How can you tell if you've miscarried or if you're starting your period?

The signs of a miscarriage during the early stages of a pregnancy can sometimes be similar to that of a period. Here's how you can tell the difference.

For women who are planning on becoming pregnant, the early stages can be pretty confusing. Especially since the signs of an early miscarriage and the start of your period can be similar.

So how can you tell if you had a miscarriage or starting your period?

What causes miscarriage?

The first thing would be to know what factors can cause you to have an early miscarriage. A miscarriage happens if the baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks.

For the most part, miscarriages happen during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, and can be caused by chromosomal problems or health conditions such as diabetes, hormone problems, thyroid disease, or lupus.

Smoking, drinking alcohol, as well as drugs can increase the chances of having a miscarriage.

What are the symptoms?

The main difference between an early miscarriage and the start of your pregnancy is heavier bleeding and cramping. There’s also more intense back pain, as well as small clumps of tissue in your vaginal discharge.

Heavy pain in the belly can also be a sign of a miscarriage. However, there are also some cases wherein there are no outward signs of a miscarriage, so it’s possible to mistake an early miscarriage for the start of your period.

In cases like that, the only way to know that you’ve had a miscarriage is if your pregnancy has already been confirmed through a pregnancy test, and then you experience bleeding or cramping.

Always consult your doctor

Sometimes, cramping and bleeding during your early pregnancy don’t automatically mean a miscarriage. However, it’s always best to consult your doctor if you experience any bleeding even if you’re not sure if you’re pregnant or not.

In some cases, doctors can stop pre-term labor so that a miscarriage can be avoided, and you can successfully deliver your healthy baby.

Source: mom.me

READ: Stress can increase chances of miscarriage, says study

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Jan Alwyn Batara

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