify a miscarriage—many women who report spotting go on to have healthy pregnancies.

Still, you should always let your doctor know if you experience spotting during pregnancy, especially in the early days.

Doctors classify different kinds of miscarriages based on factors like when they occur in pregnancy and what the accompanying symptoms are.

Here are some of the terms you’ll hear most often. 4

• Early and late miscarriage: An early miscarriage is one that happens before you’re 13 weeks pregnant. 5 Late miscarriages happen after this period, but before week 20 of pregnancy (after that, the loss of pregnancy is a stillbirth, not a miscarriage). 6 With both early and late miscarriages, you can expect bleeding and cramping, with the latter having more severe symptoms.
• Missed miscarriage: In this type, the pregnancy ends without any typical symptoms like bleeding or cramping, and pregnancy tissue stays behind in the uterus afterward. Doctors often identify missed miscarriages during routine pregnancy ultrasounds by the lack of a fetal heartbeat.
• Inevitable miscarriage: With an inevitable miscarriage, you’ll have intense bleeding and cramping and your cervix will begin to open. At this point, the miscarriage is unavoidable, but the fetus and placenta haven’t passed from your body yet. 7
• Incomplete miscarriage: This type of miscarriage is where you’ve already lost your pregnancy, but a portion of the tissue remains in your uterus. You may need medical intervention if your body doesn’t naturally pass the tissue. 8
• Complete miscarriage: With a complete miscarriage, your bleeding and cramping will naturally cause your body to expel all the pregnancy tissue from your uterus.
• Recurrent (repeat) miscarriage: This term applies when you’ve had two or more miscarriages back-to-back. Since this type of loss only happens to about 1% of women, you can expect your doctor to give you a full exam to check for underlying health issues. 9

Other kinds of early pregnancy loss

There are other kinds of early pregnancy loss (which generally aren’t considered miscarriages) that you could experience, such as:

• Chemical pregnancy: This refers to a fertilized egg that stops developing prior to the fifth week of pregnancy. Potential reasons range from embryo genetic issues to improper uterine implantation. It tends to happen before you even notice a missed period, with the bleeding resembling your normal cycle. You may get a positive on a pregnancy test at first, but later ones will be negative. 10
• Blighted ovum (anembryonic pregnancy): This describes a situation where a fertilized egg implants and forms a gestational sac, but an embryo fails to develop. The condition happens early enough that many women don’t know they’re pregnant.
• Vanishing twin syndrome (VTS): This is a type of miscarriage specific to multiple pregnancies, where one or more embryos stop developing, with the others unaffected. This tissue is then absorbed into the remaining embryo, the placenta, or the mother’s body. This happens in as many as 21%–30% of multiple pregnancies. 11
• Ectopic pregnancy: This occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of your uterus, usually in one of your fallopian tubes. You might start to get early pregnancy symptoms as a result, but the pregnancy won’t be viable. You’ll need to get immediate medical attention from your doctor if you have an ectopic pregnancy, as they can be life-threatening.
• Molar pregnancy: This is a rare condition involving abnormal growth (a tumor) of the tissue that forms the placenta. Signs include vaginal bleeding, cyst expulsion from the vagina, and intense nausea and vomiting. 12

No matter how early your pregnancy loss occurred, that doesn’t make it any less painful. Take all the time you need to process your loss and don’t be afraid to reach out for support.

Once your doctor diagnoses your miscarriage, the two of you can talk about management options.

Depending on the kind of miscarriage you had, your doctor will suggest one of three options:

• Expectant management: You’ll wait for your body to pass the pregnancy tissue naturally. This can take several days or even weeks and involves monitoring by your doctor. Expect this recommendation for early miscarriages with no signs of infection. 16
• Medical management: You’ll take medication like misoprostol to kickstart uterine contractions and get rid of the pregnancy tissue. You can do this at home or in the hospital. Expect some pain and bleeding. 17
• Surgical management: For a fast solution, you can opt for a minor surgery called a dilation and curettage (D&C). Here, your doctor will manually remove pregnancy tissue from the uterus through suction or with a spoon-like instrument called a curette. Your doctor will suggest this route if you have heavy bleeding or infection, or if medical management isn’t successful. 18

You’ll have to factor in your circumstances, medical history, and preferences to know what’s right for you. Be open with your doctor to get the best picture of each option’s risks, benefits, and what the process will be like.

Regardless of the management method you choose, symptoms like bleeding and cramping are common. Also, look for the passing of blood clots or tissue. You can use pain meds to ease your physical discomfort.

After a miscarriage, the bleeding will take anywhere from a few days to weeks to taper off. Your menstrual cycle will also need some time to get back on track.

Avoid putting anything inside your vagina for at least 2 weeks after a miscarriage, including tampons, your fingers, or sex toys. You should also avoid having sex during those 2 weeks. 19

When to speak to your doctor after a miscarriage

Be quick to contact your doctor if you have the following symptoms after experiencing a miscarriage: 19

• Heavy or worsening bleeding
• Fever
• Chills
• Intense pain

All of these can be signs of an infection, and you’ll need to get medical care right away.

Can you still get pregnant after a miscarriage?

Take heart in knowing that 87% of women who’ve had miscarriages go on to have healthy pregnancies and births. Experiencing a miscarriage doesn’t mean you have a long-term fertility problem, especially since most of them happen as a result of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. 19

When can you try to get pregnant again after a miscarriage?

Physically, you should be ready to try to conceive once you’ve had one normal menstrual cycle. 19 However, you should speak with your doctor about what an appropriate timeline will be for you.

Of course, just because you’re physically able to get pregnant after a miscarriage doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be emotionally ready right away. A miscarriage is a traumatic experience that can take a long time to move past. You don’t need to rush yourself if you don’t feel emotionally ready.

How to recover emotionally from a miscarriage

Deal with any grief or sadness by sharing your feelings with your partner, family, friends, or support groups (online or in person).

There’s no set timeline for recovery when it comes to these things. If the feelings get too intense for you, seeing a professional therapist or counselor is always an option.

Experiencing a miscarriage can be painful, but have courage in knowing others have walked a similar path and ultimately found peace. Above all, don’t blame yourself—miscarriage usually can’t be predicted or prevented and isn’t anyone’s fault.

Focus now on nurturing yourself inside and out. Hurt, heal, and hope again when you’re ready, on your terms.