egg fails to develop and
implant properly, no clinical
evidence (such as a
gestational sac or placenta)
would be found on
an ultrasound exam, and the
pregnancy is not viable, Dr.
Landy says.
What happens during a
miscarriage?
"Depending on the medical
situation, the physical process
of losing a pregnancy can
vary from person to person,"
says Jennifer Jolley, M.D.,
Assistant Professor of
Maternal-Fetal Medicine at
the University of Washington
in Seattle. Some women will
start to have bleeding and
cramping, which is caused by
contractions that are working
to expel the contents of the
uterus, and may pass large
blood clots and tissue. If it
happens rapidly, the
miscarriage is usually
completed by the body
without complications. In the
JOY FEELINGS MAG
case of a missed miscarriage
(when a woman has no
symptoms and her body has
essentially "missed" the
occurrence of fetal demise), a
drug can be given to
stimulate these contractions.
"If there is concern the
woman could continue to
bleed heavily without
effective passage of the
tissue, the recommendation is
usually to proceed with quick
evacuation of the uterus--a
D&C," Dr. Jolley explains.
"Otherwise, it can become
dangerous for the woman."
Dilation and curettage, or
D&C as it's commonly
called, is a surgical procedure
to complete the miscarriage.
Dilation will open the cervix,
if it is still closed, and
curettage removes the
contents of the uterus using a
variety of suction and
scraping instruments.
When can I try for another
baby after a miscarriage?
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