Miscarriage in the First Trimester

Oct 31 2009

First-trimester miscarriage (before 12 weeks) is the most common type of pregnancy loss; about 80% of miscarriages happen before the end of the first trimester. Many women have questions about what causes first-trimester miscarriage and whether it can be prevented, not to mention concerns about which miscarriage symptoms may occur.

Types of First-Trimester Pregnancy Loss

The term miscarriage is fairly general for the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy in the first trimester, but some subtypes exist (note that some of these can also be diagnosed in the second trimester). Some miscarriages will not fall into any of these categories.

Signs of Early Miscarriage

Most miscarriage symptoms are not definitive indicators of pregnancy loss, but possible signs include vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, cramping, and loss of pregnancy symptoms.

General Concerns About Diagnosis and Recovery

Your doctor should give you some guidance on what to expect from the testing process and ultimately the treatment, but here is some general information about diagnosis and physical recovery from first-trimester miscarriage.

First-Trimester Miscarriage Causes

Doctors believe most first-trimester miscarriages happen because of factors outside anyone’s control, and rarely can anyone pinpoint the cause of a specific miscarriage. Doctors do have some ideas about possible causes, however.

Preventing First-Trimester Miscarriage

Most of the time, you cannot prevent a miscarriage from happening. Most miscarriages happen for reasons out of anyone’s control. That said, occasionally some lifestyle modifications can put you in a lower risk category. Find out about what does and doesn’t decrease your risk.