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All About Women

A patient-centered practice for all stages of a woman's life

Gainesville, FL (352) 331-3332
6440 W Newberry Rd, Ste 111

Lake City, FL (386) 754-1744
4447 NW American Ln, Ste 102

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Blog / Pregnancy & Prenatal Care / Types of Miscarriage: Understanding the Stages of Pregnancy Loss

Types of Miscarriage: Understanding the Stages of Pregnancy Loss

August 15, 2018 By Liliana Zapien

types and causes of miscarriage or pregnancy loss

Miscarriage happens for a variety of reasons, but it’s often difficult to pinpoint the cause. Most often, though, a miscarriage occurs in the first six weeks of pregnancy and is caused by some type of chromosomal abnormality or hormonal imbalance.

Early miscarriage types

If you experience a miscarriage in the first six weeks, there could be four possible types of loss: chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, missed miscarriage, or a blighted ovum.

Most women don’t realize they have a chemical pregnancy because the loss is so early that they generally don’t miss a cycle. However, it’s still a real pregnancy. Chemical pregnancies occur because the fertilized egg never implants into the uterine wall.

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants in one of the fallopian tubes (or somewhere else besides the uterus) rather than the uterus. The cause is often unknown, but the main signs of  an ectopic pregnancy are dizziness and severe abdominal cramps. Ectopic pregnancies can be dangerous for the mother, so a procedure is often necessary to remove the fertilized egg.

A missed miscarriage usually happens in the first trimester, but most women don’t experience any symptoms of miscarriage. . Usually a doctor has to confirm the pregnancy and miscarriage through blood work or other testing.

A blighted ovum (or anembryonic pregnancy) is a miscarriage that occurs when the fertilized egg implants correctly, but the fetus never starts developing.

Late miscarriage & preterm delivery

Second-trimester miscarriages happen after 12 weeks but before 20 weeks gestation. Usually they happen as a result of some kind of chromosomal abnormality or birth defect.

While preterm delivery isn’t considered a true miscarriage, it’s any loss that occurs after 20 weeks but before a baby is full term. Many times the cause of preterm delivery is an incompetent cervix, which means a woman’s cervix dilates too early.

Support for your miscarriage

If you’ve experienced any type of miscarriage or pregnancy loss, you may be in need of physical, mental and emotional healing.

Read more about how long recovery takes and common miscarriage misconceptions in our blog.

The compassionate doctors and staff at All About Women want to do everything we can to help with the healing process. Make an appointment with our Gainesville or Lake City office today to get questions answered and talk about next steps.

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  • Can Stress Cause a Miscarriage?Can Stress Cause a Miscarriage?

Filed Under: Pregnancy & Prenatal Care Tagged With: gynecology, miscarriage, pregnancy care

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Being a patient-centered practice goes well beyond seeing patients in our office. We want to help you find important answers before you even step in the door. Our OB/GYN blog helps us accomplish this goal but more importantly, helps women like you better understand your unique health needs. Browse around and learn more about pregnancy, general women’s health, exciting new research and more!

Contact Us With Any Questions

All About Women Obstetrics and Gynecology – Gainesville

Gainesville
6440 W Newberry Rd, Ste 111
Gainesville, FL 32605
(352) 331-3332


All About Women Obstetrics and Gynecology – Lake Cit

Lake City
4447 NW American Ln, Ste 102
Lake City, FL 32055
(386) 754-1744


 

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Gainesville and Lake City OB/GYN Care
OB/GYN doctors at All About Women, Obstetrics & Gynecology offer personalized, technologically advanced obstetrics and gynecology services from Board Certified OB/GYB physicians. Besides expert women's healthcare, permanent birth control and prenatal care, OB/GYN doctors also offers advanced hysterectomy surgery in and around the Gainesville area.


Women's Health Care in Alachua & Columbia Counties
With offices in Gainesville and Lake City, Florida, All About Women, M.D. provides expert OB/GYN services covering the entire range of women's healthcare needs. Our OB/GYN physicians and nurse midwives provide expert care during pregnancy as well as state of the art in-office treatments for gynecologic disorders including Novasure endometrial ablation to treat/stop heavy menstrual bleeding.


Personalized & Expert Prenatal Care
Gainesville obstetricians at All About Women, M.D. help ensure pregnancy goes as smoothly as possible by offering the best prenatal care available. And for those having difficulty getting pregnant, AAW obstetricians and gynecologists offer couples the best infertility help and treatment available.


Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery: daVinci Surgical System
Clinic founder Dr. Anthony Agrios, Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist also specializes in the daVinci Robotic surgery system, a minimally invasive option commonly used for a hysterectomy and other procedures. Instead of creating several small incisions like traditional surgical methods, OB/GYN surgeons simply open one incision with the daVinci system to complete the procedure. Not only do patients experience less pain and blood loss, they recover and get back to normal much faster.


Pregnancy & Prenatal Care: Creative Pregnancy Announcement : Fruits for Pregnant Women

OB/GYN Tips: Choosing an OB/GYN : Robotic Hysterectomy

Infertility & Reproduction Health: Infertility Treatment : Permanent Birth Control

Women's Health: Preventive Care : Well Women Care : Mammogram Screenings : Abnormal Periods

Gainesville Maternity Care

 

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All About Women
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Offices conveniently located in the heart of North Florida (Alachua County & Columbia County). Serving women of all ages and backgrounds
in and around Ocala, Williston, Chiefland, Perry, Live Oak, Lake City, Starke, Palatka and Gainesville.