The First Few Days after a Miscarriage

To go back a bit, you can review what to expect from the actual D&C or natural miscarriage by following these links: Natural Miscarriage and Surgical Intervention

At this point, you will have either gotten through the surgery or the worst of the tissue passage and bleeding from a natural miscarriage.

It is best, if you can, to take off work, or enlist help with children. The more active you are in the 72 hours following the miscarriage, the heavier you will bleed. Your recovery will take longer if you cannot spend most of your time sitting or lying down.

Here are symptoms that are normal:

Additional passage of tissue a few days after things seem to have settled down, along with strong cramps and renewed bleeding

Start and stop bleeding patterns

Spotting

Residual cramps, sometimes quite painful

Minor abdominal pain or muscle soreness

Sudden stoppage of bleeding (which may return)

Sun sensitivity or nausea if you were given antibiotics

Continuation of pregnancy symptoms for a week or so, including breast tenderness, nausea, and frequent urination

Grogginess, inability to get out of bed (usually due to sadness or post partum depression)

Increased tenderness in breasts, even leakage of colostrum, or pre-milk

If you were in the 2nd trimester or later, you may experience engorgement, which is swollen breasts filled with milk. Ease this with hot showers or bags of frozen peas. Do not pump milk out.

These symptoms warrant a call to the doctor:

 

Bleeding so heavy that you constantly change pads or feel faint

Labor like contractions that do not go away with rest

Fever above 100 degrees, especially if you also have flu-like symptoms of weakness or clamminess

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There are five distinct stages of recovery:

[The First Few Days]

[Waiting for Your First Post-Miscarriage Period]

[First Period]

[New Cycles]

[Trying Again]