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Expert Q&A
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| By Michael D Benson, MD Attending Physician, Highland Park Hospital, IL | ||
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What happens during a miscarriage?
It is useful to think of the miscarriage process as having two separate steps. The embryo first dies and days, weeks, or even months later it is then passed from the body. The expulsion of the embryo from the uterus is a highly variable experience among women but typically involves bad cramping and heavy bleeding from 15 minutes to 12 hours. Given the unpredictability of the actual passage of tissue coupled with its unpleasantness, many obstetricians will offer patients the option of having a D and C after they are sure of embryonic demise. More properly known in this instance as a suction curettage, this brief procedure removes the pregnancy tissue before it is actually expelled by the body.
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