Symptoms of Miscarriage

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For many women, the first indication of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding or discharge, sometimes accompanied by abdominal pain or backache - rather like period pains. Vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy is called threatened miscarriage, and does not necessarily develop into a miscarriage. Many women who experience vaginal bleeding will go on to have a normal pregnancy.

Some women may notice that pregnancy symptoms such as nausea or sore breasts disappear, whether or not there is bleeding. Others may have neither bleeding nor any other sign that something is wrong, but discover that their pregnancy has ended only during a routine antenatal scan. This is called a missed or delayed miscarriage.

If the abdominal pain is very severe, sharp or one- sided, this may suggest ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy developing outside the uterus). This is a potentially life- threatening situation and should be reported to the GP or Accident and Emergency Unit.