Symptoms

The most common sign of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding.

This can vary from light spotting or brownish discharge to heavy bleeding and bright-red blood or clots. The bleeding may come and go over several days.

There are other conditions that can cause vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, but you should always get it checked out.

If you have vaginal bleeding, contact your GP or maternity team, or call NHS 111 as soon as possible.

If you've had 3 or more miscarriages in a row (recurrent miscarriage), an ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy, and are worried about your current pregnancy, you can go straight to an early pregnancy unit for an assessment.

Other symptoms of a miscarriage include:

• cramping and pain in your lower tummy
• a discharge of fluid from your vagina
• a discharge of tissue from your vagina
• no longer experiencing the symptoms of pregnancy, such as feeling sick and breast tenderness

But you may not have any miscarriage symptoms and only find out during a routine pregnancy scan. This is known as a missed or delayed miscarriage.

Ectopic pregnancy

Sometimes, miscarriages happen because the pregnancy develops outside the womb. This is known as an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies are potentially serious as there's a risk you could experience internal bleeding.

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy may include:

• persistent and severe tummy pain, usually on one side
• vaginal bleeding or spotting, commonly after the pain has started
• pain in your shoulder tip
• diarrhoea and vomiting
• feeling very faint and lightheaded, and possibly fainting

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy usually appear between weeks 5 and 14 of the pregnancy.

When to get urgent medical help

Get urgent medical help if you’re pregnant and you have:

• light bleeding or spotting
• discharge or fluid from your vagina
• mild tummy pain or cramping (the pain does not stop you doing your usual daily tasks)
• diarrhoea, or pain or pressure in your tummy when you pee or poo

Call your maternity unit if you have the phone number.

If you do not have a maternity unit yet or cannot call them, ask your GP for an urgent appointment or call NHS 111.

Call 999 or go to A&E if you’re pregnant and you:

• have heavy bleeding that’s red and soaks a period pad
• have severe tummy pain (you cannot focus on TV or doing your usual daily tasks because of the pain)
• have shoulder pain
• feel faint or lose consciousness
• think you’re giving birth

These are signs you may need immediate treatment.