As always, please use our comic as a starting point on your own research dive. Here are a few links to get you started:
Resources
► Miscarriage on Planned Parenthood
► Miscarriage: What It Is, Why It Happens and How to Deal on Scarleteen
► Miscarriage Association
Support
► All-Options Talkline
► Miscarriage Support on Tommy’s
► The Best Advice I Received After My Miscarriage on Good House Keeping
► After a Miscarriage: Surviving Emotionally on American Pregnancy
► How To Support Someone Going Through Pregnancy Loss on Huffington Post
Our previous comics on reproduction can be found here: Pregnancy, Pregnancy Sex by Boum, In-Clinic Abortion, Medical Abortion, and our comics on contraception can be found here: Emergency Contraception, The Pill, Paragard IUD, Condom Basics, Internal Condom, Other Contraceptive Methods
On a personal note, here’s the conversation Matt and I had when my period was a week late.
↓ Comic Transcript
The comic starts with a person standing up in front of a group of people. They smile and point to their stomach as they announce, “It’s been so hard to keep this from you all for the last few months but… I’M PREGNANT!”
The person’s friends look excited as they start to offer congratulations.
“Haha, I was suspicious!” one says.
Another cheers, “Woooo! Congratulations!”
The last friend asks, “How’s the morning sickness?”
A little away from the commotion, another person says “Humm….” as they raise an eyebrow.
They walk over to Erika and point over their shoulder towards the group. “Y’know Erika, I’ve always wondered, why do people wait so long to tell folks they’re pregnant?”
Erika responds, “Oh! I think it’s mostly because they don’t wanna start telling people about it until they’re pretty sure it’s gunna ‘stick’, that they won’t miscarry.”
“For real? But like, we live in the future! There’s medicines and stuff, it can’t still be that big of a risk nowadays…” The person wonders.
Erika says, “Actually, it’s still super, super common! About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and usually in the first 3 months.
The person looks surprised as they face a pie chart illustrating the statistic. “Dang!” they exclaim.
“Yeah, it’s not something that’s really talked about publicly in our society because it’s such a personal experience and can be loaded with so many difficult emotions, so folks don’t realize how incredibly frequent it actually is.”
She gestures out, and says, “You know what, let’s take a quick look at-.”
All the information here was sourced from plannedparenthood.org and scarleteen.com. As with everything we cover, there is so much more information available on this subject than we can include in this comic, so we encourage you to dive into more research!
The person looks curious and asks, “So… Why does it happen?”
It’s really difficult to know exactly why a miscarriage might happen, but it’s almost never caused by something the pregnant person did. Usually it’s the body’s protective mechanism to protect it from developing an embryo or fetus with a problem.
A cartoon illustration shows a concerned reproductive system looking down at an egg implanted in its uterus. It notes, “Hmm, there’s something not quite right about this one…”
There ARE a few potential reasons, such as…
Erika mentions, “And then not all miscarriages look the same. There are different kinds.”
A cartoon drawing of the full reproductive system is shown looking concerned and saying, “Better safe than sorry.” as the egg leaves the uterus through the cervix.
Vaginal bleeding and mild cramps, but the cervix remains closed. 50/50 chance it stops and they get better (and stay pregnant), or it develops into an…
Plenty of vaginal bleeding and the cervix opens up. There’s no chance for the pregnancy to continue.
When the body manages to evacuate a bit of the tissue, but not all of it. The person may need treatment to remove what’s left.
No bleeding or cramps, but an ultrasound doesn’t show an embryo heartbeat or there’s no embryo in the pregnancy sac. Usually the tissue passes on its own, but sometimes they’ll need treatment to remove the leftover tissue.
All the tissue comes out of the uterus. No treatment needed!
Treatment after a miscarriage is pretty much the same as the treatments for an abortion. Either medication is used to help the body evacuate what’s left, or you go in for an aspiration, where a small suction tube is used to remove the leftover tissue. It can be dangerous to not treat a miscarriage, so always check in with your doctor if you think you’re experiencing one.
Illustrations of pills and a Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA), a syringe-like device with a long, thin tube at the end is shown.
The person scratches their head and asks, “So, how would you even know if you’re having a miscarriage?”
Erika says, “Well, you’ll probably experience vaginal bleeding, cramping, and tummy pains. Beyond that, it’s different for each person. Some people will have a small period-like experience, others involve lots of blood, massive clots, and incredible pains. All of it is normal. Just get to a doctor when things don’t feel right.”
The person follows up with one last question. “And… what’s it like afterwards?”
Erika responds, “There’s no wrong or right way to feel after a miscarriage.”
You may go through a whole gamut of emotions or very few or even feelings that directly contradict each other. Shock, grief, guilt, relief, joy, despair, anger, numbness, confusion, and disappointment - all are valid and can exist simultaneously. It can take time to emotionally heal and that will be different for everyone. It’s important for folks who have experienced a miscarriage to reach out to their support network, surround themselves with loving, supportive people, and to know they are not alone. There are also support groups, therapists, and even hotlines such as All-Options, too. (all-options.org/find-support/)
The person puts a finger to their chin and looks up thoughtfully. “Wow, I had no idea there was so much to it.”
Erika holds up a mini version of the reproductive system by its little fallopian tubes, and says, “Yup! Being pregnant is hard, things can go wrong, and a good number end in miscarriages – but it’s also normal and common. Pregnancy is complicated!”
Brought to you by our lovely patrons at Patreon.com/erikamoen.
To repost or license this comic, visit Ohjoysextoy.com/license.
This comic was posted on October 22, 2019 and transcribed May 15, 2022, by Dennie Park, who can be found at linktr.ee/DeepBeeps
The person’s friends look excited as they start to offer congratulations.
“Haha, I was suspicious!” one says.
Another cheers, “Woooo! Congratulations!”
The last friend asks, “How’s the morning sickness?”
A little away from the commotion, another person says “Humm….” as they raise an eyebrow.
They walk over to Erika and point over their shoulder towards the group. “Y’know Erika, I’ve always wondered, why do people wait so long to tell folks they’re pregnant?”
Erika responds, “Oh! I think it’s mostly because they don’t wanna start telling people about it until they’re pretty sure it’s gunna ‘stick’, that they won’t miscarry.”
“For real? But like, we live in the future! There’s medicines and stuff, it can’t still be that big of a risk nowadays…” The person wonders.
Erika says, “Actually, it’s still super, super common! About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and usually in the first 3 months.
The person looks surprised as they face a pie chart illustrating the statistic. “Dang!” they exclaim.
“Yeah, it’s not something that’s really talked about publicly in our society because it’s such a personal experience and can be loaded with so many difficult emotions, so folks don’t realize how incredibly frequent it actually is.”
She gestures out, and says, “You know what, let’s take a quick look at-.”
Miscarriage Aka: Spontaneous Abortion
All the information here was sourced from plannedparenthood.org and scarleteen.com. As with everything we cover, there is so much more information available on this subject than we can include in this comic, so we encourage you to dive into more research!
The person looks curious and asks, “So… Why does it happen?”
It’s really difficult to know exactly why a miscarriage might happen, but it’s almost never caused by something the pregnant person did. Usually it’s the body’s protective mechanism to protect it from developing an embryo or fetus with a problem.
A cartoon illustration shows a concerned reproductive system looking down at an egg implanted in its uterus. It notes, “Hmm, there’s something not quite right about this one…”
There ARE a few potential reasons, such as…
What Causes a Miscarriage?
- When the fertilized egg randomly has the wrong number of chromosomes or the fetus develops a congenital defect.
- Serious injury or major infection.
- Some illnesses like severe diabetes can increase the odds of miscarriage.
- Abnormalities in the uterus can cause a late miscarriage (after 3 months).
- Having had more than 2 miscarriages in a row ups the odds too.
What Doesn’t Cause a Miscarriage?
- Minor injuries (like falling).
- Most medications.
- Working.
- Exercise.
- Sex.
Erika mentions, “And then not all miscarriages look the same. There are different kinds.”
Types of Miscarriage
A cartoon drawing of the full reproductive system is shown looking concerned and saying, “Better safe than sorry.” as the egg leaves the uterus through the cervix.
Threatened Miscarriage
Vaginal bleeding and mild cramps, but the cervix remains closed. 50/50 chance it stops and they get better (and stay pregnant), or it develops into an…
Inevitable Miscarriage
Plenty of vaginal bleeding and the cervix opens up. There’s no chance for the pregnancy to continue.
Incomplete Miscarriage
When the body manages to evacuate a bit of the tissue, but not all of it. The person may need treatment to remove what’s left.
Missed Miscarriage
No bleeding or cramps, but an ultrasound doesn’t show an embryo heartbeat or there’s no embryo in the pregnancy sac. Usually the tissue passes on its own, but sometimes they’ll need treatment to remove the leftover tissue.
Complete Miscarriage
All the tissue comes out of the uterus. No treatment needed!
Treatment after a miscarriage is pretty much the same as the treatments for an abortion. Either medication is used to help the body evacuate what’s left, or you go in for an aspiration, where a small suction tube is used to remove the leftover tissue. It can be dangerous to not treat a miscarriage, so always check in with your doctor if you think you’re experiencing one.
Illustrations of pills and a Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA), a syringe-like device with a long, thin tube at the end is shown.
The person scratches their head and asks, “So, how would you even know if you’re having a miscarriage?”
Erika says, “Well, you’ll probably experience vaginal bleeding, cramping, and tummy pains. Beyond that, it’s different for each person. Some people will have a small period-like experience, others involve lots of blood, massive clots, and incredible pains. All of it is normal. Just get to a doctor when things don’t feel right.”
The person follows up with one last question. “And… what’s it like afterwards?”
Erika responds, “There’s no wrong or right way to feel after a miscarriage.”
You may go through a whole gamut of emotions or very few or even feelings that directly contradict each other. Shock, grief, guilt, relief, joy, despair, anger, numbness, confusion, and disappointment - all are valid and can exist simultaneously. It can take time to emotionally heal and that will be different for everyone. It’s important for folks who have experienced a miscarriage to reach out to their support network, surround themselves with loving, supportive people, and to know they are not alone. There are also support groups, therapists, and even hotlines such as All-Options, too. (all-options.org/find-support/)
The person puts a finger to their chin and looks up thoughtfully. “Wow, I had no idea there was so much to it.”
Erika holds up a mini version of the reproductive system by its little fallopian tubes, and says, “Yup! Being pregnant is hard, things can go wrong, and a good number end in miscarriages – but it’s also normal and common. Pregnancy is complicated!”
Brought to you by our lovely patrons at Patreon.com/erikamoen.
To repost or license this comic, visit Ohjoysextoy.com/license.
This comic was posted on October 22, 2019 and transcribed May 15, 2022, by Dennie Park, who can be found at linktr.ee/DeepBeeps