To think most women have had a miscarriage at some point?

[brasty]

I get the impression from talking to friends, that most women have had a miscarriage at some point, although most are very early on. Is my impression correct do you think?

[madamginger]

I think I’ve had one, I had the most horrific period when I was 22, it was literally running down my legs and so painful, I couldn’t have been more than 5 weeks along. I have never had a period like it and I have endometriosis so I’ve had some pretty terrible ones.
I’ve also had an abortion and 3 Healthy pregnancies, so the whole spectrum.

[Ecureuil]

Two children and have been lucky enough not to experience a miscarriage, thankfully. Quite a few of my friends have though, one of my best friends has had 8 miscarriages and 2 ectopics, resulting in the loss of both Fallopian tubes. She has 3 beautiful children from IVF.

[niccyb]

Ive never been unfortunate to experience one thankfully

[Uptheduffy]

I would suspect though that the “fertilisations” your lecturer referred to would not all translate into confirmed pregnancies. It would include any fertilised egg that fails to implant for example, or which ceased developing at days rather than weeks. I do not think at all that of 100 women who test positive on the day after their period was due, 85% will miscarry.

[riceuten]

Yes, I did Genetics as part of my degree course, and our lecturer quoted a similar percentage as has been quoted here. Something of the order of 85% of fertilisations are non-viable, and a similar percentage of these are due to chromosomal trisomy (the same ‘fault’ that causes Down’s Syndrome, although it can occur across most other chromosomes as well). So the supposition is basically correct.

[toomuchtooold]

I was told during my pregnancy - had to have a scan at 8 weeks because of bad cramping - that the reason they don't generally do scans before 12 weeks is because quite often the fetus gets absorbed back into the body

I think the reason they don't scan until 12 weeks is that the majority of miscarriages take place in the first 12 weeks. But "absorbed back into the body" makes it sound quite a lot nicer than it actually is. I had three missed miscarriages at 11 weeks, there had been a heartbeat at 6 weeks or so and then at 10/11 weeks there was no fetal pole so yes, the fetus had been "absorbed back in". But then during the actual miscarriage I had heavy bleeding and contractions that lasted for about 4 hours, with the final contractions similar in intensity to late-ish stage labour. And yet my pregnancy book said that early (pre 12 week) miscarriage was usually similar to a heavy period. I hope that other people don't have the same wrong impression when they miscarry - at the very least you should have some heavy duty painkillers to hand, or for me I might have opted to have surgery.

[RiversrunWoodville]

Counting myself I can think of 5 I know well enough have had miscarriages or stillbirths two of us quite late

[Mysharonawoana]

I had 3 mc before having my DS who is 6 months old. 2 of the 3 were ‘blighted ovum’ which is when nothing actually develops in the sac but your body tells you that you’re pregnant. I only knew I was losing these at 9 weeks, and I was amazed my body could play such tricks. I went on to lose another at 10 weeks after an early scan showed a healthy baby with heartbeat. I found out later on that this baby had suffered from trisomy 13, known as Patau’s syndrome. I am in my early 30s. About half of my friends with children have had one previous loss. I am the only one of my friendship group who has had 3. I believe that 1 in 100 women have 3 losses.

[brasty]

I had someone at work tell me she had miscarried - was requesting time off. She told me she hadn't told anyone, not even her mum.

[Uptheduffy]

Brasty that could be true but I know although I never told anyone I was pg early on, I did always tell family and a few close friends (and work) whenever I miscarried. I know dh did the same.

[Wishingandwaiting]

I haven’t.
Can’t quite believe i haven’t.

[TriJo]

I've had two, one at 12 weeks when I was a lot younger and one at 5.5 weeks earlier this year. I have a 18 month old DS and I'm 22 weeks with #2 at the moment.

[brasty]

So many women I know tell no one, not even their parents they are pregnant until 12 weeks, because of the risk of miscarriage. So I am guessing these same women would not tell anyone if they had an early miscarriage either.

[Smartiepants87]

I suspect I had a miscarriage with my 4th child although not a 100% but it was 7 weeks after having my 3rd dc that I had severe cramping and bleeding that I had never experienced before( minus labour) the pain was so intense it knocked me for six. Painkillers didn't even help it then the bleeding started. We had sex unprotected after having dc3 as I thought we were safe due to breastfeeding. I remember that pain and it's stayed with me, I think my body hadn't recovered from an intense birth that it was unable to support a new life. I always wonder about it. I think it's such a common occurrence early miscarriages

[holdthewine]

Fluffyinny
So true that some doctors seem not to care. I told my GP (this was late 1980s) that the sack had come away. He confirmed I’d miscarried and when I asked what to do with it he told me to “flush it down the loo”!
Luckily I’d told one friend (DH was away on business) and we buried it in the garden. Astonishing that he was so insensitive.

It’s made me think it’s not necessarily a good thing to keep pregnancy quiet until 12 weeks as then you have no support. I had to have a D&C due to an infection from retained products after that MC so needed friends to help with DC. Next baby I told a few chosen friends before the 12 week scan.

[caringcarer]

I have had 3 miscarriages; one at 16 weeks, one at 14 weeks and one at 6 weeks. I actually think many miscarriages are very early on at 4-6 weeks and I don't think NHS statistics may reflect all of these. I do have several friends who have been lucky never to have had any miscarriages.

[Catscatsandmorecats]

I have two absolutely wonderful beautiful DC s from 8 pregnancies. Three were very early losses, three were at 12 weeks and required terminations, that really fucked with my head. The very early losses were easier for me to deal with but seeing even a tiny little embryo made them very different to a late period, even without early testing I'd have known, but then I was also like clockwork.

Having spoken to people about them I'd say around 50% of people I know have experienced some sort of pregnancy loss. It's very common, we just don't talk about it. So YANBU. I wish it were different. I am very lucky to have my two boys.

[shoesarefab]

I've never had one. I think early pregnancy tests possibly make the figures higher? I always try and I hold of testing until a week to 10 days late. I did read an article and that very early stage loss has a particular name. Can't think what it is now.

[notangelinajolie]

3 DCs no miscarriages that I am aware of. But it's possible late heavy periods were mc. I didn't do pregnancy tests until I'd missed 2nd period so I will never know but think I prefer it that way.

[Storminateapot]

I think so. I had a very late period in my early 20's that was unusually heavy, clotty and painful which, in hindsight, was possibly a miscarriage. It was a long time ago and pregnancy testing wasn't as sensitive as it is now, so I wasn't late enough to test but late enough for me to be about to buy a test. I'll never know, but having been subsequently pregnant I think I might have been.

[Sallystyle]

I have had five children and thankfully no miscarriages. They thought I would miscarry after my daughter was conceived with the coil in place and they took it out. I had to go for regular scans to check.

I know many women who have though, but I wouldn't say it is most of them, that I know of off course.

[FaveNumberIs2]

That's sad. I've just started after having no period for 60 days.

[Uptheduffy]

Imogster

[iMogster]

I had one mc at 9 weeks, a few years ago. He or she had a due date of 8th Oct, I thought about them yesterday.

[ProphetOfDoom]

3dc, immediately pregnant and no m/c - but with each of mine I had a threatened m/c, each more severe than the last. I was genuinely surprised to find a heartbeat each time.

My mother otoh had 3 m/c including twins at 5 months.