Can Stress Cause Miscarriage? What Research Really Shows

Can stress cause miscarriage..?

I don’t know about you, but this was definitely something I worried about, especially the first time I was pregnant.

Whether you’re a first-time Mom-to-be or already have an entire football team of children at home, the fear of miscarriage can be immense.

At the same time, if you’re pregnant and feeling stressed, you’re not alone. Most parents-to-be worry and feel stressed at some point — about their baby, their health, their job, or just the sheer change life is about to bring. It’s natural.

But alongside that stress often comes guilt: “Could this harm my baby? Could stress cause a miscarriage?”

Here’s the truth: everyday stress — the normal ups and downs of life — does not cause miscarriage.

Some research suggests that sustained stress (like long-term job strain or ongoing high anxiety) or major traumatic stress (like bereavement or disaster) may be linked with a modest increase in risk. Even then, the absolute increase is small, and the main cause of miscarriage remains chromosomal problems in the embryo — something no parent can control.

Let’s take a look at what the science actually shows.

Everyday Stress and Miscarriage

Everyday worries, deadlines, or daily frustrations do not cause miscarriage.
Guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the NHS, and NICE all say the same: normal stress is not harmful to pregnancy.
Large studies that tracked women early in pregnancy found no meaningful link between common stress levels and pregnancy loss once age, smoking, and medical history were considered.

Put simply: being busy, worrying about the baby, or snapping at your partner isn’t going to cause a miscarriage.

Sustained Stress (Job Strain, Long-Term Anxiety)

Where research has found a signal, it’s usually in sustained stress over time.

A 2017 meta-analysis (Qu et al., Scientific Reports) pooled eight studies and found:

Overall psychological stress was linked to a 42% higher relative risk of miscarriage (OR 1.42).
Work stress/occupational strain was linked to a 27% higher relative risk (OR 1.27).

In absolute numbers, that means (for overall psychological stress/work stress):

At week 6, a baseline miscarriage risk of ~9% could rise to ~12–13% / 11.4%
At week 10, when the baseline risk is under 5%, even a 40% increase would only bring it to about 7% overall or 6% for work stress.
If a live embryo/heartbeat has been seen on ultrasound, the risk in week 10 increases from 0.7% to 1.0% or 0.9 % respectively.

The increase is real but modest, and as you can see, the absolute difference is small, especially after a live embryo has been identified. It’s also possible that part of this link is explained by confounding factors, like smoking, poor sleep, or other health behaviors that sometimes come with high stress.

Severe or Traumatic Stress

Researchers have also looked at whether major traumatic stress can affect miscarriage risk.

Bereavement: Some large Scandinavian studies found no strong association between losing a close relative and miscarriage, while others saw a slight increase.
Natural disasters and war exposure: After events like earthquakes or during armed conflict, some studies found higher miscarriage rates. However, factors like reduced healthcare, infections, or poor nutrition may also explain these outcomes.

Bottom line: evidence is mixed. Severe stress may sometimes raise risk slightly, but it is not consistently higher than the effect seen with sustained work-related stress.

What Older Studies Found

Earlier research often produced mixed results:

A 2006 study found women with higher cortisol (a stress hormone) in very early pregnancy were more likely to miscarry.
A 2003 study linked stress and miscarriage, but stressed women in the study were also more likely to smoke, making it unclear what was driving the risk.
A 1998 study found no difference in miscarriage rates between high- and low-stress women.

These studies highlight why stress is hard to measure — results vary depending on how stress is defined and what other factors are controlled for.

Stress and Preterm Birth

Stress isn’t only studied in relation to miscarriage. Researchers have also asked whether it could play a role in preterm birth (babies born before 37 weeks).

A 2019 BMJ review found that women with high prenatal stress or anxiety had a modestly higher risk of preterm birth.

This doesn’t mean every stressed mom will deliver early, but it suggests that the same biological pathways (stress hormones, inflammation, blood flow) that might play a role in miscarriage could also slightly affect birth timing.

Again, the increase is small, and most stressed moms still carry to term. But it reinforces why managing stress for your own wellbeing matters.

How Stress Might Be Linked to Miscarriage (Possible Mechanisms)

These are research-based hypotheses drawn from studies on early loss (e.g., cortisol findings) and well-described stress pathways in pregnancy; they help explain why some studies find a small association under sustained or severe stress.

Stress hormones (cortisol, CRH): High levels early in pregnancy have been linked with miscarriage in some studies.
Blood flow to the uterus: Stress hormones can temporarily narrow blood vessels, which may reduce uterine blood flow.
Immune system shifts: Severe stress can alter the immune system, which plays a delicate role in supporting pregnancy.
Linked behaviors: Stress often comes with things like poor sleep, smoking, or less healthy eating, which themselves raise risk.

Important to remember: These are theories. They explain why extreme or long-term stress may sometimes appear linked with miscarriage, but they don’t mean everyday stress will affect your pregnancy.

Myths vs. Facts

To be crystal clear:

Myth: Everyday stress or anxiety can cause miscarriage.
Fact: Research shows normal stress levels are not dangerous for your pregnancy.
Myth: If I stay calm, I can prevent miscarriage.
Fact: Most miscarriages happen because of chromosomal issues, not your emotional state. Stress management can help you, but it can’t change genetics.
Myth: Miscarriage is my fault.
Fact: Miscarriage is almost never caused by anything you did.

Healthy Ways to Manage Stress in Pregnancy

While stress itself isn’t usually harmful to your baby, managing it helps you feel better and more resilient.

If you want to reduce the amount of stress you experience during pregnancy, the most important thing is to identify the source of the stress. Are you worried about the pregnancy? Or finances? Or work?

One thing that can cause a lot of pressure during pregnancy is not having the energy to keep up with your usual routine. This is completely normal! You’re not the first, and you certainly won’t be the last. Pregnancy takes a huge toll on the body, and as much as you’d like to think you are, you are not Super Woman! (Or, well, you are, but even Super Woman needs a break!)

Some safe, simple strategies to manage stress are:

Talk it out: Share your worries with your partner, a friend, or a support group.
Gentle movement: Walking, swimming, or prenatal yoga can calm both body and mind.
Rest: Prioritize sleep and naps when you need them.
Mind–body tools: Try deep breathing, meditation apps, or guided relaxation.
Professional support: If stress feels constant or overwhelming, talk to your doctor or midwife. Support for mental health in pregnancy is safe and effective.

When to Seek Help

Stress is normal, but if you’re feeling constantly overwhelmed, hopeless, or unable to function, don’t postpone reaching out to your healthcare provider. Support is available and effective.

And if you have miscarriage symptoms — heavy bleeding, severe cramps, tissue passing, fever, or fainting — seek urgent medical care right away. Stress itself isn’t the cause, but these symptoms need to be checked.

Conclusion

So, can stress cause miscarriage?

Everyday stress → no evidence of risk.
Sustained or occupational stress → modest increase in risk in some studies, but absolute changes are small.
Severe trauma → mixed evidence; not consistently higher than work stress.
Preterm birth → high prenatal stress may modestly raise the risk of early delivery.
Main cause → still chromosomal abnormalities, beyond your control.

The most important takeaway: you did not cause a miscarriage by feeling stressed. If that would be the case, the human race would be extinct since long.

What you can do is care for your well-being. It won’t change the genetics of a pregnancy, but it will help you feel stronger and more supported through the journey.

References

Paula Dennholt

Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.

Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.