Pregnancy Miscarriage Bleeding A common sign of pregnancy loss By Rachael Zimlich, BSN, RN Rachael Zimlich, BSN, RN Rachael is a freelance healthcare writer and critical care nurse based near Cleveland, Ohio. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 21, 2022 Medically reviewed by Monique Rainford, MD Medically reviewed by Monique Rainford, MD Monique Rainford, MD, is board-certified in obstetrics-gynecology, and currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Medicine. She is the former chief of obstetrics-gynecology at Yale Health. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Miscarriage Bleeding Seeing a Healthcare Provider After Miscarriage Frequently Asked Questions Bleeding is a common and usually first sign of a miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion. Miscarriage bleeding can range from brownish discharge or light spotting to heavy bleeding with bright red blood and, sometimes, clots. It may accompany other symptoms, such as cramping and pain in your abdomen, dizziness, or discharge of tissue through the vagina. Know, however, that light bleeding during the first three months of pregnancy is also common and not necessarily a sign of a miscarriage. Bleeding can also indicate the possibility you may have a miscarriage; treatment may be able to stop it. This article will help you recognize miscarriage bleeding, as well as other symptoms. It also explains why it is important to call your healthcare provider right away, or to seek emergency care for heavy vaginal bleeding, especially if you're also having contractions during late pregnancy. Robin Gentry / EyeEm / Getty Images Blood Loss During Miscarriage During pregnancy, a person's blood volume expands. This change is important in order for the body to support a healthy pregnancy. Much of the increase is concentrated in the uterus and placenta. When a miscarriage takes place, all the tissue in the uterus—the thickened uterine lining, placenta tissue, and fetal tissue—is expelled. You may notice bleeding before this, but it will also occur along with it. The amount of miscarriage bleeding that can occur depends on your health, medical history, and how far into the pregnancy you are. Other potential symptoms that may accompany miscarriage bleeding include: Heavier vaginal bleedingAbdominal cramps or painLower back or pelvic painGeneral weakness In some cases, your symptoms may be due to a potential (threatened) miscarriage. Treatment is possible and can lead to a continued pregnancy, but it's critical to receive immediate medical attention. It is possible, however, to find out from your healthcare provider that you are having a miscarriage before miscarriage bleeding or any other symptoms occur. This is called a missed or silent miscarriage. What Is a High-Risk Pregnancy? Seeing a Healthcare Provider for Miscarriage Your healthcare provider will first want to determine the cause of your vaginal bleeding, especially if the bleeding is heavy, associated with other symptoms, or occurs during late pregnancy. In some cases, the cause of bleeding that occurs during the third trimester can be life-threatening to both a pregnant person and the fetus. These conditions may include: Placental abruption, a premature separation of the placenta from the uterus Placenta previa, in which the placenta is in the wrong space within the uterus Uterine rupture, a rare and sudden tearing of the uterus If the bleeding is due to spontaneous abortion in the absence of another cause, your healthcare provider will determine what type of miscarriage it is. They are likely to order an ultrasound and may check human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in the blood. Some people, including those with a threatened miscarriage or a history of multiple miscarriages, may be treated to try and stop symptoms. Some studies suggest treatment with progesterone supplements may prevent miscarriage in some cases. If the miscarriage can't be prevented, treatment will depend on whether or not your body has expelled all of the blood and fetal tissue. In this case, no further treatment is needed. You may need medication or a procedure called dilation and curettage (D and C) to remove uterine contents in the case of an incomplete abortion that could lead to complications. Ectopic Pregnancy and Miscarriage On rare occasions, pregnancy losses happen because the pregnancy develops outside the womb. This is known as an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies may be life-threatening. There's a risk you could experience significant internal bleeding before you see any vaginal bleeding. What to Expect After Miscarriage Bleeding can last up to a few weeks. Your healthcare provider will offer suggestions for care after a miscarriage. These may include: Avoiding sexual intercourse for one to two weeksNot inserting anything into the vagina, like a tampon, for one to two weeksReceiving counseling and mental health supportUsing birth control if you don’t want to become pregnant again right away Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider about future pregnancies. If and when you are ready for another pregnancy, your risk of miscarriage will be elevated due to the history of a previous miscarriage. Preventing a Miscarriage It's important to know that, in most cases, miscarriages don't happen because of something a pregnant person did or failed to do. There are steps you can take to boost your chances of a healthy pregnancy even before you conceive, like starting on prenatal vitamins. Diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and other lifestyle choices can also help. Summary Bleeding can occur in light or heavy amounts after a miscarriage. It is the process through which the fetal tissue and blood are expelled from your body, and it may last for about two weeks. Note that it’s also common to have bleeding in the first trimester, so this does not mean you definitely had a miscarriage. If you have vaginal bleeding while pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider. They will need to perform tests to confirm whether a miscarriage is occurring. And if one is, they will monitor you to make sure you have expelled all of the pregnancy tissue. A Word From Verywell If you are facing pregnancy loss, be sure to establish a good support system. It's important to take the time for you to grieve the loss. Most people go on to have successful pregnancies, but keep in mind the emotional healing is as important as the physical healing before trying again. Frequently Asked Questions How long does miscarriage bleeding last? The heavy bleeding and passage of the pregnancy may occur in the first hours, but bleeding may continue for a few weeks after. Typically, how much bleeding is normal and how long it lasts depends on the stage of pregnancy before miscarriage occurred. When should you be concerned about bleeding after a miscarriage? If vaginal bleeding becomes very heavy or you experience other symptoms like lightheadedness, you should seek medical attention right away and/or call 911. Don't hesitate if you have a history of prior miscarriages or other significant pregnancy risk factors. How do you stop bleeding after a miscarriage? Bleeding will stop on its own once the body has released all of the tissue and blood from the pregnancy. You may require medical or surgical assistance if your body doesn’t clear all the tissue on its own, and you may bleed on and off for a few weeks. Call your provider if bleeding continues or starts again. Who is at risk for a miscarriage? Anyone can have a miscarriage, but about half of them are due to genetic problems in fetal development. Risk factors include previous miscarriage, underlying medical conditions like diabetes, and pregnancy in people age 35 and over. How common are miscarriages? Miscarriages occur in about 10% of all known first trimester pregnancies. 11 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Health Service. Miscarriage - symptoms. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Vaginal bleeding in late pregnancy. Aguree S, Gernand AD. Plasma volume expansion across healthy pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019 Dec 19;19(1):508. doi:10.1186/s12884-019-2619-6. Devall AJ, Papadopoulou A, Podesek M, Haas DM, Price MJ, Coomarasamy A, et al. Progestogens for preventing miscarriage: a network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 19;4(4):CD013792. doi:10.1002/14651858. Young JS, White LM. Vaginal Bleeding in Late Pregnancy. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2019 May;37(2):251-264. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2019.01.006. Wahabi HA, Fayed AA, Esmaeil SA, Bahkali KH. Progestogen for treating threatened miscarriage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Aug 6;8(8):CD005943. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005943.pub5. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. Miscarriages. American College of Obstetricans and Gynecologists. Early Pregnancy Loss. Stanford Medicine Children's Health. Coping With Miscarriage. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. What is a high-risk pregnancy? University of Iowa Health Care. Miscarriage Care Instructions. By Rachael Zimlich, BSN, RN Rachael is a freelance healthcare writer and critical care nurse based near Cleveland, Ohio. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit