Losing a pregnancy is a deeply personal experience that affects everyone differently. Unfortunately pregnancy loss is not uncommon. Following a woman’s first missed period the rate of miscarriage may be as high as one in five pregnancies. Most Miscarriages are a ‘once-off’ sporadic event and there is a good chance of having a successful pregnancy in the future.
The cause for miscarriages is still not well known. A couple often worry that it is something they have done wrong that has caused the miscarriage but often this is not the case. Most commonly the cause of early pregnancy loss is a mismatch in the chromosomes. Chromosomes are required to ensure growth of the baby and if there are too many or too few chromosomes this may result in a miscarriage.
Following a miscarriage, some women have passed all the products and nothing more needs to be done. Bleeding, like a light period, may continue for several days until the lining of the uterus is completely shed. Other women may pass no products or only some products of the pregnancy. In most cases the products will pass with time but occasionally assistance may be required to empty the uterus.