How long should one stay in bed for a threatened miscarriage?

Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
Updated on October 25, 2024
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Threatened miscarriage, as the name implies, is the appearance of signs of miscarriage, such as lower abdominal pain, bleeding, and a feeling of heaviness. For threatened miscarriage, it is appropriate to choose bed rest for treatment, but absolute bed rest is not necessary during threatened miscarriage. Prolonged bed rest is not always beneficial for the recovery of a woman’s health. Being bedridden for a long time can cause constipation, prevent vaginal bleeding from being expelled, and lead to mental stress. It is generally recommended to get out of bed for light activities during the day, aside from normal sleeping hours. Simple, light activities will not worsen the miscarriage. Generally, after a threatened miscarriage, it is advised to rest in bed for 3-5 days at most, and during this period, it is necessary to get out of bed intermittently.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Is a threatened miscarriage considered a miscarriage?

Threatened miscarriage is not actually a miscarriage. If handled properly, it is possible to successfully preserve the pregnancy. However, if not treated in time, it could develop into an inevitable miscarriage. During a threatened miscarriage, the fetal heartbeat and embryonic tissue are generally normal, and there may be minor vaginal bleeding or slight lower abdominal pain. At this time, it is crucial to go to the hospital for an ultrasound and have blood tests for progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin. If the fetal heartbeat and embryo are normal, then treatment to preserve the pregnancy is needed. At this time, it is important to rest, reduce activity, and avoid any vigorous exercise.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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What should you not eat during a threatened miscarriage?

When there are signs of a threatened miscarriage, pregnant women should avoid consuming raw, cold, spicy, and irritating food such as onions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and overly sour food, as these may stimulate the uterus, causing it to contract, and increase the risk of miscarriage. Additionally, do not consume cold-natured foods, especially chilled beverages straight from the refrigerator or melons and fruits. Also, some foods can cause uterine contractions, such as hawthorn, seafood products, and black fungus; these should be avoided during this period. Also, try not to be overly anxious.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Does a threatened miscarriage require a uterine curettage?

Threatened miscarriage, as the name suggests, refers to signs indicating a potential miscarriage. Whether a curettage is necessary in cases of threatened miscarriage mainly depends on the pregnancy outcome. For threatened miscarriage, treatment is chosen based on the patient's wishes. If the patient desires to continue the pregnancy and try to preserve it, medication can be used initially for conservation. However, if a woman experiencing threatened miscarriage does not wish to continue the pregnancy, she can opt for artificial intervention to induce the miscarriage. Miscarriage can be induced through oral medication or through a curettage procedure. Thus, curettage is not necessarily required for a threatened miscarriage, and even if the pregnancy is to be terminated, medication can be used as an alternative. Therefore, there is no inevitable connection between threatened miscarriage and curettage.

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Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
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What are the symptoms of threatened miscarriage?

Threatened miscarriage refers to a small amount of vaginal bleeding occurring before 28 weeks of pregnancy. Usually, the amount of bleeding does not exceed that of a normal menstrual period, and the blood may be dark red or appear as bloody vaginal discharge. The color of the bleeding is not significant. No pregnancy tissue is expelled initially, and this may be followed by episodic lower abdominal pain or back pain, although these symptoms may not occur. During a gynecological examination, the cervix is closed, the membranes are intact, and the size of the uterus corresponds to the gestational age. After rest and treatment, the symptoms may disappear, and the pregnancy can continue. If the amount of vaginal bleeding increases or lower abdominal pain intensifies, accompanied by the expulsion of pregnancy tissue, it progresses to inevitable miscarriage. Inevitable miscarriage refers to a miscarriage that cannot be avoided. Based on the symptoms of a threatened miscarriage, the amount of vaginal bleeding increases, and episodic lower abdominal pain intensifies, possibly accompanied by vaginal fluid discharge. During a gynecological examination for inevitable miscarriage, the cervix is dilated, and embryonic tissue or the amniotic sac can be seen obstructing the cervical opening.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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How long should one stay in bed for a threatened miscarriage?

Improper management of an impending miscarriage could potentially lead to an inevitable miscarriage. Therefore, it is crucial to rest during this period, preferably staying in bed. However, the specific duration of bed rest depends on the patient's clinical symptoms; for instance, if the woman experiences only minor vaginal bleeding and mild abdominal pain. Typically, through timely conservative treatment for maintaining pregnancy, taking progesterone orally or receiving progesterone injections can quickly stop the bleeding and alleviate lower abdominal pain. Generally, the patient can get out of bed three days after the symptoms disappear, but if there is still significant bleeding, continued bed rest is necessary until the bleeding stops for one week. (The use of medications should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor.)