Miscarriage at 10 Weeks: What Are The Risks?

Miscarriage at 10 Weeks Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Risk Factors, Rates

Last updated on July 27th, 2018 at 12:50 am

At ten weeks into your pregnancy, there are many concerns that you should have. One of them is losing your baby through vaginal bleeding.

The good news is that having complications at ten weeks of pregnancy reduces significantly when compared to your other weeks of pregnancy.

If you’ve experienced days or weeks of heavy bleeding already, I suggest you inform your doctor about it. Heavy bleeding with fetal parts and thick blood clots means that you are having a miscarriage.

The truth is the chances of a miscarriage is very low at ten weeks, though it can happen.

Alternatively, you may also experience a mild spotting for hours or few days. Vaginal spotting while pregnant, especially in your first three months of pregnancy, must be examined by your doctor to rule out possible complications.

Complications that could cause spotting in early pregnancy are an ectopic pregnancy and a miscarriage.

Not all vaginal bleeding means you are having a miscarriage. Pregnant women may have brown spotting after sexual intercourse or when their cervix or vagina is hurt during doctor’s exam.

The vaginal epithelium and the cervical wall are well perfused during pregnancy and make it easy for bleeding to occur. Other reasons of spotting while pregnant are vaginal infections and sometimes a cervical polyp.

If you’ve experienced spotting at ten weeks of pregnancy, talking to you doctor is the only way to know if it’s something serious or not. This is necessary to ease your fears of a miscarriage or other complications.

This article explains the causes, risk factors, chances, signs, and symptoms of a miscarriage at ten weeks pregnant and when you urgently need to see your doctor.

 

What triggers a miscarriage at 10 weeks?

1.   Chromosomal anomalies

If you are expecting a baby, at ten weeks, it’s less likely you will have a miscarriage as the baby is well-formed now and already have a heartbeat. However, if a miscarriage happens, it’s mostly because of abnormal cell division and chromosomal issues.

Chromosomal disorders will occur when the sperm or egg contains more than or less than the required number of chromosomes necessary for your baby’s development.

This may cause a genetic problem and quickly gets identified by your body immune system leading to a miscarriage.

Quite often, a lot of women will fault themselves for being the cause. But the truth is, it’s not your fault if it happens.

2.  Advanced age

The age at which you are now pregnant may be a contributory factor for a miscarriage.

Miscarriage is more common in women that are more than 35 years; Even higher in women that are already more than 45 years

More than 20 – 35 percent of women that are between the age of 35 and 45 years will have a miscarriage when pregnant.

If you are more than 45 years, you should know the risk increases and miscarriage rates are as high as 50 percent of pregnancies.

However, if you are in your reproductive age and below 35 years, the chances of a miscarriage reduces with only 15 percent of women ending up in a miscarriage.

3.  Smoking cigarettes

If you are pregnant, it’s advisable to quit smoking completely. This is because smoking can affect our baby especially in the first months of your baby development

Cigarette smoke contains hundreds of chemical that includes lead, cyanide, arsenic, and nicotine. These chemicals will not only put you at risk of cancer but affects your growth resulting in a miscarriage.

Nicotine and carbon monoxide are responsible for decreased oxygen and nutrients to your baby and may cause stillbirth, low birth weight baby and a miscarriage in the first three months.

Therefore, quitting as early as possible is vital for your baby.

Other factors that could cause a miscarriage are

  • Alcohol
  • Drug abuse
  • Infections
  • Abnormally divided uterus
  • Thyroid abnormalities
  • Hypertension
  • Diabetes

 

What are the symptoms I should watch for?

If you are ten weeks pregnant, abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding may cause you to worry about having a miscarriage.

Here’s an email I received from one of my readers

Hi Dr. Dunn

I’m Chuchi, ten weeks pregnant and 32 years old. Recently I’ve been spotting and its lasting six days now. In the morning, I noticed light blood that stains my underwear and am beginning to feel it’s happening again.

I had a miscarriage twice and a still birth when I was six months pregnant. I quickly need your help. Is this a sign of miscarriage?

Just as Chuchi is concerned, a lot of pregnant women will worry if they happen to be spotting anytime during pregnancy.

While it’s possible it is nothing serious, it could be due to a miscarriage. Here are symptoms of a miscarriage

1.   Vaginal bleeding or spotting

If you are 10 weeks pregnant, vaginal bleeding with cramping abdominal pain may be due to a miscarriage.

Usually, vaginal bleeding may come with big clots, or you will see parts of your baby coming out. If you experience this, you should inform your doctor ASAP.

Except your uterus is cleared completely through a D & C (dilation and curettage) or vacuum aspiration, you may continue to bleed vaginally and start feeling weak.

Some women might experience mild spotting, and following a routine check by their doctors, baby is okay.

This is a threatened miscarriage, and it’s advisable you relax more often, avoid cigarette smoking, alcohol, heavy exercise and continue to take your prenatal vitamins.

2.  Belly cramps and loss of pregnancy symptoms

If you become pregnant, one easy way to know is body changes that occur before or after missing your menstrual period. Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and breast changes are common when pregnant.

If these symptoms no longer appear or have disappeared, you should let your doctor know. Belly cramps, vaginal bleeding (heavy or light) and loss of pregnancy symptoms are warnings signs of a miscarriage.

 

What are the percentages of miscarriage at 10 weeks pregnant?

If you are ten weeks pregnant, available statistics are quite favorable. This means it’s less likely a miscarriage will happen.

Only 2 – 3 percent of pregnant women will eventually have a miscarriage at ten weeks

 

Miscarriage at 10 weeks picture (What it looks like)

 

 

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