Miscarriages: Types of miscarriages and common signs

In medical terms, miscarriage is described as a spontaneous abortion that leads to the loss of pregnancy before the 20th week. As per data, about 20 per cent of all pregnancies across the globe end due to miscarriage in the first trimester. But the actual number is higher than this. Many times women do not realise that they are pregnant and lose a foetus in the early weeks. This data is often not included when calculating the percentage of miscarriages globally.

Often miscarriage suggests something went wrong while the woman was carrying the baby. This is not true in all cases. Miscarriage can take place due to multiple causes, most of which happens due to medical reasons. It is a traumatic experience for any parent, but it isn't something that cannot be controlled. Knowing about the signs help you take appropriate steps to avoid complications. Here are five common types of miscarriages you must know about.

In a complete miscarriage or complete abortion, all the tissues of the foetus are expelled from the uterus. This kind of miscarriage is characterised by a heavy vaginal flow for several days, abdominal pain and passage of the tissue through the uterus. Cramps in the abdomen would be much like short labour pain, followed by a contraction of the uterus. In such a case, it is recommended to take immediate medical help for relief. Complete miscarriages can be confirmed through an ultrasound by your healthcare provider.

In this kind of abortion, not all, but some tissues of the foetus are excreted through the uterus. The rest of the tissues are removed by the healthcare provider after examining the condition. If left unremoved the tissues can lead to poisoning in the body. Incomplete abortion is accompanied by vaginal bleeding and intense abdominal pain. Sometimes even the cervix is found open where the remaining tissues of the fetus are found during the examination.

In some cases, the fetus implants on the wall of the uterus but fails to develop. The tissue is not expelled out of the body, and it is found out later. This kind of miscarriage has some typical signs which help to take necessary steps early to prevent any further complications. If the placenta is still releasing the hormones the women may feel the sign of pregnancy or notice them fade away. Some may experience a brownish discharge, nausea and tiredness.

Threatened miscarriage isn't like an actual miscarriage. In this, you would only show a sign of miscarriage and might not necessarily lose the baby. About half of the threatened miscarriage end in the live birth of the baby. There would be a little vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal pain. However, the cervix might still be closed and you would continue to have a healthy pregnancy. In case of abnormal bleeding, you should meet the doctor.

Inevitable miscarriages can often come without warning signs or after the threatened miscarriage. The typical symptom of this kind of miscarriage includes unexplained vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain during early pregnancy. This is followed by the opening of the cervix and the passing of the fetus with blood. Even though threatened miscarriage sometimes leads to inevitable miscarriage, doctors cannot do anything to prevent it.