Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit
Information for Patients
Conservative Management of Miscarriage
This leaflet is designed to be read in conjunction with the leaflet ‘After a Miscarriage’
What is conservative management of miscarriage?
Conservative management of miscarriage involves a ‘wait and watch’ approach. A woman
decides to wait and see whether the pregnancy tissue passes spontaneously and allows the
body to recover naturally. A follow up scan is arranged for two weeks time to assess whether
the miscarriage has occurred naturally.
When is it offered?
Conservative management will be offered to you after a ‘non-viable’ pregnancy has been
diagnosed.
Various terms are used to describe a pregnancy which has not survived:
1. Delayed miscarriage (also called ‘missed miscarriage’ or ‘silent miscarriage’) This is where the embryo has died or failed to develop but your body has not
miscarried the pregnancy. There may have been little or no sign that anything was
wrong.
2. Anembryonic pregnancy (which means a pregnancy without an embryo) - This
is the name given to a fertilised egg that does not divide and develop as it should.
3. Incomplete miscarriage - Sometimes when a miscarriage occurs, not all the
pregnancy tissue in the womb comes away. Although the pregnancy is over, symptoms
of pain and heavy bleeding continue.
What if ‘conservative management’ does not work?
If no pregnancy tissue has been passed after 2 weeks further options will be discussed with
you.
1. Medical management (see leaflet).
2. Surgical evacuation (see leaflet).
Are there any risks?
There is a risk that you may bleed extremely heavily with the passage of clots. If this happens
you should contact the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit or attend A&E.
You may experience abdominal pain during the miscarriage which may be worse than a
normal period pain. Again, if this is severe you should contact the Early Pregnancy
Assessment Unit or attend A&E.
If pregnancy tissue is not passed and bleeding does not stop then medical or surgical
procedures may be required.
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Information for Patients
What else should I expect?
Tiredness is common after a miscarriage. It is important to let yourself recover both physically
and emotionally. Listen to your body and resume normal activities when you feel able.
Bleeding may continue for up to 2 weeks after the miscarriage and may be accompanied by
some abdominal discomfort.
You may require some time off work – the hospital can provide a sick note until you feel ready
to return. If you require any further support or information please do not hesitate to contact us
on one of the numbers listed.
Contact Numbers:
Good Hope Hospital
Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit Telephone Number (0121) 424 7747
Jacqui Rutter – Clinical Nurse Specialist Telephone Number (0121) 424 9737
E-mail jacqui.b.rutter@heartofengland.nhs.uk
Ward 2 Telephone Number (0121) 424 9202
Heartlands Hospital
Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit Telephone Number(0121) 424 3506, Senior Nurse ,
Angela Sampson.
Gynaecology Matron Tracey Nash Bleep Number 2178,
Email tracey.nash@heartofengland.nhs.uk
Gynaecology Assessment Unit (0121) 424 3505
Our commitment to confidentiality
We keep personal and clinical information about you to ensure you receive appropriate care
and treatment. Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you
confidential.
We will always ask you for your consent if we need to use information that identifies you. We
will share information with other parts of the NHS to support your healthcare needs, and we
will inform your GP of your progress unless you ask us not to. You can help us by pointing
out any information in your records which is wrong or needs updating.
Additional Sources of Information:
Go online and view NHS Choices website for more information about a wide range of health
topics http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx
You may want to visit one of our Health Information Centres located in:


Main Entrance at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Tel: 0121 424 2280
Treatment Centre at Good Hope Hospital Tel: 0121 424 9946 or contact us by email:
healthinfo.centre@heartofengland.nhs.uk.
Dear Patient
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Information for Patients
We welcome your views on what you liked and suggestions for how things could be improved
at this hospital. If you would like to tell us and others about your experience please make your
comments through one of the following sites:


NHS Choice:Patient Opinion:I want great care:doctor)
www.nhs.uk
www.patientopinion.org.uk
www.iwantgreatcare.org (Here you can leave feedback about your
Be helpful and respectful: think about what people might want to know about this hospital or
how your experiences might benefit others. Remember your words must be polite and
respectful, and you cannot name individuals on the NHS Choice or Patient Opinion sites.
If you have any questions you may want to ask about your condition or treatment, or
anything you do not understand or wish to know more about, write them down and
your doctor will be more than happy to try and answer them for you.
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