Can i have a miscarriage without bleeding?
Let’s be honest here, sister. When it comes to pregnancy, there are endless things that can go wrong. From morning sickness to swollen ankles, the list of possible complications seems never-ending. But if you’re worried about having a miscarriage without bleeding, you’ve come to the right place. Or maybe not? Who knows! Let’s dive in and figure this out together.
What is a Miscarriage?
Before we get into whether or not you can have a miscarriage without bleeding, let’s talk about what exactly a miscarriage is (in case you didn’t already know). A miscarriage is defined as the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation (gestation, fancy word for ‘the time when baby is growing inside your uterus’). It happens when the fetus cannot survive outside of the womb for various reasons; sometimes they are genetic abnormalities but most often they just happen and doctors don’t really understand why.
Normal Spotting vs Bleeding during Pregnancy
Many women experience light spotting during early pregnancy due to hormonal changes occurring in their body as well as implantation bleeding which might occur around six days after fertilization of an egg by sperm since tiny blood vessels may break while carrying nutrients and oxygen from placenta towards embryo(1)(2). It may feel like discharge, often pink or brown – lighter than normal menstrual periods’ flow–but normal discharge doesn’t continue heavily longer than couple hours or persist over few days unlike continuous heavy bleeding that warrants medical attention(3).
But between regular monitoring visits with your doctor or midwife–and even then–it’s difficult at best to predict every twist and turn that could arise during those nine-ish months between conception and birth.
“Missed” Miscarriages: Do They Happen?
In short yes – “missed” miscarriages do happen. Missed miscarriages (a/k/a ‘silent’ or ‘delayed warning’) are when fetal loss occurs, but the body doesn’t expel it through the vagina. Instead, you typically find out during a routine scan: there’s no heartbeat and little-to-no growth in comparison to last weeks scans. So while your uterus is still physically holding onto potential baby from days ago, you may not notice any physical signs right away.
What Are the Symptoms of Miscarriage?
The reality is that every woman’s pregnancy journey (as well as her symptoms) will be different than anyone else’s. That being said, some common signs/symptoms of miscarriage include:
- Heavy vaginal bleeding accompanied by cramping
- Loss of pregnancy symptoms like nausea and breast tenderness(i.e., HCG levels falling too low)
- Passing tissue/clots from the vagina
- A noticeable decrease or cessation in movements felt with an intact sac
If you start experiencing these symptoms suddenly after feeling okay previously then talk with your healthcare provider because they could also indicate other health issues including ectopic pregnancy(when embryo implants itself outside beneath uterus but usually inside one fallopian tube), subchorionic hematoma(a space filled up with blood between inner uterine lining known as endometrium and gestational sac which can cause heavy spotting), placental age(when placenta separates earlier before labour starts that causes heavy bleeding) etcetera etcetera – long list thankfully ends here.
Can You Have a Miscarriage Without Bleeding at All?
According to experts (may mostly depend on doctor training & opinions) yes sometimes? But its rare since if fetus has stopped growing most commonly due to chromosome abnormalities, it slowly shows signs—hcg level decreasing week after week over time—and probably would necessitate medical attention; few cases without any pain/discharge happened where missed/misclearage detected on next routine appointment scan.
However, it is possible to experience a missed abortion (another fine term) without bleeding. This occurs when the pregnancy ends before fetal loss detected but still no sign of anticipated period onset – uff!
So What Is A “Missed Abortion”?
A “missed abortion”, also known as a delayed miscarriage or silent miscarriage, is where the fetus has died or failed to form, but you may not even know that anything happened until days/weeks after if ever. Even then ,on average; few women experiencing this have reported lower abdomen pain(citation needed?)
What Causes Missed Abortion?
Ever wondered what causes missed abortions? You’re in luck! The most common cause for an uneventful(pain-less/discharge-less)entire-miscarriage would be chromosomal(10–15 percent cases) (i.e., ‘oops,’ we ended up with too many chromosomes or too few chromosomes – which makes it impossible for baby to survive) abnormalities during conception(ha ha genetics knows how to surprise us)—and might happen due hormonal changes abnormality(other 5% cases)(1)—but can also result from other things like infection(syphilis?),usages of certain medicines/drugs(anti-cancer maybe), blood disorders(could jack from Anemia upto severe rarest condition are seen?)
So can you have a miscarriage without bleeding? Yes and No. Some pregnancies may end quietly while others result in cramping & slew of clots/tissue being… passed…. umm let’s move on.
When Should I Call My Doctor if I Fear Miscarriage?
As mentioned earlier above, each irregular symptom/event that happens during your pregnancy journey varies per person(i.e., whether something is “normal” / needs medical attention). That means there aren’t standard instructions except the recommended routine visits. Your doctor is always there to guide you and if you ever feel uncertain about something, it’s better to err on the side of caution and call him/her up.
A general guidelines of red-flags has been mentioned earlier in this article but remembering them can be difficult when dealing with unknown situations, that’s what your healthcare specialist for.
So please, for peace of mind as much as anything else – keep those communication channels open!
Can Miscarriage Be Prevented?
Unfortunately “not exactly”-unforeseen complications are just part and parcel of becoming a mother/parent/adoptive parent etcetera.() While healthy lifestyle changes (exercise & well-balanced diet) plus early prenatal care may decrease some risks; rest assured that everything must happen randomly. And who knows? Maybe by studying genetics further we’ll one day have crystal balls or solutions to anticipate any possible miscarriage risk few weeks prior to their physical manifestation.
Moreover many organizations aimed at reducing maternal-child hospitalizations(hence death rate stats) also suggest giving ample optional support() which covers rigorous check-ups during period ante-natal (CNMs, midwives), outreaches through online forums/social media groups(one-good-change-pandemic-brought-along?), or timely counselling since its important: parenthood sometimes might bring along mental health issues like depression(1).
Conclusion
In conclusion ladies(and everyone willing); while not all instances prompt nightmarish symptoms like heavy vaginal bleeding accompanied by ear-splitting pain(you know who you are!) a miscarriage is still incredibly sad & traumatic event(more than statistics will highlight). There is no perfect path forward except trusting yourself from time-to-time as able to cope with good/bad ; keep celebrating small victories whenever they come around because pregnancy journey welcomes upto whirlwind-scales surprises!!
P.S.: Don’t forget those regular checkups I cannot emphasize enough on their importance(my editor says because I didn’t yet so adding here too)– have a great day!