When does the risk of miscarriage drop?

[JamieJay]

I know it's at the end of the first trimester but is it when you reach 12 weeks or at the end of 12 weeks, i.e when you reach 13 weeks?

My dating scan is at 11 weeks (I know I'm lucky not to have to wait like some people) and I can't help worrying that something will go wrong between the scan and the end of the trimester!

Thanks and feel free to slap me - am winding myself up about this like something chronic

The risk drops roughly by the end of the first trimester, but if all is well with your scan you should feel truly free to stop worrying. I miscarried at 11 weeks and had an early scan at my next pregnancy, I think at about 6 or 7 weeks. My OB said if there was a heartbeat and all looked well by then, the chances were infinitesimally small that a "natural" mc would happen later. Hope that helps!

I read that the risk drops dramatically after 8 weeks and keeps on dropping after that. As for 12 or 13 weeks I think it depends which book you read.

jamie I had my scan at 10 weeks and my midwife told me that it wasn't going anywhere - everything was the right size/shape and lots of healthy movement.

I agree with gaelicsheep that whilst these tales of missed mc are awful, they are in fact very rare. The biggest risk seems to be before 8 weeks.

Good luck!

Thanks all - I've seen the heartbeat at 7 and 9 weeks (private scan and then EPU due to some minor spotting) so I could relax a bit.

Will try and let myself be happy after next weeks scan

its such a hard one, 8 - 10 weeks, but just try not to worry too much scan are good for reassurance but after you just ant wait for the next one!

think and feel positive take each day as it comes! and speak to your DP/DH about your feelings or write it down it helps and you can look back and say wow milestones i got through when you thought you couldnt!

All the best and good thoughts xxx

I have been told that if you have seen a heartbeat by 8 weeks it drops to 3% chance and another .5% each week thereafter stopping at 12 weeks and remaining at 1%.

Try not to worry too much.

I think it drops a bit each week.... wouldn't have thought that there was much difference between 11 and 12 weeks or even 13 weeks, and I would have told people at 11 weeks if thats when my scan was.

I didn't have mine until 14 weeks (no early scans!) so I had an extra 3 weeks of worrying before - also by around 14 weeks doctor/midwife can hear heartbeat with doppler so think early scan is ideal... - reassurance at 11 weeks with scan and then a few weeks later with doppler.

Please stop worrying...