Miscarriage at 13 Weeks: Signs and Reasons

Signs and Reasons of Miscarriage at 13 Weeks

A miscarriage refers to the loss of a baby that occurs within the first 24 weeks of gestation. In many cases, women may experience miscarriages even before they come to know that they are pregnant. Miscarriages are more common in the first trimester as during the time the survival capability of the baby is still undeveloped.

As a result a miscarriage before 13 weeks is highly common. However, it is possible for women to miscarry even in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Miscarriage Reasons

Miscarriages are more likely to occur in women who smoke or drink excess amounts of coffee every day. Those women that consume alcohol also put their pregnancy at risk. Women who have already experience one miscarriage are also more likely to experience recurrent miscarriages. Other conditions that increase the risk of a miscarriage include fibroids, diabetes, thyroid or kidney disease, lupus and infection in the early stages of pregnancy. Age also influences the possibility of a miscarriage with the risk increasing from age 30 and increasing further at age 35. Older women also suffer the risk of conceiving babies with chromosomal abnormalities in which a miscarriage is likely. Miscarriages at 13 weeks or earlier are called early miscarriages. The causes for these are not usually known.

Signs of Miscarriage at 13 Weeks

In most women who successfully carry the baby to 13 weeks pregnant, miscarriages are not likely to occur. These pregnancies generally progress to full term without any complications.

However, the risk is not completely eradicated. There are instances in which the risk of miscarriage remains even up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The most common cause of this is an incompetent cervix. In this condition the cervix starts to dilate or shorten and opens up before 20 weeks of pregnancy, causing the uterine content to be expelled from the body. This problem can be rectified for future pregnancies by putting a stitch or cerclage in the cervix so that it remains closed and is able to hold the baby inside. The signs of a miscarriage at 13 weeks or earlier usually include back pain, loss of weight, mucus discharge, painful contractions, bleeding that may occur with or without cramping, passage of thick tissue through the vagina and sudden discontinuation in the signs of pregnancy. Since most miscarriages occur due to chromosomal abnormalities, there is not much that can be done to avoid them. However, an important step in conceiving a healthy baby is for the woman to maintain her own health well even prior to conception. This includes eating healthy, managing stress, taking folic acid daily and refraining from smoking.