Before reading this article, we’d like to point out that this information can be very upsetting and even triggering for some. While many find it helpful to read up on these things and understand the terminology, this isn’t true for everyone. So don’t feel that you must continue reading if you are struggling.

What some may not know, is that there are many different types of miscarriage, all caused by different things, and this can then lead to some confusion in and after doctor’s appointments. So, we thought it might be useful to go over and explain the terminology used to describe the various types of miscarriage, beginning with early miscarriage.

Early miscarriage

If a pregnancy ends before the 13th week (the end of the first trimester), it’s referred to as an early miscarriage. With ultrasound technology, we now know that most miscarriages will have occurred by week 8, but while the pregnancy has ended, the expulsion of the uterus might not take place until a few weeks later.

Late miscarriage

A late miscarriage is the loss of a baby 13 weeks’ size or more. It’s important that a doctor or nurse conducts an ultrasound in cases such as these to try to determine the cause of the miscarriage. If a scan isn’t performed, the loss might be labelled a ‘late miscarriage when in actual fact the pregnancy ended before the 13-week mark. The symptoms that come with a late miscarriage are different to those of an early miscarriage. While it’s difficult to recognise the breaking of waters in an early miscarriage, it’s more noticeable at this time. The pain may also resemble labour pains as the baby is larger. It’s important to note that miscarriages after the 13-week mark are very rare, with only 1-2% occurring after 13 weeks of gestation. For this reason, it’s important for medical staff to do their best to discover the cause.

Sporadic miscarriage

If a pregnancy ends due to an isolated or occasional occurrence, it’s referred to as a sporadic miscarriage. Sporadic pregnancies may be caused by a one-off genetic abnormality in the baby or if the pregnant woman has caught a severe infection during the early weeks of pregnancy. They are labelled ‘’sporadic’ because it’s very unlikely that the cause for miscarriage will reoccur. Sporadic miscarriage is the most common complication in pregnancy, with roughly 25% of women having experienced a sporadic miscarriage.

Recurrent miscarriage

While the loss of three pregnancies in a row can be down to chance, three or four consecutive miscarriages might be referred to as a case of recurrent miscarriage. These are rare, only affecting 1% of women, and if the cause is identified, there may be treatments available. If you’re doing your own research, note that some countries and doctors refer to the early end of two consecutive pregnancies as recurrent miscarriage, so it’s difficult to fully understand and interpret data and figures may be misleading.

Threatened miscarriage

A threatened miscarriage can take place at any stage of pregnancy up until 24 weeks. That being said, it’s more common during the first 3 weeks of gestation. The initial symptoms of a threatened miscarriage are bleeding from the vagina and/or mild stomach pain. On examination by a doctor, a mother may also experience some lower abdominal pain. The neck of the womb will remain closed and its size will be consistent with that expected based on the date of the last period. If you experience any bleeding or stomach pain, see your doctor immediately but remember that these symptoms are common in pregnancy and don’t always result in their end. They will then diagnose the problem with an ultrasound scan. After bleeding has begun, there are a few outcomes. It may spontaneously resolve with no further issue, or it may even stop and start over a period of days or weeks, without any harm coming to the baby. If there is lower abdominal pain present, the chances of a miscarriage are higher but still not inevitable. Threatened miscarriage is very common, with bleeding occurring in as many as half of all pregnancies. And in most cases, the pregnancy continues as normal.

Inevitable miscarriage

If during a threatened miscarriage, the cervix begins to open or dilate, the miscarriage is referred to as ‘inevitable’ because the cervix cannot close again. In this case, the vaginal bleeding can be painful. This is caused by the opening of the cervix and the sac containing the baby moving into the cervix canal. The nature of the pain is generally described as cramping and the bleeding may become more severe. The sac surrounding the baby can also break, resulting in the release of amniotic fluids (‘waters’). An inevitable miscarriage can be either complete or incomplete, which we will cover in part 2.

What are the different types of miscarriage? (Part 1)