Miscarriage (cont.)

Medical Author:

Vicken P Sepilian, MD

Coauthor:

Chester D Shermer, MD

Coauthor:

Verena Valley, MD

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Surgery

See Miscarriage Treatment.

Next Steps

Follow-up

Your health care provider willmonitor you until the pregnancy resumes or if the miscarriage becomes complete.

• Avoid exerting yourself. You may feel better if you rest, although resting will not prevent the miscarriage from happening.
  
  
• Do not douche or insert anything in your vagina, including tampons.
  
  
• Do not have sex until the symptoms have completely gone away for one week.
  
  
• Return to the emergency department if the following symptoms develop:
  
  
  • Worse cramping
    
    
  • Worse bleeding (more than one pad per hour)
    
    
  • Passage of tissue
    
    
  • Fever
    
    
  • Anything else that concerns you
  
  
• With another blood test, your quantitative beta-HCG levelmay be checked in 48-72 hours. The rise or fall of this level is helpful in predicting the viability or failure of the pregnancy. If the level is falling, then the pregnancy may have ended.
  
  
• A follow-up ultrasound may be done at some point.