Spotting and passing tissue after a miscarriage

Author: Aunt Vadge
Qualified Naturopath | BHSc(N)

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Hi Aunt Vadge,

I had a miscarriage this past November. I bled for about a month or longer afterwards. I recently had my first normal period last week; it ended, but I’ve continued to spot for the past four days. It’s red, sometimes brownish. This morning while wiping, a mass that looked like a cluster of tissue came out. It looked old, and I’m not sure what it was – I just need a little guidance.

Sincerely,
Spotty
United States, age 22

Hi Spotty,

First, I’m so sorry for your loss. A miscarriage takes a toll on the body and the heart, so be gentle with yourself while things settle.

Now, the part I want you to act on first. Because you’ve had ongoing irregular bleeding since the miscarriage and you’ve just passed a cluster of tissue, please get checked by your doctor before anything else. After a miscarriage, the most important thing to confirm is that the uterus has fully emptied – sometimes a little tissue is retained, and that can cause exactly this: prolonged spotting, old brown blood, and passing clots or tissue weeks later. A quick ultrasound and exam can confirm whether everything has cleared or whether some retained tissue (or a low-grade infection) is keeping the bleeding going. That’s the piece I can’t check from a letter, and it’s worth sorting properly.

Get seen the same day if the bleeding becomes heavy (soaking a pad an hour), you get a fever, foul-smelling discharge, or bad cramping pain, or you feel faint or dizzy – those can signal infection or heavier bleeding that needs prompt care.

Once a doctor has confirmed your uterus is clear and healthy, then it’s a lovely time to give your hormones and cycle some naturopathic support to find their rhythm again – and that’s where the rest of this comes in.

Herbs that could help

The herb I’d be looking up in particular is vitex to regulate hormones, but a few others might include Beth Root, Dong Quai, False Unicorn Root, Wild Yam, or even Raspberry Leaf. These can be bought in tea form online or in a local health-food store, but make sure you buy them from a reputable place. Generally with herbs, the more it costs, the better the quality. Buy herbs from people who are proud of how good their herbs are – organic is also best, but you want high levels of the active ingredients, which only happens when plants are grown and prepared with care.

Why it helps to see a herbalist or naturopath

Because I can’t know anything more about you than you’ve told me, it’s important to get advice from a real-life practitioner rather than taking high-dose herbs at home without guidance. Herbs are not ‘just natural’, and they aren’t safe simply because they’re a plant. A dozen wild almonds contain enough cyanide to kill you! Plants are powerful, sometimes full of poisonous compounds, and they really do act on your cells – which is exactly why we love them, and why we’ve spent years studying them.

Tea is generally safe to take at home and shouldn’t cause a bad reaction, but do your homework on what you’re taking and why, even with tea. From what you’ve said, you want to regulate your hormones and cycle, and give your uterus a bit of TLC. A naturopath or herbalist can take your full case and prescribe the fastest-acting, most appropriate herb for you, so you solve it sooner rather than fiddling at home – you can always book in with us too. I know money can be tight at 22, so a herbal medicine tea and good advice from a health-food store is a reasonable budget starting point.

Look after your iron

With all that bleeding, you may well be low in iron, so I’d heavily recommend a giant slab of steak cut into meal-sized portions (a fist-size), or if that’s not your thing, some high-quality iron supplements plus plenty of fresh green leafy vegetables, legumes, eggs and fish. I really like the (undelicious) iron water in the sachets of Spatone as a better-absorbed iron supplement, though they are expensive.

The sneaky part: iron is what turns the blood tap inside your uterus off, so losing a lot of blood dumps your iron stores, and then the iron deficiency keeps you bleeding. Check your energy, and look at your skin, nails and the pinks of your lower eyelids – if you’re pale all over and running low on energy, iron up.

So: get the check first, look after your iron, and then support your cycle back into rhythm. Write back and let me know how you go.

Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge

This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.