A missed miscarriage occurs when there are no symptoms of miscarriage-such as cramps or bleeding-but a scan reveals that the fetus has no heartbeat, says Mahnert. It’s possible to miscarry without experiencing any symptoms. This is referred to as an incomplete miscarriage. Mahnert says that sometimes someone might experience miscarriage symptoms, like cramps or heavy bleeding, while some fetal tissue is still in the uterus. Complete miscarriages are often accompanied by noticeable symptoms like cramping and bleeding. In other words, all the tissues have been expelled from the uterus. “A complete miscarriage is when the miscarriage is confirmed and no products of conception are in the uterus any longer,” says Mahnert. If untreated, an ectopic pregnancy can be dangerous for the pregnant person, as the fallopian tube does not have enough space to accommodate a growing embryo. “Abdominal pain is usually localized to one side of the pelvis but may be diffuse and severe if the ectopic pregnancy ruptures.” In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, treatment might include surgery or a medication called methotrexate, says Davis. “ vaginal bleeding may be light spotting or heavier flow like a menstrual cycle,” she says.
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy often include vaginal bleeding with or without abdominal pain. Most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tube, but it might also implant in or near the cervix, ovary, or at a prior cesarean section scar, says Davis. When a pregnancy implants outside the uterus, it’s called an ectopic pregnancy. An ultrasound is thus necessary to confirm a blighted ovum. Since one’s hCG levels will be high when they have a blighted ovum, they’ll probably receive a positive result on a pregnancy test. Mahnert says that it’s believed that a blighted ovum is caused by a chromosomal abnormality, which prohibits the development of the embryo. “At some point, very early in the pregnancy, the embryo stopped developing,” she explains. “Blighted ovum, also known as an anembryonic pregnancy, refers to a pregnancy with an empty gestational sac,” says Nichole Mahnert, an OB-GYN at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. Blighted OvumĪccording to the American Pregnancy Association, a blighted ovum could account for about half of all miscarriages in the first trimester, making it another common form of early pregnancy loss. Others might have a but experience heavy bleeding and a negative pregnancy test soon after. “The majority of the patients do not experience during a chemical pregnancy because the pregnancy hormone hCG is in very low levels,” she says. “A chemical pregnancy is a miscarriage that occurs very shortly after implantation or around the fifth week of gestation,” Davis says. About 50 to 75 percent of these first-trimester pregnancy losses are chemical pregnancies, says Beth Davis, an OB-GYN at Baylor Obstetrics and Gynecology at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that around 10 percent of recognized pregnancies end in first-trimester miscarriages. Miscarriages in the first trimester of pregnancy are unfortunately very common. To find out more, we spoke to OB-GYNs about miscarriage. Miscarriage can occur for many different reasons, most of which are completely out of our hands, at different times throughout a pregnancy.
Something few of us realize is that there are many different types of miscarriages. In the unfortunate event that we, or a loved one, lose a pregnancy, that education can help us navigate the difficult experience and find help and support. That’s why it’s so important to educate ourselves about miscarriage. Ten to 25 percent of all clinically recognized pregnancies-pregnancies in which a woman and her doctor know she is pregnant- end in miscarriage. Because of this stigma and silence, many of us aren’t well educated about miscarriage, what it looks like, or why it happens. It’s a heartbreaking topic, and it’s so difficult that many people don’t learn about miscarriage in high school biology or sex ed lessons. Miscarriage can be a deeply traumatizing event, and the subject itself is often considered taboo.