As well as vaginal bleeding, a miscarriage can also cause abdominal pain or backache - rather like period pains. If the abdominal pain is very severe, sharp or one-sided, this may suggest ectopic pregnancy - a pregnancy developing outside the womb. This is a potentially life-threatening situation and you should call an ambulance or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.
With miscarriage, some women notice that pregnancy symptoms such as nausea or sore breasts disappear, whether or not there is bleeding. Others may have neither bleeding nor any other sign that something is wrong, but discover that their pregnancy has ended only during a routine antenatal scan. This is called a 'missed' or 'delayed' miscarriage.
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