Early Complete Miscarriage

1. What is early complete miscarriage?

Early miscarriage – refers to a loss of pregnancy in the first 3 months.
Complete miscarriage – means that all the pregnancy tissue has been passed and the womb is empty, and therefore you do not need any further treatment.

Much is still unknown about why early miscarriages occur.
The most common cause is chromosome problems, rendering the baby unable to grow and develop normally.
Early miscarriage is very common – 2 in 10 pregnant women will experience this.
The majority of early miscarriages occur as a “one-off” event, and it will not affect your chance of having a successful pregnancy in the future.
The risk of early miscarriage increases with a woman’s age. It can also be increased if a woman has significant health problems, or if she smokes or drinks a lot.

Vaginal bleeding and mild abdominal cramps may last 2-3 weeks.
Your next period will be in 4-6 weeks’ time. However, ovulation occurs before this, and you should still use contraception.
The tissue you passed out can be sent for analysis in the laboratory. This is to confirm it is normal pregnancy tissue.

The best time to try again is when you and your partner feel physically and emotionally ready.
In general, it is advisable to await your period to return to normal for 2-3 cycles before trying to get pregnant again.

References:

Bleeding and pain in early pregnancy: information for you. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. January 2008.
Early miscarriage: information for you. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. January 2008.
The management of early pregnancy loss. Green-top Guideline No.25. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. October 2006.