Miscarriage - Home Treatment

SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS

There is nothing you can do to prevent a miscarriage. It is usually the body's way of ending a pregnancy that has had a bad start, often at the earliest stage of cell division.

It is important to be alert to the symptoms of a miscarriage so that you can seek medical evaluation. If you are having symptoms of a miscarriage, avoid sexual activity (called pelvic rest) and strenuous activity until your symptoms have been evaluated by a doctor.

Callor other emergency services immediately if you are pregnant and you have severe vaginal bleedingANDsigns of shock. Early signs of shock include:

  • Lightheadedness or a feeling that you are about to pass out.
  • Restlessness, confusion, or signs of fear.
  • Shallow, rapid breathing.
  • Moist, cool skin or possibly profuse sweating.
  • Weakness.
  • Thirst, nausea, or vomiting.
  • Abnormal increase in heart rate.

Call your doctor immediately if you are pregnant and you have any vaginal bleeding or cramping pain in your abdomen, pelvis, or lower back.

Your doctor may ask you to collect any expelled clots or tissue, if possible, in a clean container. The clots may be examined to see if you have passed fetal tissue.

After a miscarriage

The most common miscarriage complications are excessive bleeding and infection.

It is normal to have mild or moderate vaginal bleeding for 1 to 2 weeks. It may be similar to or slightly heavier than a normal period. The bleeding should get lighter after a week.

Callor other emergency services immediately if you have recently been treated for a miscarriage and you have severe vaginal bleeding ANDsigns of shock.

Call your doctor immediately if you have recently been treated for a miscarriage and you are experiencing:

  • Severe vaginal bleeding without signs of shock. If your doctor does not respond immediately, or if you do not have a doctor, have someone drive you to the nearest emergency room.
  • Symptoms of infection. These symptoms include:

Coping with a miscarriage

It is normal to go through a grieving process after a miscarriage, regardless of the length of your pregnancy. Guilt, anxiety, and sadness are common and normal reactions after a miscarriage. It is also normal to want to know why a miscarriage has happened. In most cases a miscarriage is a natural event that could not have been prevented.

To help you and your family cope with your loss, consider meeting with a support group, reading about the experiences of other mothers, and talking to friends or a counselor or member of the clergy. For more information, see the topic Grief and Grieving.

Your local bookstore or library may have books on coping with miscarriage. Also, your doctor will be able to address your questions and concerns about the miscarriage.

The intensity and duration of the grief varies from woman to woman, but most women find that they can return to the daily demands of life in a fairly short time. The loss and the hormonal swings that result from a miscarriage can cause symptoms of depression. It is important to call your doctor if you have symptoms of depression that last for more than a couple of weeks.

A healthy, full-term pregnancy is possible for most women who have had a miscarriage, and even after having repeated miscarriages. If you want to become pregnant again, check with your doctor or nurse-midwife. Most health professionals recommend waiting until you have had at least one normal menstrual period before trying to become pregnant after a miscarriage.

By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: April 18, 2011
Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics and Gynecology

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

Advertisement
Care Circle

It Seems That You Are Not Logged In...

OR

Join Now

Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:

  1. Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
  2. Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
  3. Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.

The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.

How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?

Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.

How do I save content to my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.

How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.

How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.

See All News

Advertisement