Understanding Miscarriage: Photos, Symptoms & What To Know

Courtney Thiel MD 04 May 2025

Do you truly understand the silent sorrow that touches the lives of so many women, often shrouded in secrecy? Miscarriage, a devastating event that can occur unexpectedly, is, surprisingly, a far more common experience than many realize.

The path to motherhood, for some, is paved with unforeseen heartbreak. The images associated with miscarriage can be confronting blood clots, pregnancy tissues, and placental fragments expelled from the womb. It's vital to approach these moments with sensitivity and understanding, recognizing that each experience is deeply personal and deserves compassion. It's also crucial to remember that a definitive diagnosis can only be provided by medical professionals, particularly with the aid of an ultrasound scan, to accurately differentiate between regular vaginal bleeding and the occurrence of a miscarriage.

Category	Details
Definition	Spontaneous pregnancy loss before the 20th week of gestation.
Prevalence	Approximately 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, though the actual rate is likely higher due to early occurrences before pregnancy awareness.
Timing	Highest risk is in the first trimester, with rates decreasing as pregnancy progresses.
Symptoms	Cramping, heavy bleeding (potentially with clots and tissue), may resemble a heavy menstrual period.
Causes	Chromosomal abnormalities (often the primary cause), maternal health conditions (e.g., diabetes), exposure to toxins, and other unknown factors.
Early Miscarriage	Often occurs before a woman knows she is pregnant, symptoms may be mistaken for a late period. At 4 weeks pregnant, the woman is considered to be in her 2 weeks after conception.
Miscarriage at 6 weeks	Miscarriage rates at 6 weeks pregnancy are about 5 percent, though, as you get into your 7th or 8th week of pregnancy, chances reduce further. If your doctor notices that you are bleeding at six weeks, he/she will monitor if your hcg (human chorionic gonadotropin) is rising or not. In one study, researchers found a miscarriage rate of 9.4 percent at 6 weeks of pregnancy, 4.2 percent at 7 weeks, 1.5 percent at 8 weeks, 0.5 percent at 9 weeks and 0.7 percent at 10 weeks.
Late Miscarriage	Occurs between the end of the first trimester and week 20. More rare, often caused by placenta or cervix problems, exposure to toxins or the mother's health.
Recurrent Miscarriage	Experiencing three or more miscarriages in a row.
Tissue	You may pass a blood clot or several clots from your vagina, and there may be some white or grey tissue in the clots.
Reference	March of Dimes

The earliest indications of a potential miscarriage can manifest as early as two weeks after conception, which corresponds to a gestational age of four weeks. In many instances, women may not even be aware of their pregnancy when a miscarriage occurs, mistaking it for a delayed or unusually heavy menstrual period. The key distinction lies in the potential for more severe cramping and bleeding compared to a typical period. The size of the fetus also has an impact; a fetus at 14 weeks will be noticeably larger than one at 5 weeks, and a later miscarriage may involve more bleeding and tissue loss.

The heightened use of home pregnancy tests close to the expected period, leading to very early positive results, contributes to higher rates of early miscarriages. While experiencing two miscarriages consecutively is possible, happening in around 1% to 4% of women, experiencing three or more consecutive miscarriages, medically termed as recurrent miscarriage, is far less common. The emotional toll can be significant, as some women have described feeling like their losses were dismissed, even though they suspected otherwise. Miscarriage rates are estimated around 5% at 6 weeks of pregnancy. The chances of a miscarriage generally decrease as pregnancy progresses, particularly after the 7th or 8th week. A doctor will carefully monitor the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) if bleeding is observed at six weeks.

One study revealed miscarriage rates of 9.4% at 6 weeks, 4.2% at 7 weeks, 1.5% at 8 weeks, 0.5% at 9 weeks, and 0.7% at 10 weeks. These figures don't include instances of early pregnancy loss before the pregnancy is established. In situations where the baby stopped growing at 11 weeks, yet the pregnancy wasn't recognized until 14 weeks, the body may have been carrying the pregnancy for an extended period. The decision to delay sharing such news, perhaps by a week, allows for essential time to process the emotional impact, even if waiting brings its own set of hardships.

Visual representations of miscarriage, such as those showing intact gestation sacs, can offer insights into the physical realities of pregnancy loss. In the initial month, the developing embryo is extremely small, comparable to a grain of rice, making it difficult to see. Miscarriage can involve the passage of blood clots, or even several of them, along with the presence of white or gray tissue. Though bleeding usually subsides within a few days, it can linger for up to two weeks. It is also vital to acknowledge the role of excessive exposure to harmful chemicals like lead, arsenic, mercury, and pesticides as potential risk factors for miscarriage.

When discussing miscarriage at 6 weeks, it's crucial to handle the topic with sensitivity. These images, provided by stillbirthday mothers, are meant to provide clarity and understanding rather than to shock or upset. They typically show small clots of tissue that resemble blood or mucus, and the developing embryo, about the size of a grain of rice, can be difficult to see. The bleeding usually subsides within a few days, but it can take up to two weeks. These real photos are shared to help those affected better understand what their baby might look like and to underscore that their babies are worthy of love and remembrance.

In the words of embryologist and physician Bernadette de Bakker, "For the first time in history, we have managed to capture a 3D image of a human embryo at six weeks of pregnancy in the intimate confines of the amniotic membranes." This image, captured in the fallopian tube of a woman with an ectopic pregnancy, highlights the ongoing advancements in understanding early human development. Stories such as the one of a mother who labored naturally for four hours at home on October 6th and gave birth to a baby lost to miscarriage at 11.5 weeks, though measuring at 9 weeks, speak to the profound emotional impact of these experiences.

While early miscarriages are frequent, occurring in the first trimester, the March of Dimes reports a miscarriage rate of only 1 to 5 percent in the second trimester, with late miscarriages, happening between the end of the first trimester and week 20, occurring in 6 out of 1,000 pregnancies. These later miscarriages are often linked to issues with the placenta or cervix, exposure to toxins, or the mother's health.

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