Overview
Early miscarriage symptoms can be similar to menstrual periods, as both involve bleeding and cramping. However, miscarriage bleeding often starts light and becomes heavier with possible tissue passage, while periods typically follow a predictable pattern and timing.
Disease Summaries
Miscarriage: A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy that is usually in the first or early second trimester (before 20 weeks). In an inevitable miscarriage, there may be symptoms of miscarriage such as bleeding and pain and the cervix will show signs of opening (dilation).The passage of the pregnancy tissue typically follows.
Period: This refers to the regular monthly shedding of the uterine lining as part of the female reproductive cycle, typically lasting 3-7 days. The process involves predictable patterns of bleeding, cramping, and other symptoms like mood changes and fatigue, occurring every 21-35 days in reproductive-age women. While both menstruation and miscarriage involve bleeding and cramping, menstrual bleeding follows a predictable pattern and timing, without the passage of tissue or sudden heavy bleeding typical of miscarriage.
Comparing Symptoms
Overlapping Symptoms
- Vaginal bleeding
- Cramping
- Lower back pain
- Mood changes
Miscarriage Specific Symptoms
- Tissue passing
- Severe cramping
- Sudden heavy bleeding
- Pregnancy symptoms cease
- Blood clots larger than usual
Period Specific Symptoms
- Predictable timing
- Gradual onset of symptoms
- Regular flow pattern
- Typical monthly symptoms
- Normal sized clots
Treatment Approaches
Miscarriage Treatment Approaches
This typically requires a specialist to confirm the diagnosis. The miscarriage can progress naturally, but occasionally medication or surgery may be required if there is heavy bleeding or signs of infection. Treatment depends on the type and timing of miscarriage, ranging from watchful waiting for natural completion to medical or surgical intervention. Emotional support and counseling are crucial components of care. Follow-up monitoring ensures complete tissue passage and recovery, with future pregnancy planning when appropriate.
Period Treatment Approaches
Treatment focuses on managing symptoms through over-the-counter pain relievers, heat therapy, and lifestyle modifications like exercise and dietary changes. Hormonal treatments such as birth control pills may be prescribed for heavy or irregular periods. For severe symptoms, prescription medications or other medical interventions might be necessary.
Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)
Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD (Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN))
Dr. Kanazawa graduated from the Niigata University Faculty of Medicine and received his Ph.D. from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. He is working on the front line of the General Perinatal Center, including the Tokyo Tama General Medical Center and the National Center for Research in Fertility Medicine, where he provides maternal and fetal care and undertakes clinical research. At Ubie, Dr. Kanazawa has been designing the Ubie AI Symptom Checker and has taken on the role of general obstetrics and gynecology consultation at FMC Tokyo Clinic by providing fetal ultrasound and prenatal consultation.
Content updated on Mar 13, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Limbo R, Glasser JK, Sundaram ME. "Being Sure": women's experience with inevitable miscarriage. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2014 May-Jun;39(3):165-74; quiz 175-6. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000027. PMID: 24472796.
https://journals.lww.com/mcnjournal/Abstract/2014/05000/_Being_Sure___Women_s_Experience_with_Inevitable.8.aspxMenstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign
https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/12/menstruation-in-girls-and-adolescents-using-the-menstrual-cycle-as-a-vital-signHasan R, Baird DD, Herring AH, Olshan AF, Jonsson Funk ML, Hartmann KE. Association between first-trimester vaginal bleeding and miscarriage. Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Oct;114(4):860-867. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181b79796. PMID: 19888046; PMCID: PMC2828396.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2828396/