Miscarriage at 2 Weeks: When To See A Doctor?
Last updated on July 26th, 2018 at 05:40 pm
Women who are getting pregnant for the first time or pregnant mothers that have experienced a miscarriage are always concerned about the likelihood of having another miscarriage.
It usually takes a lot of effort to get pregnant and its emotionally exhausting if a miscarriage happens.
Here’s an email I received from Marri (one of my readers)
Hi, Doc,
Am 41 years old and this is my third pregnancy. During the first pregnancy, I requested for an abortion which was done with a D & C. My second pregnancy happened about 3 years ago and I had severe cramps and heavy vaginal bleeding.
Today am 2 weeks pregnant, and I’m concerned about losing my baby. Currently, I do not have cramps or vaginal bleeding. Is it possible that a previous D & C increases my chances of having a miscarriage?
If you’ve been pregnant before and had a miscarriage, there is a possibility that you could have another miscarriage. Worst still, if you’ve had two miscarriages in a row, chances of miscarriage is higher in next pregnancy.
The truth is, during early pregnancy, in the first trimester, women are at risk of losing their baby. In most cases, it’s because of faulty chromosomes during fertilization and cell division.
Other reasons for an early miscarriage are severe body exercise, diabetes, use of too much caffeine daily, and abdominal trauma.
Women that are getting pregnant after the age of 30 are at higher risk of a miscarriage. Then again, women that are more than 40 – 45 years have a much higher chance to miscarry.
Because the risk of miscarriage is quite high in the first trimester, it’s always advisable to inform only your partner when pregnant. After the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage decreases, and for sure, you can let everyone know.
This article explains the causes, signs, symptoms of miscarriage in early pregnancy.
What are the symptoms and signs of miscarriage at 2 weeks?
First of all, it’s important you know how to calculate the age of your pregnancy. A woman’s pregnancy date is calculated from the last time she had her menstrual period. This means if you’ve missed your period and already confirmed you are pregnant, it suggests that you are at least four weeks pregnant.
For example, if your period is two weeks late and you have a positive pregnancy test, it means you are already 6 weeks pregnant.
The truth is that, at two weeks of pregnancy, you cannot have a miscarriage. At two weeks into pregnancy, you are just one week away from the end of your last period and your body is preparing for ovulation.
Ovulation is the release of an egg from your ovaries, and it occurs in the middle of your menstrual cycle. At this time, fertilization and implantation has not taken place, meaning, you are still not pregnant.
Having said that, a miscarriage is possible at three weeks because at this time fertilization and implantation will have occurred. In fact, at three weeks of pregnancy, women have the highest rate of a miscarriage.
Simply put, if you’ve missed just missed your period, you are four weeks pregnant (Here are signs of miscarriage at four weeks); if you’ve missed your period by a week, it means you are five weeks pregnant (Here are signs of miscarriage at five weeks); Also, if your period is two weeks late, you are six weeks pregnant (Here are signs of miscarriage at six weeks).
Nevertheless, if you are worried about miscarriage signs in early pregnancy, here’s what to expect.
1. Vaginal bleeding
Whether you are 4, 5 or 6 weeks pregnant, you should be concerned if you are spotting during pregnancy. This is because it could be due to a miscarriage.
In fact, bleeding from the vagina is a frequent complaint in women that have miscarriage. Sometimes, bleeding may be heavy with severe cramps and blood clots.
A light spotting generally may not indicate a miscarriage, but you still need to see your doctor know if you are at risk of a miscarriage.
Remember that during pregnancy, vaginal spotting is common especially after sexual activity. Ths occurs because of increased perfusion and hormone effects of your vagina and cervix.
Vaginal bleeding after a miscarriage may pose a serious threat to your future pregnancy, and if you do not inform your doctor quickly after first signs of bleeding, it may be too late to act.
Women that are Rhesus negative will get sensitized by a Rhesus positive baby, resulting in antibodies that fight and attack your future pregnancies leading to another miscarriage.
What to do?
If you are spotting while pregnant, it may not be due to a miscarriage. It could be due to trauma after sex, or even vaginal infections. Don’t hesitate to see your doctor for evaluation.
2. Abdominal cramps and back pain
Another common sign of a miscarriage is back pain and lower abdominal cramps. Cramps may be severe or mild and happen because uterine contraction to expel your baby.
The truth is, abdominal cramps can occur in your first trimester, and most times, it’s nothing serious. Having said that, if you are bleeding heavily with blood clots or fetal parts coming out, see a doctor.
3. An open cervix during your doctor’s check-up
One quick way your doctor can tell if you are having a miscarriage is through vaginal examination. If you are bleeding from vagina, an open cervix means your baby is likely to be washed out from your womb.
It’s also possible that you may have a closed cervix after spotting. At this point, a lot of bed rest is important to reduce further risk to your baby and pregnancy.
What causes a miscarriage to occur?
It’s difficult to tell the exact reasons you will have a miscarriage, though genetic abnormality is the most common reason women get a miscarriage in the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Other causes are an advanced age of pregnant women ( the highest risk if you are more than 40 years), smoking mothers, excessive alcohol intake, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, abnormal shape of uterus, vaginal infections and endocrine disorders.
