Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications Miscarriage What Does Miscarriage Bleeding Look Like? The most common sign of miscarriage is vaginal bleeding. But what does it look like? Get answers to the most commonly asked questions about miscarriage bleeding. By Andrea Dashiell Updated on October 1, 2024 Medically reviewed by Alyssa Dweck, MS, MD, FACOG Vaginal bleeding is one of the most common symptoms of miscarriage, which is a spontaneous pregnancy loss in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Miscarriage is a surprisingly common phenomenon that occurs in about 10% of clinically recognized pregnancies, usually in the first trimester. But experiencing spotting or bleeding during pregnancy isn't a definitive sign of miscarriage. In fact, about 20% to 30% of pregnant people bleed a little in early pregnancy, and only half of those experience a miscarriage, says Jeanne Faulkner, RN, author of Common Sense Pregnancy: Navigating a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth for Mother and Baby. Other pregnancy-related situations such as implantation or cervical irritation can also cause vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. So what does miscarriage blood look like? How is it different from other types of bleeding during pregnancy? And is it possible to have a miscarriage without any vaginal bleeding? We spoke with experts to answer your most pressing questions. Biserka Stojanovic / Getty Images What Does Miscarriage Blood Look Like? While pregnancy loss presents differently for everyone and the bleeding related to miscarriage will change as the miscarriage progresses, miscarriage blood can have the following characteristics: Pink, bright red, or light or dark brown in colorLight spotting, sudden heavy bleeding, or a mix of bothBleeding that gets progressively heavierMay contain larger-than-normal blood clots and other tissue (such as the gestational sac and fetal tissue) Miscarriage bleeding may begin as light pink, red, or brown spotting and increase in intensity as the uterus empties. It could also start suddenly and heavily, especially if you're further into pregnancy. (That's because the fetus is bigger so your body has more tissue to expel.) A miscarriage with multiples typically comes with greater amounts of blood than singleton pregnancies. The Most Common Signs of Miscarriage Besides vaginal bleeding, you may notice these other signs of miscarriage: Passing tissue from the vagina Uterine cramps Pain in the pelvis or lower back Watery clear or white-pink vaginal discharge Loss of pregnancy symptoms Nausea or diarrhea Is It Miscarriage Bleeding or Your Period? It can be difficult to discern the difference between a miscarriage and your period if you don't realize you're pregnant or the miscarriage occurs early enough. Here are some differentiating factors: Miscarriage bleeding may start out light, but as it progresses it generally gets heavier and lasts longer than your period.During a miscarriage, you might notice fetal tissue and blood clots that are larger than usual.Miscarriage blood might be a different color and texture than your typical period and can even resemble grainy coffee grounds. Does Bleeding During Pregnancy Always Indicate Miscarriage? Although you should always tell your pregnancy care provider about bleeding during pregnancy, bleeding doesn't necessarily indicate a miscarriage. Other causes of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy might include cervical irritation, infection, hormonal changes, subchorionic hemorrhage, and implantation (when the fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining). Tip While spotting and bleeding during pregnancy aren't always related to miscarriage, keep in mind that uterine cramping and bleeding are the most common miscarriage symptoms, says Joshua Hurwitz, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN and infertility specialist. Both are caused by contractions that expel the contents of the uterus and both warrant a call to a health care provider. How Long Do You Bleed After a Miscarriage? The amount and duration of miscarriage bleeding depends on a few factors, most importantly how far along the pregnancy was. But you can expect the heaviest bleeding for several hours after the miscarriage begins, as your body expels most of the tissue. You might also have lighter bleeding after the miscarriage for an additional one to two weeks. Your health care provider can inform you about the expected timeline and give tips for managing the bleeding. Can You Have a Miscarriage Without Bleeding? Miscarriage symptoms vary and bleeding isn't always present at the time of diagnosis, says Jennifer Jolley, MD, assistant professor of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. Some people don't experience any symptoms of miscarriage before learning of the loss. This is often called a "missed miscarriage," and it's detected through fetal ultrasound before any miscarriage symptoms begin. Bleeding and Ectopic Pregnancy Bleeding while pregnant might also signal ectopic pregnancy, which happens when the embryo implants outside of the uterus (usually in a fallopian tube). This is a serious condition that requires immediate medical care. Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy may include sudden sharp pain in the pelvic area or abdomen, shoulder pain, dizziness, weakness, or feeling faint. Other people experience some combination of cramping, bleeding, uterine pain, white-pink mucus, miscarriage clots, and loss of pregnancy symptoms. Always visit a health care provider for any unusual or worrisome changes in your pregnancy. I Might Have Miscarriage Bleeding—Now What? Dr. Hurwitz advises anyone who's bleeding during pregnancy to visit their health care provider. Be prepared to answer a few questions. For example: What color is the blood? When did the bleeding start? How much are you bleeding? Use a panty liner or pad (never a tampon, menstrual cup, or other internal menstrual product) to keep track. Your doctor or midwife will likely run blood tests and conduct ultrasounds to determine if the bleeding is related to miscarriage. If they diagnose a miscarriage, there are three primary options for treatment: Expectant management, or waiting for the body to complete the process on its own Medication called misoprostol, which stimulates contractions and helps the process along In-office medical procedure known as a dilation and curettage (D&C), which empties the contents of the uterus If there is concern the person could continue to bleed heavily without effectively passing the tissue, the recommendation is usually to proceed with quick evacuation of the uterus with a D&C, says Dr. Jolley. "Otherwise, it can become dangerous." After Miscarriage If you end up having a miscarriage, try not to feel guilty. The majority of miscarriages are random events that can't be prevented or predicted. Some research estimates that 50% to 70% of miscarriages result from chromosomal abnormalities. In most cases, miscarriages don't affect your future fertility, and your subsequent pregnancies have a very good chance of progressing without a hitch. Updated by Nicole Harris Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Early Pregnancy Loss. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2018. First Trimester Bleeding: Evaluation and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2019. Miscarriage. MedlinePlus. n.d. Ectopic Pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Reviewed 2022. What Happens After a Miscarriage? An Ob-Gyn Discusses the Options. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2022.