How common are missed miscarriages?

[Cafeaulait27]

Hi everyone, I’m 8 weeks with my third pregnancy, I had a miscarriage with my first at 9 weeks in October. The baby stopped growing at 7 weeks and I’d been spotting since then, I went for a scan at 8 weeks which confirmed it, and I miscarried naturally at home a few days later which was the worst experience of my life as I’m sure many of you are familiar with. In November I had another very early mc / chemical.

I haven’t had an early scan this time, with my first I had a private scan which showed a HB but baby measuring small and I miscarried a few weeks later despite sonographers saying the size was nothing to worry about. I’m scared to have an early scan this time, particularly a private one, so I thought I might ask if I could have an EPU one at my booking appointment although I’m expecting they’ll say no due to covid.

I have very mixed feelings about having one as I’m not bleeding, and I’m leaning towards just waiting for the 12 week scan. But I wondered if anyone knows how common missed miscarriages are? I’m absolutely terrified of going and finding that baby has died, or was maybe even an empty sac all along.

I’ve struggled to find stats for missed miscarriages online, so just wondered if anyone knew or could offer any reassurance at all.

Thanks xx

I had two early miscarriages followed by a missed miscarriage of twin girls. I was waiting further tests from the recurrent miscarriage clinic when I fell pregnant again. I'm now 33 weeks and my little boy is due in April.

The first 20 weeks of this pregnancy I was constantly checking symptoms and checking for bleeding. I still occasionally check now - I don't think the anxiety of lossing this pregnancy will completely go until he is born safely.

I wish you all the best for this pregnancy X x

Hi, I’m so sorry, I know exactly how it feels. I’ve had three missed miscarriages and didn’t have any warning signs, no bleeding or cramping. After the second they did then see me at EPU, I had heartbeats with the last two but lost before 12 weeks and only picked up via a scan.

ah @Cafeaulait27 - so sorry you're sitll feeling really anxious. It's totally expected, and u know i know where you're coming from having exact same in Oct. Nothing honestly ever prepares you.
I've found this time round so much harder, despite going for a private scan at what thought was nearly 8 wks but turned out to be just over 7. it was a long long wait until NHS scan at 12 weeks but had that last week, and everything was fine. We honestly expected the worst as other than being exhausted I had felt ok aside from proper sore boobs. Having had one MMC and a chemical doesnt mean this time is doomed - you've had more than your share of bad news.
I know private scans might only give you some reassurance at the point in time, but the chances of things being ok are increased when you see a HB. Thats what i kept telling myself, i had no MC symptoms so once i'd seen that HB i just tried to make myself stay calm and not fear the worst (not like it went that well!!!).
I know everyone is diff, but i think given evertyhing i'd still go for an early scan again to give myself some peace of mind, or (god forbid) find out at an earlier stage if something wasnt right. Stay strong - good things WILL happen!!x

@SmidgenofaPigeon yeah that’s true, issues do get picked up at scans much earlier now as more people have early ones.

I really hope your scan goes well on Monday, so keep us updated xxx

@notalwaysalondoner I’m so sorry for your loss, that must’ve been horrible 💔 xxx

@DappledOliveGroves ah yes I remember you. God I’m so sorry about what’s happening to you. It really is such a horrible thing to go through. 💔 I hope the next few weeks go as smoothly as they can for you, and that you can take some time to heal afterwards. I really hope it works out for you next time xxx

@leftitlate37 I’m so happy for you that things are going well for you this time! It gives me hope, I bet you can’t wait to meet your 🌈

I think I’m a bit scared of a private scan because I’d have to go to the same place I went last time (where they were I think overly positive and gave me false hope that everything was ok) and I feel scared to go and possibly have the same sonographer again and maybe feel awkward or have to explain what happened last time. I also feel like I don’t want to give a company £80 if it’s going to be bad news (not that I know either way). Does that sound weird? I think I’m quite traumatised by the thought of going to that place again and there’s no others in the area xx

Ah thanks so much @Cafeaulait27....u have to think this will be u next time as well. Sorry yeah I get what u mean re the private place, sorry u hadn't had a good experience. Shame people have such variable experiences with private ones, u want them to be positive whatever the outcome of the scan.
Have u got a date for 12 week scan? I know u will find it proper hard but u just gotta tick off each week as it goes by, and each week with no worrying mc symptoms....without that there is no reason to think the worst, but I blooming know that's easier said than done. Think id blocked out as much as poss this time and didn't want to think about anything. Honestly have everything crossed for u I really do xx

More common than we'd like them to be I'm sure. I know a few people who've had miscarriages and no one apart from me that I know who's had a missed miscarriage. I'd seen a heartbeat at 6 weeks and then the baby died at just over 8 weeks and I found out at another scan. I think it's less than 4% of pregnancies that end in a mmc if a heartbeat has already been detected.

I lost absolutely no symptoms with my mmc. My surgical management was 3 weeks after I found out I'd had a mmc and I still had symptoms the whole time, right up until surgery I was tired, had morning sickness and sore boobs. After surgery, I went to the toilet and no longer had sore boobs and just sobbed my heart out. It was the worst time of my life.

@Conundrum12345 a missed miscarriage means no bleeding or any sign that a pregnancy would have been lost.

Hi everyone,
I hope it's ok to join in! I'm really worried I may be having a misscarriage. I had light pink spotting monday evening which turned brown by the morning. It has gone now but I have an EPU scan on tuesday and i'm really worried about what they are going to say 😫
I'm having cramping down below but nothing out of the ordinary and still feeling tired with sore boobs so i'm hoping it's a good sign 🤞🏼
I just wondered if any of you have had similar experiences and the baby has been ok?
Thanks x

As long as you are having pregnancy symptoms and havent passed any clots anything down the toilet or had bleeds... all should be well.

The consultant said i had a mmc when i had a bleed they found the sac was empty

I'm so sorry to hear that @BlessMeLord 😔
I've only spotted one evening, praying I don't get anymore!
If you don't mind me asking, did you bleed heavy and was it bright red? I spotted light pink. I've read some things that have reassured me a little but it's so hard not too worry x

@zrus on my first mmc it was a bright red heavy bleed
2nd time was brown with discharge then soon turned into a period type bleed
This mmc started off pink then went brown with discharge and its currently turning red

OP I'm sorry for your losses.

I had a MMC with my first pregnancy. No bleeding or spotting but I just knew something was wrong and the scan showed that the baby had died a few weeks previously. Likelihood is that my hormones were dropping and that's what I was feeling.

Second d and third pregnancies resulted in my two lovely DDs. I had hardly any symptoms with either of them.

I hope all goes well for you with this pregnancy.

@Carandi thank you so much and sorry for for your loss. I’m so glad to hear you have two children now ❤️

I haven’t had a scan this time and I’m 8 weeks now and I have a gut feeling that everything is going to be fine this time - but I don’t know why. I get scared to even think or type this because I feel like I’m tempting fate. But with my first pregnancy I was worried for a while that things weren’t going well.

But I guess sometimes people really do have no idea, and there’s no science behind a gut feeling. I guess I’m just hoping 🤞🤞🤞

If anyone wants an update, I had my 12 week scan this morning and all is totally well. Even though I’ve had spotting at weeks 6,7,8,9,10 and even today. So sometimes is just one of those things!

I was shaking like a leaf when I got called in and I told the sonographer why I was so nervous and she was really good. She let he hear the heartbeat nearly straight away before going in for any measurements. And all is fine! Bang on my dates too. Can hardly believe it. This poor baby that’s been growing inside me without issue and I’d written it off until today sorry baby.

@SmidgenofaPigeon fantastic news! You must’ve been so relieved. Congratulations! Xxx

Just to update this thread - I was waiting for a scan and D&C next week but have started miscarrying naturally in the meantime. So that's one MMC and now a natural miscarriage. Hoping everything passes but otherwise I guess I'll have the D&C next week. Feeling sad but ok. Just wasn't meant to be....

@DappledOliveGroves I’m so sorry xx

Hi all. Just to update - Really pleased to say it all went well today! Measuring 1 day ahead and everything looking normal so far. Amazing so see and hear the heartbeat and see it moving around xxx

@Cafeaulait27

Hi all. Just to update - Really pleased to say it all went well today! Measuring 1 day ahead and everything looking normal so far. Amazing so see and hear the heartbeat and see it moving around xxx

I'm so delighted to see this for you xx

Hi @Cafeaulait27 - I didn't comment on your post originally but just wanted to say, congratulations on your scan, and thanks for sharing an update.

My first ended in MMC in late November and I'm now 12w4d, waiting for my first scan next Tuesday, so looking at relevant threads (out of fear? anxiety? needing something!) I also felt like I didn't want to go for an early private scan because I'm totally traumatised and would have to go to the same place again.

Anyway, I had a little cry when I saw that you had a good scan! I'm so pleased for you. x

@TomatoSoup69 thank you so much for your lovely post ❤️ Good luck for your scan and just remember - the odds are very much in your favour.

The scan was a truly amazing experience, seeing the development was incredible, I can’t stop looking at the photos and reading the report which says everything looks normal on the scan.

Please update after your scan 😊