Cramping After Miscarriage: How Long Will Stomach Cramps Last?

Question: How long will cramping after miscarriage last? Is severe cramping days after miscarriage normal?

One scary sign women try to steer clear of when pregnant is cramping in their lower abdomen.

If you are pregnant and encounter stubborn abdominal cramps, it might not exactly be due to a miscarriage. Mild cramping can be normal in early pregnancy, but the risk that you’re having a miscarriage is much higher if you are also bleeding from your vagina, especially if the bleeding is heavy or with clots. AAFP+1

A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy before the baby is able to survive outside the womb (usually before about 20–23 weeks of pregnancy). Most miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks. nhs.uk+1 And if you have a miscarriage, stomach cramps in your lower abdomen and back pain are not unusual.

Bleeding and abdominal cramps are common signs you will experience during and after a miscarriage. Another symptom some women notice is a sudden disappearance of the “feeling of being pregnant” (for example, breast tenderness and nausea getting better very quickly). NCBI

So, if you are worried about belly cramps, this article explains what cramping pain after miscarriage feels like, how long pain should last, and when you ought to see a doctor.

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Is bleeding and abdominal cramping after miscarriage normal?

After your doctor confirms you are having a miscarriage, there are different symptoms you will experience.

Most times, women experience a sense of guilt and show concern of being the reason for their miscarriage. Some women get frustrated for a long time and may require additional social support and counseling.

If you lost your baby in the first three months of pregnancy, it’s extremely unlikely that you are the reason behind the miscarriage. Generally, pregnancy loss (miscarriage) in the first trimester occurs as a result of your baby’s defective chromosomes, and the reality is, it’s beyond your control to prevent a miscarriage from happening. nhs.uk+1

Apart from grief and depression, mild or sometimes severe cramps after miscarriage are common. This usually starts after vaginal bleeding. If you are cramping after a miscarriage, it is often nothing abnormal. Cramps occur as your womb contracts and tries to push out pregnancy tissue and blood clots from your womb.

Generally, it is okay if you are cramping one week after miscarriage, as long as the pain is gradually getting better and the bleeding is not very heavy. However, if after two weeks you still experience severe stomach cramps and bleeding, it’s important you see your doctor right away, as this may mean the miscarriage is not yet complete or there is an infection. NCBI+1

Finally, apart from cramping after miscarriage, you will see light or heavy vaginal bleeding after a miscarriage.

It’s entirely normal if you are bleeding light or moderately heavy in the first one to two weeks of a miscarriage and the bleeding is slowly settling. Some women can bleed for up to about three weeks. But if it continues beyond this, suddenly becomes much heavier, or you are soaking pads very quickly, something may be wrong — see your doctor or go to the hospital. nhs.uk+2East London Health Trust+2

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Cramping after a threatened miscarriage

When pregnant, if you notice abnormal light bleeding with or without stomach cramps, it may mean there is a threat to your pregnancy, but it does not always end in miscarriage.

Threatened abortion (threatened miscarriage), as the name suggests, means something may be wrong, and it’s important to get examined by your medical professional. If your cervix after doctor’s exam is closed and the baby is still seen on ultrasound, many pregnancies will continue normally, though you will be monitored more closely. Cleveland Clinic+1

However, if bleeding continues or gets heavier with cramping, it is possible you will have a miscarriage. Worsening cramps, passing thick blood clots, or seeing tissue coming out are not good signs. If this happens, talk to your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.

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Cramping after inevitable abortion

An inevitable abortion (inevitable miscarriage) means your baby will likely be expelled out from your womb. This occurs after your doctor finds an open uterine cervix after examination, often with bleeding and cramping.

It’s normal that you will experience heavy bleeding and cramping after an inevitable miscarriage as your womb spontaneously tries to expel its content.

If your womb is completely cleared and the baby and pregnancy tissue are expelled, bleeding and cramping will subside, though light spotting is typical for a few days.

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Cramping after an incomplete miscarriage

If you are cramping after an incomplete miscarriage, it’s beneficial to consult your doctor in order to minimize extreme loss of blood and reduce the risk of infection.

An incomplete miscarriage means that some pregnancy tissue is still in your womb, and this forces your womb to contract intermittently.

Provided your womb is not completely cleared, you may have long-lasting cramps as your womb tries to contract and clean itself up.

If you are still cramping after miscarriage for many days or weeks, especially if you also have ongoing bleeding, a bad-smelling discharge, or fever, then you need to see your doctor quickly to rule out an incomplete miscarriage or infection. SRHR+1

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What to do if you are cramping after miscarriage

Abdominal cramps and back pain are not uncommon after a miscarriage. In fact, they occur as your womb contracts to reduce bleeding and push out any remaining pregnancy tissue.

As your womb contracts and relaxes, it causes you to feel pain in your abdomen, and also empties uterine content.

If you are experiencing mild cramps after miscarriage that are improving, it’s likely nothing serious. However, severe stomach cramps after miscarriage that do not get better over a few days, or that last for more than two weeks, should not be ignored and need a doctor’s review. Do not wait at home if the pain is getting worse, you feel unwell, or you have a fever.

It’s important to inform your doctor for examination and routine tests to be carried out. Some of those tests carried out are

1. Abdominal or transvaginal ultrasound

During your clinic visit, your doctor may request you take another ultrasound to confirm if your baby is alive or not and to check whether the miscarriage is complete. Also, if there are retained products of conception (pregnancy tissue left behind), these can usually be seen on an ultrasound. ACOG+1

Don’t panic if a probe is placed on your abdomen or inside your vagina; it’s a normal way the test is conducted.

2. HCG monitoring

Another test carried out by your doctor is checking the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) over a few days. HCG hormone is detected in a pregnant woman’s blood and urine immediately after implantation.

As days and weeks pass in a healthy early pregnancy, this hormone naturally continues to rise, usually roughly doubling every 48–72 hours. If you are experiencing a miscarriage, your doctor monitors if your HCG levels are falling and returning to normal. NCBI

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Cramps after miscarriage: how long does it last?

One common question women ask after a miscarriage is “When does cramping stop after miscarriage?”

If you are cramping days after miscarriage, it’s not abnormal. Also, if you are cramping one week after miscarriage, it’s still usually not abnormal, especially if the pain is mild and gradually getting better.

In fact, you may experience on and off cramps and bleeding that stops and then starts again for a short while. As your womb cleans up its content, cramping and bleeding will subside.

However, it’s not normal that you will have severe period-like cramps after miscarriage for more than two weeks, or pain that is getting worse instead of better. See your doctor immediately if this happens. NHS Lanarkshire+1

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How to stop cramping and back pain after miscarriage

If you are bleeding, cramping or experiencing lower back pains after miscarriage, it’s important to see your doctor to be sure if any pregnancy tissue is still within your womb. If your womb has been completely cleared, cramps and back pain will usually start to settle in the next few days.

Alternatively, if there are retained tissues, your doctor will counsel you on the need for evacuation. Evacuation can be carried out through a suction tubing (vacuum aspiration) or the traditional D & C (dilation and curettage), depending on what is available and safest for you. ACOG

After the complete evacuation of your womb, cramps, bleeding and back pain usually subside and then stop. Your doctor may also advise simple pain-relief medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (if these are safe for you) to help with the cramps for a few days. MyHealth Alberta