What if things go wrong?

Unfortunately, it can happen that things go wrong during pregnancy. This section contains information about what a miscarriage is, its process, what can happen if a miscarriage is identified and what feelings can come into play. This leaflet is also intended to support the consultation given by our midwives.

If you lose blood during pregnancy, it’s normal to be worried. Blood loss in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy occurs in 1 in 5 women. In half of these women, blood loss stops after a few days and pregnancy continues normally. In the other half, blood loss remains and there may be a miscarriage. This means that the embryo is rejected. In women who have blood loss at the start of pregnancy, fifty per cent of these pregnancies end in a miscarriage. In general, 1 in 10 pregnancies ends in a miscarriage. The risk of miscarriage increases with age. You cannot predict with certainty if you will get a miscarriage. Usually it will be obvious within a few days.