Does The Threat Of Miscarriage Decrease During The Second Trimester?

Once you reach the second trimester or week 13 of your pregnancy then the risk of miscarriage drops significantly. However, that does not mean that there is no risk left and that your pregnancy is guaranteed to continue perfectly. At this stage of pregnancy a miscarriage is known as a late miscarriage and only 25% of all the miscarriages occur during this time frame.

Many times when a late miscarriage occurs it is not because there is something intrinsically wrong with the fetus. Instead, many times the cervix is at fault. Something called an incompetent cervix means that the cervix begins dilating prematurely and is unable to hold the fetus in to term. A lot of the time if an incompetent cervix is found before the cervix begins dilating it can be stitched together to hold it together long enough for the baby to develop and have a shot outside the womb. This is called cerclage and for some women it is the saving grace of their pregnancies while for others it is unsuccessful. The stitches are removed when it is time to give birth so the women may have a vaginal birth. Although, some cerclages are permanent and a c section is necessary.

Sometimes even a cerclage cant save a pregnancy and a miscarriage occurs. In these circumstances the woman can wait for the miscarriage to occur or else a D&C may be chosen to remove all tissue and get the loss over with.

After the 20th week losing a baby is not called a miscarriage anymore but rather a stillbirth or even premature labor.