In the days before ultrasound, most women came naturally to miscarriage.
They began to bleed and develop strong contractions of the uterus. The pregnancy would then naturally pass out of the uterus and into the vagina.
Today, an ultrasound will often be able to sadly confirm that the pregnancy has stopped developing, and the baby has died, well before the miscarriage process begins. Each woman then must decide how best to manage the situation.
There are two options:
1. Wait for miscarriage to occur naturally.
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Miscarriage is a natural process and can be perfectly safe, but some women have complications such as heavy bleeding, severe pain which is difficult to control, or infection which develops inside the uterus.
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There can often be a long delay period between the time the baby dies and when natural miscarriage begins. Not all women want to wait for nature and may prefer the miscarriage to be finished more predictably than happens with a completely natural process
2. Use medical management
- Using medications to “bring on” the natural miscarriage process.
- Surgical management: Have a surgical procedure called a curette (D&C) to remove the pregnancy from the uterus
Each option has advantages and disadvantages, so we highly recommend you discuss these options with your treating healthcare professional.
Developed by Bare Mum in collaboration with Red Nose Australia.
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