Symptoms

The main symptoms of miscarriage are vaginal bleeding with or without abdominal pain or cramping, though symptoms can vary and may be mild or absent in some cases.¹

Bleeding can occur in pregnancy for reasons other than miscarriage. In fact, up to 25% of women and birthing people will experience bleeding within the first trimester.^2,3 However, you should always seek medical advice if you experience bleeding or spotting.

Abdominal pain and cramping can also be a normal part of pregnancy, especially as your uterus stretches and grows.⁵ However, if accompanied with bleeding, you should always seek medical advice. If you are experiencing any abdominal pain or cramping after 14 weeks of pregnancy, with or without backache, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately.⁴

Another symptom that may occur in some women and birthing people, is the lack of, or loss of typical pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea or breast tenderness.⁴ a reduction or loss of these symptoms can occur for various reasons, and does not always indicate something is wrong as not all pregnancy symptoms are the same and may naturally vary in intensity from week to week.⁶ However, in some cases, a sudden loss of pregnancy symptoms, especially if accompanied by bleeding or pain, could indicate that your pregnancy hormones are dropping, so it is best to discuss any concerns with your healthcare provider.⁴

In some cases, there are no symptoms or signs at all, and a miscarriage may only be discovered during an ultrasound scan. These are typically referred to as a missed miscarriage (also known as a silent miscarriage). In these instances, the pregnancy does not progress as expected but the body doesn’t show any physical symptoms typical of a miscarriage, and you may also still experience pregnancy symptoms.⁷