The loss of a pregnancy is one of the most emotionally devastating things to happen to a person or couple. So, if you or your partner has experienced a miscarriage or you’re trying for a baby, we’d just like to state – before we move on – that this information can be very upsetting and even triggering for some. While many find it helpful to read up on these things, this isn’t true of everyone. So don’t feel that you must continue reading if you are struggling.

Similarly, while explaining and using the medical terminology may seem a little clinical and even cold, and won’t make coping with a miscarriage any less difficult, it can make the idea of a miscarriage a little easier to understand.

In this article, we’ll be looking at the various tests that determine whether or not a miscarriage has taken place.

How do doctors test and diagnose a miscarriage?

Ultrasound scans. Ultrasound scans are without a doubt the most useful and conclusive test for figuring out what’s going on with a pregnancy. This is because an ultrasound scan will be able to reveal if the pregnancy sac is intact, if there is an embryo inside it, and if it’s in the right place.

Doppler ultrasound. Doppler ultrasounds look at the blood flow through the uterus and placenta. This allows doctors to identify blood flow problems and predict if a pregnancy is at risk.

Pregnancy tests. While pregnancy tests are generally reliable when testing whether or not you’re pregnant, they won’t always be helpful in deciding if a woman has miscarried. This is because they test for the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone, which takes time to clear from the body after a pregnancy has ended. The levels of HCG halve every 36 hours after the pregnancy has ended. For this reason, it can take several days before a negative test shows. That being said, if the miscarriage occurs very early in the pregnancy, a test may come back negative fairly quickly. This goes for both urine and blood tests.

Progesterone tests. Progesterone tests are sometimes offered but will not always indicate if a pregnancy has ended. While lower progesterone levels might indicate that a miscarriage may or has occurred, progesterone levels vary from person to person before and during pregnancy; so it’s not an accurate test for miscarriage. They can be useful if an expectant mother’s progesterone levels are regularly tested, but these tests can so often cause anxiety, which in itself isn’t helpful.

Kisspeptin testing. Kisspeptins are a family of proteins that are produced by the uterus. Kisspeptin levels increase dramatically during pregnancy, so low levels can sometimes indicate that a pregnancy is likely to miscarry. However, there is still plenty of research to be done when it comes to this particular test, which means results aren’t necessarily conclusive.

There are plenty of tests being explored and developed that might be able to indicate whether or not a pregnancy will end, but as of right now, an ultrasound is the most useful and conclusive test for miscarriage and potential miscarriage.

What tests are available to diagnose my miscarriage?