In some miscarriages, all of the pregnancy comes away from the womb naturally and you won't need any treatment to help things along. This is called a complete miscarriage. Read more about what a complete miscarriage feels like and ways to deal with it.
But if a miscarriage has started but does not come away from the womb completely or if there were no symptoms and the miscarriage was found in an ultrasound scan, you may need to make some choices about what to do next.
Making choices at such a distressing time can be very difficult. You should be given some time to think about the diagnosis and what you want to do.
If you need to talk to someone, you can speak one of our Tommy’s midwives for free. You can call them Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm on 0800 0147 800. Or you can email them at [email protected]. They will be able to talk to you about what you are going through.
Managing a miscarriage
An incomplete miscarriage begins naturally, but the pregnancy doesn’t come away from the womb completely. Sometimes, women don’t have any symptoms of a miscarriage, but it will be suspected during a routine scan carried out as part of your antenatal care. This is called a missed or delayed miscarriage.
If you have a missed miscarriage or incomplete miscarriage, you'll be offered 3 options:
Your doctor should talk with you about what may be the best option for you. You should be given some time for the diagnosis to sink in and think about what you want to do.
How you are treated is your choice. However, you may be advised to have surgery immediately if:
- you are bleeding heavily and continuously
- there are signs of infection
- medical treatment to remove the pregnancy has been unsuccessful.
Late miscarriage
If you lose your baby after the first 3 months of your pregnancy, you may need to go through labour. This can be very distressing, and you may be in shock. The staff caring for you at hospital will understand this and will clearly explain your options are so you can make a decision about how you want to be treated.
Find out more about treatment for late miscarriage.
After a miscarriage
Losing a baby can be heart breaking. Your feelings and emotions are your own and no-one can tell you how you should or shouldn’t be feeling. There is no right or wrong way to feel about pregnancy loss.
Everyone is different. Some women come to terms with what happened within a few weeks, for others it takes longer.
Taking the time you need to grieve may help you move on and think about the possibility of trying again, if that’s what you want to do. Remember that there is support available if you need help.
