Miscarriage

If you have the symptoms of a miscarriage, you’ll usually be referred to the hospital for tests. When a miscarriage is confirmed, we will talk to you about the options for the management of the end of the pregnancy.

This is likely to be a very difficult and distressing time for you. Our staff are here to help and support you.

How common is it to have a miscarriage?

Miscarriages are very common. More than one in every five pregnancies ends in miscarriage. More details about this can be found at: Miscarriage – NHS website

Why did I have a miscarriage?

In most cases the miscarriage is not caused by something you did or didn’t do. There is often no cause found and your next pregnancy (if you choose to try again) is most likely to result in a healthy baby.

About half of all early miscarriages before nine weeks of pregnancy are caused by ‘one-off’ genetic faults in the mother’s egg or father’s sperm or in how the fertilised egg develops.

There are less common causes of miscarriage. These are usually discovered in women who experience recurrent miscarriages (three or more miscarriages in a row with the same partner). If this has happened to you, you will be offered investigations to look into these causes.

What happens after a miscarriage has been diagnosed?

You will be seen by a doctor or a nurse who will explain the diagnosis to you and answer any questions you might have. They will then talk you through the treatment options available to you. If you are ready to make a decision at this point, then your chosen treatment can be arranged.

Please be aware that you may need to wait for up to three days before having medical or surgical treatment.

You may not feel ready to make a decision straight away. It is ok to take your time. If you would like some more time you can go home and ring the Early Pregnancy Unit at St James’s Hospital or Care Fertility Leeds (depending on where you are receiving your care) with your decision.

What are the options for managing my miscarriage?

There are three options for management of miscarriage:

Expectant management: also known as ‘wait and see’ or ‘natural’ method
Medical management: with tablets
Surgical management: evacuation (emptying) of the womb under general or local anaesthetic

Please see our miscarriage leaflet for more detailed information about the different options.

LTHT miscarriage information leaflet

Where can I get emotional support?

This can be a very difficult time to go through in your life. We aim to give you as much time as you need to talk about what you are going through and the treatment options available to you.

You may feel that you need to speak to someone after your miscarriage to help you cope with what you are going through. Please contact your GP or use the links below for further information about counselling and emotional support. You may also contact the Gynaecology Acute Treatment Unit for telephone advice.

Useful links and support

The Miscarriage Association is a charity that offers support to people who have lost a baby. They have a helpline (01924 200 799) or email [email protected] and can put you in touch with a support volunteer.

Tommy’s is a charity that offers support and advice following a pregnancy loss.
You can contact the team at [email protected].
You can also call them for free on 0800 014 7800 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm).

Your feelings after miscarriage and pregnancy loss – The Miscarriage Association

Losing a child or experiencing a miscarriage – MindWell Leeds

Emotional impact | Fertility Network

Early miscarriage patient information leaflet | RCOG

Recurrent miscarriage patient information leaflet | RCOG

Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) – Surgical treatment of miscarriage using local anaesthetic leaflet