Miscarriage & Pregnancy Loss
Information on pregnancy loss and related conditions, from cited clinical sources.
Pregnancy loss & stillbirth
- The loss of a pregnancy before 13 completed weeks is medically called early pregnancy loss (also called miscarriage or spontaneous abortion), and it happens in about 10 of 100 known pregnancies.Source: ACOG
- About half of early miscarriages happen because the embryo does not develop properly, often due to an abnormal number of chromosomes — and in almost every case, miscarriage is not the woman's fault: normal activities like working, exercising, stress, arguments, having sex, or having used birth control pills before pregnancy do not cause it.Source: ACOG
- Bleeding is the most common sign of miscarriage; call your ob-gyn if you notice vaginal spotting or bleeding (with or without pain), a gush of fluid from the vagina even without pain or bleeding, or passage of tissue from the vagina — though a small amount of early bleeding is common and does not necessarily mean a miscarriage is happening.Source: ACOG
- Pregnancy loss in the first trimester is usually a one-time event, and most women who have an early pregnancy loss go on to have successful pregnancies; repeated (two or more) miscarriages are rare, and even when no cause is found after testing, most women still go on to have a successful pregnancy.Source: ACOG
- After a miscarriage, losing a pregnancy can cause sadness and grief, and for many women emotional healing takes longer than physical healing; partners' grief may differ, and reaching out to an ob-gyn, a counselor, or a support group can help.Source: ACOG
- When a fetus dies in the uterus after 20 weeks of pregnancy, it is called a stillbirth — a distinct medical term from miscarriage (which refers to loss before 20 weeks); the reasons for most stillbirths are unknown, though possible causes include birth defects, fetal growth problems, infections, maternal medical conditions, labor/delivery complications, and umbilical cord problems.Source: ACOG
Educational reference only — not medical advice. Every pregnancy is different. If you are experiencing possible signs of pregnancy loss, contact your doctor or midwife right away.