Miscarriage is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Most women who have an early miscarriage (in the first trimester) don’t need treatment afterwards. Instead, the uterus empties on its own, like if you were having a heavy period.
Some women have severe heavy bleeding after a miscarriage. Or they may have tissue left in the uterus after the miscarriage. In these cases, treatment is needed.
Your health care provider may recommend:
If you miscarry in your first trimester, you probably don’t need to have any tests. We often don’t know what causes miscarriage that happens in the first trimester, so tests aren’t really very helpful.
If you have more than one miscarriage in the first trimester, or if you have a miscarriage in the second trimester, your provider usually recommends tests to help find out what’s causing them. Tests can include:
Talk to your provider about these tests.
Last reviewed July 2012
Signs of a miscarriage can include vaginal spotting or bleeding, abdominal pain or cramping, and fluid or tissue passing from the vagina. Although vaginal bleeding is a common symptom of miscarriage, many women have spotting early in their pregnancy but don’t miscarry. But if you’re pregnant and have bleeding or spotting, contact your health care provider right away.
Dilation and curettage (also called D&C) is when a doctor removes tissue from the lining of a woman's uterus. Dilation ("D") is a widening of the cervix to allow medical instruments into the uterus. Curettage ("C") is the scraping of the walls of the uterus.
Some women have a D&C after a miscarriage to remove tissue. Providers also use D&C to treat heavy bleeding or to help diagnose infection, cancer and other diseases.
After a D&C, you can return to your regular activities as soon as you feel better, maybe even the same day. You may have vaginal bleeding, pelvic cramps and back pain for a few days after the procedure. Talk to your provider about medicine you can take for pain. Don’t use tampons or have sex for 1 to 2 weeks after the procedure.
For most women, it's best to wait at least 18 months before getting pregnant again. This amount of time is best if you miscarry, or if your baby is stillborn, or if your baby dies after birth. Waiting this long gives your body enough time to heal between pregnancies. Also, giving yourself this time may help you feel less worried about your next pregnancy. Depending on your age or other medical reasons, you may not be able to wait this long. Talk to your provider about what's right for you.