5 Weeks Pregnant Miscarriage

A miscarriage is defined as “the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks”. Somewhere between 8 and 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage.

Most miscarriages happen before the 12th week of pregnancy, or during your first trimester.

In this article:

• Can You Have A Miscarriage at 5 Weeks?
• Why Am I Having Cramps at 5 Weeks Pregnant? – Is it Normal to Have Cramping at 5 Weeks Pregnant?
• 5 Weeks Early Pregnancy Symptoms
• Different Types of Miscarriage
• How Long Does Vaginal Bleeding from a Miscarriage Last?
• Different Types of Miscarriage
• How Heavy is 5 Week Miscarriage Bleeding?
• Miscarriage Risk Factors
• FAQs – Miscarriages at 5 Weeks Pregnant

Can You Have A Miscarriage at 5 Weeks?

You can have a miscarriage at any point of your pregnancy, although they are much more likely within the first 12 weeks (first trimester) of pregnancy.

Depending on the point of pregnancy you are in, depends on whether it may be considered a chemical pregnancy or early miscarriage.

A miscarriage at 5 weeks pregnant is considered to be a very early miscarriage.

A chemical pregnancy is a pregnancy loss that happens within the first 5 weeks of pregnancy, so a miscarriage at 5 weeks pregnant may be considered a chemical pregnancy.

 

Why Am I Having Cramps at 5 Weeks Pregnant? – Is it Normal to Have Cramping at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

Cramping at 5 weeks pregnant is usually nothing to worry about; it usually means that the embryo has implanted into your uterus (implantation has occured), or that your uterus is expanding nicely, to prepare to accomodate your developing embryo, or baby, for the next 8 months or so. If you are worried you can book a  5 week ultrasound scan!

If your cramps are severe or painful, you should contact your nearest healthcare professional to ensure that it’s not a sign of a problem. If they suspect a miscarriage, they may want to perform an early 4-week ultrasound scan.

Below are more miscarriage symptoms at 5 weeks:

Signs of an Early Miscarriage – 5 Weeks

• Cramping that is slightly more severe than in your normal menstrual period
• Sharp or Severe Pain
• Bleeding from your vagina
• Negative pregnancy test 
• Loss of your usual pregnancy symptoms
• Scan showing signs of a miscarriage (if you are having a scan, why not read our article Can You Hear a Heartbeat at 5 Weeks Pregnant)

5 Weeks Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Experiencing a loss of your usual pregnancy symptoms is a sign of miscarriage.

• Fatigue
• Morning Sickness
• Spotting
• Mild Cramping
• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Heightened Sense of Smell
• Breast Tenderness

Different Types of Miscarriage

There are several different kinda of miscarriage: complete, missed, incomplete, threatened and inevitable.

Complete

When a miscarriage occurs during the first 5 weeks of pregnancy, it is considered a very early miscarriage. It is called a chemical pregnancy. At this stage, you may not have even known that you were pregnant.

During a miscarriage, your bleeding may start as light spotting and develop into gushes of blood.

As the cervix dilates to prepare for the miscarriage, you will begin bleeding more heavily.

During very early pregnancy loss, you will only experience bleeding similar in strength to your period.

The colour of your blood during a miscarriage can vary: pink blood usually appears during light bleeding, red blood is fresh blood which has left the uterus instantly (like on your period) and brown blood is old blood that has taken longer to release. During a miscarriage, you may also see discharge like coffee grounds or nearly black in colour.

Missed Miscarriage

A missed miscarriage is when loss of pregnancy occurs, but the products of conception remain inside of the uterus. Due to there being no bleeding, a missed miscarriage is usually diagnosed via an ultrasound scan.

Incomplete Miscarriage

An incomplete miscarriage is when all of the products of conception are not passed through the cervix.

Signs of incomplete miscarriages are unusually heavy bleeding and a fever. An incomplete miscarriage can be diagnosed via an ultrasound scan- as the ultrasound reveals whether there is any pregnancy tissue remaining in your uterus.

To remove the rest of the pregnancy tissue, surgery may be performed. This surgery is also known as a dilation and curettage, or D & C.

Threatened Miscarriage

A threatened miscarriage is when vaginal bleeding occurs during pregnancy. Bleeding from your vagina does not always lead to miscarriages.

Mild cramping at 5 weeks pregnant may also be a sign of a threatened miscarriage at 5 weeks, although cramping is not always present.

After a threatened miscarriage, there is an 83% chance of your pregnancy resuming. If you experience bleeding during pregnancy, you should consult your doctor.

Inevitable

An inevitable miscarriages can either come after a a threatened miscarriage or without any warning at all.

In an inevitable miscarriage, there usually a larger amount of vaginal bleeding and painful lower abdominal cramps.

How Long Does Vaginal Bleeding From A Miscarriage Last?

How long a miscarriage (and bleeding) lasts, depends on how far along you were in the pregnancy and how long it takes for your body to expel the fetal tissue.

In many cases, it takes around two weeks for a miscarriage to pass naturally. Once a miscarriage starts, the majority of tissue and blood will be expelled in approximately 3 and 5 hours.

How Heavy is 5 Week Miscarriage Bleeding?

At 5 weeks pregnant, miscarriage bleeding may be brown and resemble coffee grounds, or can be bright red to pink.

This vaginal bleeding may be light, stop intermittently, or be like a heavy period.

Miscarriage Risk Factors

There are some factors which can increase your chances of having a miscarriage. You can read about these risk factors below.

Age

Women who are above 35 years of age are at higher risk of miscarriage.

At 35 years old, you have a miscarriage risk of 20%. At 40 years old, the risk doubles to around 40% and at around 45 years old, the risk doubles again to around 80%.

Weight

Having an unhealthy weight (underweight or overweight) increases the risk of miscarriage.

Previous Miscarriages

If you have experienced three or more miscarriages (recurrent miscarriage), you are at a high risk of miscarrying during pregnancy.

Uterine or Cervical Problems

Uterine or cervical issues (such as uterine abnormalities or an incompetent cervix) may increase the risk of miscarriage.

Smoking, Alcohol or Drugs

Unsafe, or unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol heavily or using other recreational or illicit drugs increases your risk of miscarriage.

Chronic Medical Conditions

Chronic Conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure, can increase your risk of miscarriage.

Can you still get a positive pregnancy test after a miscarriage?

After a miscarriage, you may still receive positive pregnancy test results on a home pregnancy test for days or weeks after your miscarriage. This is due to the fact that the pregnancy hormone- hCG- is still present in your body- the hormone that allows you to test positive on a pregnancy test.

 

FAQs – Miscarriages at 5 Weeks Pregnant

How Long Does a Miscarriage Last at 5 Weeks?

At 5 weeks pregnant, the amount of time it takes for the miscarriage to pass naturally can vary.

For some women, bleeding and cramping may last for a few hours, whilst another woman may experience miscarriage bleeding for a few days.

If You Miscarry at 5 Weeks What Happens?

A miscarriage at 5 weeks pregnant is a very early miscarriage.

When you have a miscarriage, you are likely to experience symptoms that are similar to a heavy period- including heavy vaginal bleeding, painful abdominal cramping, nausea and headaches.

If you believe you may have had a miscarriage, you should consult your health care provider.

What Does a Miscarriage Look Like at 5 Weeks?

At 5 weeks, there will likely not be any recognisable shape.

Your miscarriage will be pink or brown vaginal discharge with a consistency like coffee grounds, or bright red vaginal bleeding with clots.

What Does a Miscarriage Feel Like at 5 Weeks?

A miscarriage at 5 weeks pregnant often feels like a heavy period- and often goes unnoticed by women.

Follow Carla on her Pregnancy Journey

Join Carla, MyBump2Baby’s founder, on her pregnancy journey, where she shares her real experience week-by-week throughout her pregnancy.