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Stillbirth

Stillbirth: What to Expect Physically During Delivery and Recovery

Reviewed by Andrea Henkel, MD, MS Complex Family Planning, Stanford University Clinical Associate Professor & Lavela Clinical Advisor

Stillbirth usually involves labor and delivery, followed by physical recovery that can resemble postpartum recovery after a live birth. This may include bleeding, cramping, breast changes, pain, hormonal shifts, and fatigue. Knowing what to expect physically can help a little, even though it doesn’t lessen the loss.

What happens physically after stillbirth is diagnosed?

If a stillbirth is diagnosed, your care team will talk with you about delivery. In most cases, this involves inducing labor. The process can take time. It may include medication, pain management, monitoring, and support in the hospital.

Depending on the situation and your medical history, the details of care may vary. Your team may also discuss testing, memory-making options, and decisions that can feel difficult to take in while you’re still processing the news.

What is delivery like?

Physically, labor after stillbirth can look similar to other labor experiences. You may have strong cramping and contractions, a vaginal delivery, bleeding during and after delivery, physical exhaustion, and tearing or soreness, depending on the birth.

Your team should explain pain management options and what to expect as labor progresses.

What is recovery like afterward?

Recovery after stillbirth can include vaginal bleeding that gradually slows over days to weeks, uterine cramping, perineal pain or pelvic soreness, breast fullness or milk coming in, hormonal shifts, fatigue, and hot flashes.

You may also have follow-up visits to review healing, discuss test results, and talk about symptoms that would need urgent attention.

What symptoms should be taken seriously?

You should call your doctor if you have very heavy bleeding, fever or chills, severe pain that is not improving, foul-smelling discharge, shortness of breath, chest pain, or any other concerning symptoms.

Your team may give you additional instructions based on the birth and your medical history.

Why the physical recovery can feel especially hard

The body may be recovering from birth while the mind is grieving a death. That contrast can feel deeply painful. For some people, the postpartum symptoms themselves are part of the grief. Bleeding, milk coming in, and body changes can all be reminders of what happened.

The bottom line

Stillbirth usually involves labor and delivery followed by a postpartum recovery period. The physical recovery may be similar to other births, but the emotional context is very different. Clear medical support matters, and so does compassionate follow-up.

FAQs

In most cases, yes. Labor and delivery are usually part of the medical process after stillbirth. A D&E (Dilation and Evacuation) is a way to medically assist in the delivery of a baby up to 26 weeks. A c-section is very rarely the right next step.

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