What are the symptoms of a threatened miscarriage?

Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
Updated on March 21, 2025
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When threatened miscarriage occurs, pregnant women often experience vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain. However, at this time, the fetal heartbeat and embryo are generally still in good condition, and timely treatment to preserve the pregnancy can be effective. But if the patient experiences a significant amount of bleeding and severe pain, accompanied by backache and a sense of heaviness, it may indicate a threatened miscarriage. It is advised to go to a hospital for an ultrasound examination and to have blood tests to check progesterone levels to determine if treatment to preserve the pregnancy is needed. If, after such treatment, vaginal bleeding stops and abdominal pain disappears, then the pregnancy can typically continue.

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Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
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Can a threatened miscarriage have a transvaginal ultrasound?

Whether or not to perform a transvaginal ultrasound during a threatened miscarriage mainly depends on the symptoms of the threatened miscarriage. A threatened miscarriage refers to the signs of a potential miscarriage, with common symptoms including vaginal bleeding and severe abdominal pain. If there is significant abdominal pain, a transvaginal ultrasound can be performed to determine the position of the gestational sac, or an abdominal ultrasound can also be done. If there is vaginal bleeding, performing a transvaginal ultrasound in this case may aggravate stimulation to the uterus and can easily lead to vaginal inflammation. In such cases, an abdominal ultrasound is generally recommended. Therefore, a transvaginal ultrasound can be performed if there is only abdominal pain during a threatened miscarriage, but it should not be done if there is concurrent vaginal bleeding.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can you take a bath with a threatened miscarriage?

When a threatened miscarriage occurs, it is not advisable to bathe, as the threatened miscarriage could lead to an inevitable miscarriage, so it is essential to undergo treatment to support the pregnancy. At this time, it's crucial to rest in bed as much as possible, only getting up for bathroom needs, and to stay as still as possible. Sexual activity should be prohibited, and it's important to maintain emotional stability and not be overly anxious. Nutritional intake should be adequate, with an emphasis on easily digestible foods and a moderate consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits. If necessary, progesterone can be used under the guidance of a doctor to support the pregnancy. Activities can be resumed once everything stabilizes, and bathing is permissible, but care must be taken to avoid intense physical activities and excessive time spent bathing.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Early symptoms of threatened miscarriage

Premature birth refers to the condition where delivery occurs after the pregnancy has reached 28 weeks but before completing 37 weeks. Premature infants have a very high mortality rate. If a woman experiences prolonged back pain and a hardening of the lower abdomen during this time, it is due to contractions of the uterus. There can also be vaginal discharge of fluids, indicating early breaking of waters. Increased vaginal discharge, sometimes with traces of blood, might also indicate imminent premature birth; medical check-ups and treatment should be sought immediately.

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Written by Zhang Lu
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Can threatened miscarriage be treated with medical abortion?

Threatened miscarriage only indicates signs of a potential miscarriage and does not necessarily result in a spontaneous miscarriage. During a threatened miscarriage, medication can be used to preserve the embryo. If one does not wish to continue the pregnancy upon signs of a threatened miscarriage, intervention can be managed like a normal miscarriage. In early pregnancy, if one chooses to have an abortion, there are two methods available: medical abortion and surgical abortion, which are not significantly different from each other. For the majority of typical women, medical abortion is an option during a threatened miscarriage, though it is notably painful and can be prolonged. Patients must be clearly informed about the specific procedures and drawbacks. Surgical abortion, on the other hand, tends to be simpler and less painful.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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How long does it take to prevent a threatened miscarriage?

During threatened miscarriage, proactive treatment to preserve the pregnancy is required. However, the duration of such treatment varies from person to person and should be based on the specific circumstances of the patient. If the patient has a history of recurrent miscarriages, in the event of a threatened miscarriage, the pregnancy should be preserved for a longer period, at least until three months into the pregnancy when the fetal development has stabilized. However, if the patient experiences light vaginal bleeding without abdominal pain, and the condition is relatively mild, approximately a week of medication may be sufficient for improvement. It is recommended that one to two weeks after the bleeding stops, a visit to the hospital should be made to perform an abdominal ultrasound to check the embryo's growth.