Pregnancy Loss Symptoms and Diagnosis When Pregnancy Bleeding is a Medical Emergency By Krissi Danielsson Updated November 01, 2018 Pin Flip Email Print PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou/Getty Images More in Pregnancy Loss Symptoms and Diagnosis Causes and Risk Factors Your Options Physical Recovery Coping & Moving Forward Spotting or bleeding during early pregnancy is understandably scary, but also very common. While spotting does not always mean that you are having a miscarriage, it can be a symptom of miscarriage. As a result, upon first sight of vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, or any other miscarriage symptoms, many women drop everything and head to the emergency room. But is this the best course of action? Why Go to the ER Some, but not all, doctors advise women to the emergency room if they notice any bleeding in early pregnancy. The reason for this is unfortunately not because immediate care can make a difference in whether the pregnancy miscarries. In fact, by the time vaginal bleeding occurs because of a miscarriage, the developing baby has usually already passed away—often because of unpreventable issues such as chromosomal abnormalities. Why bother with an emergency room, then, if nothing can be done? A visit to the emergency room is warranted to rule out emergency complications that could threaten the mother. Bleeding can occur for other reasons besides miscarriage, but when it is a sign of miscarriage, emergency room physicians can make a woman is not hemorrhaging and does not have an ectopic pregnancy or life-threatening rupture. When to Go to the ER Most of the time, the best thing to do if you are experiencing miscarriage symptoms in the first trimester is call your regular medical practitioner's office for guidance. Your normal OB-GYN will probably ask you to come in for an office visit; he or she will have access to your medical history and will be best able to determine whether or not you are having a miscarriage through diagnostic tests. Sometimes, however, going to the emergency room is definitely the best course of action. These include the following situations: Unusually heavy bleeding (soaking through a menstrual pad in under an hour)Severe abdominal pain on either side of the lower abdomen or dizzinessSymptoms of shock, such as agitation, confusion, or bluish lips and fingernailsYour regular physician has advised you to go to the emergency room How Common Is Miscarriage? Unfortunately, miscarriage is pretty common among women who have a positive pregnancy test, and rarely an emergency. Estimates of the actual number of miscarriages vary, and the number can be as high as 10 to 20 percent of known gestations. The percentages of miscarriages in people who don't realize that they're pregnant—are too early along—may be as high as 50 percent. Most miscarriages occur during the first trimester. Causes Many things can lead to miscarriage including the following: Genetic (chromosomal) problems with the embryo or fetusTraumaInfectionHigh maternal weightIllicit drug useMedicationsDiabetes or other medical conditions present in the mother Often it's impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of miscarriage. Please keep in mind that most miscarriages result from genetic problems in the embryo and fetus and cannot be prevented in any way. Unfortunately, people who have one or multiple miscarriages are more likely to experience an additional miscarriage. Although most women who have miscarriage physically recover quickly, the psychological stress of miscarriage can be great, with enduring feelings of sadness, guilt, anger and so forth. If you are experiencing any physical or psychological problems related to miscarriage, please contact your physician immediately. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you reach your 2018 goals. Email Address Sign Up There was an error. Please try again. Thank you, , for signing up. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources March of Dimes. Bleeding and Spotting from the Vagina. April 2014. Continue Reading