Stages of a miscarriage

The stages of a miscarriage vary widely from person to person, but generally occurs along the following lines:

Initially there is a little blood loss that can last for several days. Subsequently, the miscarriage persists and you will generally start losing more clear-red blood (make sure you carry sanitary napkins). The blood loss varies in amount from a regular menstruation to a very severe menstruation. You can also lose clots. Clots are clumps of blood that can be as large as a fist. In most cases you won’t recognize the amniotic sac or embryo as such, but this depends on the term during which the miscarriage occurs.

When the blood loss increases this is often accompanied by painful cramping which resembles strong menstruation pain. The pain comes in waves: it occurs for a few minutes and then goes away. Usually, the pain subsides when blood is released from the uterus. It is possible that you will have several minutes to hours of cramping for it to subside and subsequently return.
The contractions of the uterus cause the cramping. Because of this, everything that’s inside the uterus is expelled. In this way your body cleans your uterus.

To counteract the painful cramping you can use paracetamol 1000 mg (max 6 x 500 mg a day – 3 x 2 tablets). We advise against the use of aspirin as it thins the blood. A hot water bottle or shower can also alleviate the pain. Don’t use tampons during the miscarriage.

When the uterus is empty the blood loss will diminish and the cramping will subside to a dull pain. The day after the miscarriage you will lose about as much blood as during a menstruation. The cramping will be over. You can continue to lose clear colored blood for about 5 to 10 days which will then become dark brown blood.