Symptoms of Miscarriage at 6 Weeks

What are the common Symptoms of a Miscarriage at 6 Weeks?

A miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous abortion of a fetus that weighs no more than 500 grams and that which corresponds to a gestational stage of 20-22 weeks or less. In countries such as New Zealand, a miscarriage would refer to a pregnancy that ends spontaneously when the fetus is 400 grams or less and is no more than 20 weeks old.

Miscarriages are extremely common, affecting one in every four women and the period between 4 to 6 weeks is believed to be the highest risk period in the entire pregnancy.

Miscarriages at 6 weeks can be difficult as by this time the baby's heart beat is audible in the tests that the doctor runs. Bleeding that looks like a heavy period is one of the symptoms of a miscarriage during the sixth week. They can be caused by a series of factors such as poor nutrition, chain smoking, exposure to large amounts of radiation, drug abuse, hormonal imbalances, immunologic causes such as if the mother is an insulin dependent diabetic, infections like Chlamydia and other sexually transmitted diseases, lupus like systemic disorders, viruses and genetic factors. Occasionally there can be cessation of symptoms like breast tenderness and morning sickness, but these are not necessarily the signs that a miscarriage has occurred. Recurrent miscarriages may require a prenatal diagnosis as there are chances of mental retardation and perhaps malformation of the fetus.

There are chances that the risk of loss of the fetus increases from one pregnancy to the next from twenty percent to a little over forty percent. A visit to one's health care provider will be necessary to confirm these.

Conversely the bleeding and cramping which are symptoms of a miscarriage at six weeks need not mean that the baby has been lost as some mothers who have had these symptoms ended up carrying their baby full term. The condition is in this case termed a threatened miscarriage. Miscarriages around the sixth week can also be tricky as the mother-to-be may not have realized that she was pregnant at all.

If the miscarriage at the sixth week occurs, normal periods should resume within 3-6 weeks and it would be best to avoid tampons and stick to sanitary napkins. Avoid douching and stick to cotton panties. Swimming pools and hot tubs are a strict no and showers are advisable as opposed to soaking in a tub. Sexual intercourse can also wait till the person no longer feels any discomfort or pain.