Early pregnancy loss – including miscarriage – is the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks’ gestation. It happens often and can be devastating, yet misconceptions about early pregnancy loss persist. To help set the record straight, we asked Dr Jade Bilardi, a social researcher with expertise in the topic, to share her 5 need-to-know facts.
Data from the 2025 National Women’s Health Survey shows that nearly 4 in 10 women in Australia who have ever been pregnant have experienced at least one early pregnancy loss.
But according to Dr Bilardi, there is a “massive” lack of awareness and education around how common early pregnancy loss is.
“What we find is that people often don't become aware of it until it happens to them,” she says.
Reasons for the knowledge gaps vary.
“At school,” Dr Bilardi says, “there's often a focus on preventing pregnancy and STIs, but not on the risk and types of pregnancy loss, and fertility.”
The 12-week rule – of not announcing a pregnancy until you’re past the first trimester – is another reason many losses can go unnoticed.
“Most miscarriages happen in the first trimester, so if you haven't told people around you that you're pregnant, then you experience a loss [it can be very isolating],” explains Dr Bilardi.
When a loss occurs, women often want to know why it happened – and end up blaming themselves.
“They’ll think: ‘Was it because I did this? Was it because I did that?’” says Dr Bilardi.
Others may even blame the woman too, she adds.
“Comments from other people are often well intentioned but misinformed and only feed into the woman’s sense of grief, loss and isolation.”
The reality is that many early pregnancy losses remain unexplained or unclear.
Even when there is a known cause, Dr Bilardi says “in almost all cases it's nothing the woman has done”.
She says that known causes include problems with the chromosomes (structures that carry genetic information), issues with the cervix or placenta, and blood clotting disorders.
We know that people often fear saying the wrong thing. But not saying anything can leave people feeling completely alone.
Dr Jade Bilardi
National Women’s Health Survey data shows that these myths still circulate, with 61% of women believing that lifting something heavy can cause early pregnancy loss. Meanwhile, 27% blame past use of birth control and 8% think having sex during pregnancy is a cause.
“These myths continue to prevail in the face of a lack of evidence and education,” says Dr Bilardi, who adds that raising awareness of the known causes and risk factors is crucial.
“It’s just as important to know what doesn’t cause or increase the risk of early pregnancy loss, as these misconceptions feed into that self-blame and other people blaming.”
It’s important to acknowledge that not everyone will want to talk openly about their loss. “For some people, it’s very private,” says Dr Bilardi.
But, she adds, raising awareness of the topic in general is a good thing. “It helps people feel more supported and less isolated in their grief and loss.”
Dr Bilardi says it can feel uncomfortable talking to women, partners and families who have experienced a loss. “We know that people often fear saying the wrong thing. But not saying anything can leave people feeling completely alone.”
If you know someone who has experienced pregnancy loss and want to show your support, Dr Bilardi offers these helpful do’s and don’ts.
Early pregnancy loss affects women, partners and families differently. Wherever you are in your journey, Dr Bilardi says it's important to take care of your physical and mental health. This often means getting support.
“Talking to other people who have gone through the same thing can be very helpful,” says Dr Bilardi. “For that to happen, some people might join a peer support group or seek out grief counselling.”
“If you have been pregnant in the past 12 months, you can also go to your GP and get a referral for 3 sessions of pregnancy support counselling.” Medicare helps cover some of these counselling costs, but it’s a good idea to ask your health clinic how much you’ll be covered before your appointments.
You can also find lots of useful information and support online. If you are struggling, visit:
Dr Jade Bilardi is a social researcher and an adjunct associate professor at Monash University and The University of Melbourne. She co-leads Miscarriage Australia and co-authored the early pregnancy loss reports from the 2025 National Women's Health Survey.
The research into early pregnancy loss was conducted by Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, the Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition and Pink Elephants Support Network as part of the 2025 National Women’s Health Survey. You can access the findings in the reports below.
All reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the information created by Jean Hailes Foundation, and published on this website is accurate as at the time of its creation.
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