Seeking Miscarriage Advice

M.,

I know what you're going through. I've had a miscarriage, and my sister has had two miscarriages and a stillbirth. I found A LOT of my questions answered on www.pregnancyloss.info. There's a lot of information on all types of miscarriages, what to expect medically, and on emotional support. I hope this helps.

A.

if you bleed more than two weeks get into the dr and you might have to have a d and c again due to not all the material passing. Hang in there, you need to see a reproductive immunologist and Reproductive endocrinologist. I would suggest dr Kwak-kim if you are in IL.
J.

I'm so sorry that you've had these loses. Something that your doctor should be looking into since you've had so many miscarriages is the following:

Protein S Deficiency - this is a blood clotting problem that sometimes appears only during pregnancy and can have devastating consequences. Being put on bloodthinners early on in a pregnancy can prevent miscarriages.

I have Protein S Deficiency. You can google this and find out more.

M.,

I am so sorry for your loss too. It sucks. Thats all just really sucks. I just had a miscarriage almost 2 weeks ago at 10 weeks. I spotted for a week prior to losing the pregnancy then from sunday to about wednesday thursday heavy bleeding passing more stuff. But by the following sunday I was feeling much better almost back to my old self just a little on the sad side. It helped to look at my active healthy 2 year old little guy and know that we would try again. My doctor has me going in to see her in another week to do an ultrasound and more blood work and get the all clear for another try. Good Luck! and look at your boys and smile.

Although my experience was about 19 years ago, I have gone through a similiar situation. I had 3 children at that time & then had 2 miscarriages. The first I had the D & C, the second I let go naturally with my doctor's knowledge.

I think the main concern is that the entire placenta has come out. After that, the bleeding could continue in duration as if you had just delivered a live birth, to only the time of your normal menses.

We purposefully waited 6 months, so my body could heal & strengthen. I had another pregnancy after about 6 months of natural, healthy eating, and care and delivered a beautiful full term baby #4.

Total I had 6 pregnancies/ 4 live births. The first 2 births were in the hospital, the 3rd at home, then 1st miscarriage & went to the hospital for the D & C, the 2nd miscarriage at home & doctor's office, then my last child at home. I much preferred the home births & home miscarriage. Children are a blessing from the Lord & I know I will see my other 2 in heaven one day.

I'll pray for your recuperation. I hope you have Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
D. M.

I know exactly what you are going through and it is one of the most difficult experiences. I have been trying to have a baby for the last year and have had two miscarriages. The cramping should go away in about a week but the bleeding may last two but should slow down in a few days. Take an Advil to relieve the cramping if you are really uncomfortable. The other downside is the huge drop in hormones that leave you feeling like you are on an emotional roller coaster. That is also normal, so hang in there.

Unfortunately, having one miscarriages does not change your odds much for having another. It is like playing the lottery. The great news is that you already have two children! Hopefully this is like my doctor has said, "bad luck". I am sure that is not what you want to hear because I know it is not what I want to hear either. I would wait two to three months before trying again to give your body/mind a chance to heal. Stay strong and here's to hoping that we both have some "good luck" soon!

M.,
Let me first say my heart goes out to you and I am so very sorry for what you are going through. I have had a total of 3 miscarriages; 2 in the past year. 2 of them were at about 6 weeks which I handled naturally. The 3rd was at 9 weeks and I was going to go the natural route until one night, about 3 or 4 days after the bleeding first started, I suddenly had bad cramps, ran to the bathroom and began bleeding VERY heavily. I ended up with a d&c that night. if you do end up having one, at least the good news is you can try to start getting pregnant sooner and also you know all the tissue has been removed. Finally, I would most definitely recommend getting your progesterone level checked. We just found out, after many many tests, that mine is low. My fertility doc put me on chlomid (sp?) and I would assume I'll go on progesterone when/if I am pregnant again. At least I feel more hopeful about trying again.
Again, my heart goes out to you as I know exactly how painful this all is. Like Holly said, having children does help greatly but when your heart has that longing for another child, it is a very powerful thing. Hang in there. It will get easier. **big hugs**

HI M.--
I am soooo sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I had 2 girls before I had 2 miscarriages and then finally got pregnant successfully with my daughter. I think the bleeding is determined by how far along you were. It will be like a longer heavie, more painful period...so an extreme version of however you normally menstrate.
Good luck to you,
S.

My advice to you, seek medical treatment. I experienced a miscarriage 2 years ago and the doctor was able to remove everything without performing a D&C. She just placed pressure and pushed down on my uterus and was able to clear my uterus (removing of the embryo sac and fluids). So don't delay. Avoid infections.

M.,
I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I have had 3 myself. The first one I had a D&C & the second & third passed naturally. I'm sorry, I can't remember how long it took for it all to happen, but I do remember being miserable. I want to say that I bled for a couple of weeks & cramped pretty bad. I think that my doc prescribed some ibuprophin. Be prepared for some pretty nasty clots too. Not to gross you out or anything...just so that you know. Sorry, I don't remember much else. I think that I must have tried to block them out! has your doctor suggested that you take baby asprin during your pregnancies & when trying? They think that I might clot easily, and that was their suggestion. I've got two beautiful boys too. 3 1/2 & 7 months. Good luck to you & your efforts for a third baby. Sorry for all the misery you're going through now!

I have had several miscarriages resulting in only one D & C but if you are having heavy bleeding and cramping you need to go to the doctor, you very well may need another D & C.

No need to be rushing to the doctor as one poster stated. It's all perfectly normal as long as you aren't filling a pad in 20 minutes. I've had five miscarriages and passed all but one naturally and only one bled so heavily I had to rush to the doctor's office. The bleeding generally seems to last about as long as a period (up to one week), the timing of when it's heavier and lighter just varies from a period. Cramping is normal. If you're concerned, just talk to a nurse at your OB's office, they should make you feel better.

Hang in there! I know how it feels, especially while trying to care through little ones at home. It's nice to have them for the hugs, though! If your 3 m/cs have been in a row, you may should probably see a specialist. If not, it's up to you an your OB.

When I went through my miscarriage, it happened on a Saturday night (at 5w5d) and I continued to bleed heavily and cramp for about 7/8 days and then the cramping stopped and it was light bleeding for another about 7 days. And then the bleeding stopped besides a bit of spotting until my hCG levels went below 4...but it was a long process and it was hard on me, both mentally and physically. But it definitely served as a healing process since I wasn't able to start trying but it was hard. I hope my experience helps you through yours. =]

~Angie

i found i healed much faster physically and mentally from a d & c this last time they did a hysterscopy to romove the baby to do chromosomal tests to see if they could figure out why this was happening to me my dr did a great job it was done at a surgical center not a hospital

just remember you have the strength to get thru this

J.

Hi M.,
So sorry for your loss. The bleeding can last 7-10 days, but there is always a concern that not all of the fetal tissue has been passed--which may be why you're cramping. It's advisable for you to see your doctor to have an evaluation of the situation. A D & C may be necessary.

retired RN

At 10 weeks you need a D&C. You may still have fetal material in your womb and that could lead to infections. You need to go to the doctor and have some tests done to determine why you had three miscarriages.

I had two in a row and they did a battery of tests on me that included drawing 19 vials of blood. They finally found that I have a gene mutation called PAI 1....it causes blood clots in my uterus and causes me to miscarry. Now I had two children no problems and then two miscarriages...one at 7 weeks or so and one at 10 to 12 weeks....At first they thought I had a mole. It was a little exhausting figuring it out.

I am now pregant with my third and I have three to four weeks to go. Things are going well. I've been well monitored.

You need to go to the doctor. Please ask them to do some tests...thyroid, PAI 1 gene test, and so forth. Did they test what was collected with the other two miscarriages? What did they tell you was the problem. Have they done any tests?

You could get a serious infection...go to to the doctor. And you will bleed for a little longer than a period. With my first I bled for probably 10 days instead of the 7 days I would bleed during my period. With the second and the d&c I bled for about 7 days.

Oh and I healed much faster after a d&c than when I didn't. I just had to wait a little longer to try again. I am on a blood thinner once a day to keep me from clotting. It has worked like a charm.

First of all I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I know how painful mentally and physically it can be.
I think if I remember right it took about 2 weeks. It wasn't heavy the whole time but I think it lasted that long in total. I think it is great that you are letting your body do it itself. I feel like that is better for your body and your hormones. Again I am so sorry. Feel better soon. [[[HUGS]]]

M.,
I am very sorry to hear about what you're going through. I had 2 miscarriages myself, one at 7 weeks and another at 11 weeks. For the one at 11 weeks, initially I let nature take its course but the bleeding became so heavy I had to have surgery. Please be careful - before I went into surgery I was starting to go into shock. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
C.

Hi, M.,

I'm so sorry to hear about your losses. I've had technically, three miscarriages (although one of them was at 17 weeks and a live birth). With the two "regular" ones, I had D&C's. For the second one, the doctors gave me the option to take some medicine and let my body pass the tissue, but I was advised that it might take up to a week and be painful. I opted for the D&C and was so glad I did, as they said there was more material left in my body than they realized - even using the ultrasound. So, my advice is to call your Doctor and discuss the possibility of scheduling a D&C.

Good luck to you. Again, I'm sorry for your losses. Things just don't seem fair sometimes, do they.

L. - Chicago

M. S.

I am so sorry to hear that you had a miscarriage. I know it is very hard, I had one a little over two years ago. I was 7 weeks along in the pregnancy. I bleed for about 4 days or so. After my miscarriage, I was depressed and gained a lot of weight. I had some cramping and that went away in about a week. Everyone is different on what happens to their bodies after a miscarriage and even during a pregnancy.

M.

I'm so sorry to hear this.

I had 2 miscarriages. My first ended in a D&C since I was having heavy cramping (for 2 days) and nothing was passing.

My second miscarriage I went the "natural" route and it took about 2 full weeks from start to finish. I had a lot of bleeding the first couple days, then I started the heavy cramping, passed all the tissue (that took a couple days) and then I had medium phasing into light bleeding. So, it took a little longer.

Definitely look for tissue (tissue will not break apart when it's in water, blood clots usually do). If you are not passing tissue withing a few days of beginning to bleed, you'll definitely want to go see your OB-GYN. If you want to not do a D&C, there are pills that they can give you to help the miscarriage along (it's what I used with my 2nd miscarriage).

Take care of yourself.

Hi M.,
I am so sorry to hear this, you must be in such pain emotionally and physically! I have had 4 miscarriages all w/ in 1st 3 months. The bleeding may continue for up to a week or more. What does your doctor say?

Have they investigated why you are miscarrying? Have you had all the blood tests as well as the histopinogram done as well? Do they know if you should be taking progesterone supplements?

Did you get any closure to your miscarriages? Were you able to bury any of them or say goodbye? It is so important to be able to say goodbye to this soul, your little boy or girl.

We buried one of our little ones. We had a heartbeat w/ him and all was going really well. However, due to my uterus makeup, the little one was not getting enough nutrition and died. We found out I had a septate uterus. Our little passed at 7 1/2 weeks after seeing his heartbeat at 3 different appointments! I was devastated and very angry at all! We had a culture done on the placenta and found out the baby definitely was a boy! Jacob Edward we named him. He is buried by other babies that died so young at our church.

I am praying for you! I now have a little one who is 8 months old after all this heart ache!

Take care of yourself,
A.

I had a miscarriage several years ago but I had a D&C. I just wanted to send you hugs and tell you I am sorry for your loss. *Hugs*
A.

Get to a doctor right away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You could start to hemorrhage and a million other things could happen. That's why they do a D&C top make sure everything came out. The cramping is a sign that you need medical attention and heavy bleeding is too. Please get to a doctor right now. Love and luck!! Let me hear from you.

If I were you I would see a doctor immediately. Just because the pregnancy passed out of your body does not mean that all of the other matter that is designed to assist the pregnancy did. You run the risk of infection and God knows what else if you don't make sure that your body is rid of all the vestiges of the pregnancy. Your children are young and need your attention and you presence. If you suddenly become unexplainably ill because you neglected attending to your own health concerning this matter, who will care for them??? Suppose the vestiges of the pregnancy set up an infection? It could be life threatening. See a medical professionl immediately!

My experience was similar to Jennifer's -- about a week of bleeding and cramping. (I miscarried at 6 weeks) If it's not getting better after that or if you feel that something is not right, call your doctor.

By the way, when you are ready to start trying again, I just read somewhere that taking B6 and B12 vitamins can help prevent miscarriage. Good Luck ~

When I had my miscarriage I did not have a D&C done....however, I was not 10 weeks along either. My doctor and nurse told me that we would see how the bleeding did on its own and if it didn't stop within a few days we would have to look into a D&C to make sure everything was out. Good luck as you go through this time...it is never easy...but as you know, it does get better. I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry for you M.. My first miscarriage I let my body take care of. I'm not positive on the exact amount of time it took but I think the bleeding lasted about two weeks. Pretty heavy at first, maybe the first week even. Pretty graphic but I remember thinking, I didn't know I could bleed so much. I don't remember the cramping as much other than the first day or two. Some Tylenol or Ibuprophin I think helps a little. Be sure to ask your doctor. Hopefully, it will help occupy your mind since you have little ones at home. I wish you the best.

I m/s at 5 weeks so it will be different for me. I did however bad cramps the first 24 hours and then heavy bleeding for about 7 days. If you are concerned call your doctor.

I am also so sorry for your loss. I hope your doctor is recommending that some tests be run since this is your third m/s. Also make sure your doctor wants to see you in a few weeks to make sure that everything has "passed" through your body. Mine also gave me a blood test for HCG to make sure my levels were below 4 or something like that.

Sorry again....

I am very sorry for your loss. I have had two m/c's in the last 5 months my self. If you haven't gotten any answers yet from your ob, it can leave you with many questions I know. Something to check out, www.lowprogesteroneinpregnancy.com
My ob is having my hormone levels checked as well as something with how my blood clots which can be remedied with taking low dose aspirin at conception.
As for letting your body pass things naturally after 2 dncs is a good idea and I would do the same. I passed my second naturally in 2 weeks, but I was only 5 weeks. It could take 3-4 and gradual tapering off of the bleeding. Obviously it is heavier at first.
There is also something I found online referred to as "second infertility" which refers to women that have had perfectly healthy pregnancies that bore healthy kids only to find they can't conceive or carry after. I also have 2 kids and was devastated with both b/c I never thought this would happen to me once let alone twice, and after talking to so many women realize it can happen many more. But my OB seems to think a simple regimen of progesterone and baby aspirin will work for me next time so we're crossing our fingers and saying our prayers. This is a lonely and difficult thing to go through and not many people realize how painful it is unless they go through it. Don't accept "well you already have 2 kids to be happy about" which might be the case, but doesn't give you any solace with the ones you have lost or the third child you dream of having. You can send me a message if you have any questions or need to chat, ____@____.com
thoughts and prayers to you!

I went through the same thing twice and decided against a D&C because that could ruin risk of getting pregnant so I passed it naturalyy. for the first period after miscarriage cramps are more intense as well as bleeding and clotting. in the next few periods this will decrease but in my case, i suffered from endometrosis so my cramps were 10x what they should have been and the bleeding always left little tiny blood clots...not a pretty site. but it is natural and if I remember correctly after about 4-6 months the clotting went away, the bleeding was still pretty heavy and cramps bad but again my codition was a little different with endo. what you are going thru is perfectly natural but if clots are larger than what they should consult with doctor.

I am sorry for your loss. I miscarried at 6 weeks before I got pregnany with my now 7 month old daughter. I did not have a D&C after the miscarriage. I was supposed to when we got back from vacation, but instead found out I was pregnant again with my 7 month old. It took me atleast a week before my body slowed down on the bleeding. I'd say if it doesn't atleast slow down by then, then you might want to go into see your doctor. But I'd wait a few more days before going to the doctor, to see if your body will push out everything.

M., so sorry to hear of your miscarriage. I also suffered through one a few years ago and decided to let my body handle things itself as well. I had bleeding and cramping for about 3 days and then gradually felt better. However, I didn't get a period again for 4 months. Finally, my doctor decided to take a look and found a piece of tissue that had embedded in my uterus. So needless to say, I needed the DNC anyway and I wished I had just gotten it right from the get go. Every woman's body is different, but if you're still bleeding and cramping after 4-5 days, you should definitely see your doctor to make sure there aren't any other complications. I was told the bleeding and cramping would last 3-5 days and if it persisted to call my doctor. You may feel rather sluggish and tired for about a week to 10 days, but again, everyone's body is different and a lot of things can factor into your recovery period, so I would suggest calling your doctor now for a folow-up check-up. Hope this is helpful!
J. R.

M.,

words cannot describe how very sorry I am for your loss.

There is some really good info online at some of the pregnancy websites like babycenter.com, americanpregnancy.org, even webmd.com can help you understand what is happening to your body and what to expect.

unfortunately the emotional side effects will last much longer than the physical. you should definitely keep aware of your bleeding and pain and ask your doctor at what point he feels the symptoms are a cause for concern.

you want to avoid infection and keep an eye on your temperature. If you get a fever, seek doctors advice right away. if your bleeding is extremely heavy and you feel weak or lightheaded that needs to be addressed as well, especially being home with your boys, you want to make sure you take care of yourself so you can take care of them.

I was asked to bring in any large 'clots' I passed - that was very traumatic for me...

I wish you well in your recovery... and again, I'm so very sorry for your loss, nothing we could say here can diminish your pain... [[hugs]]

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I suffered a miscarriage too with my first pregnancy in 2004 after 2 years of infertility. My cramping lasted about a week, I think, and my bleeding was a week and a half. I passed some strange things that looked like pieces of thin "tissue," most of which happened in a public restroom down the hall from my OB/GYN, which just made things even more devastating. I called out to a stranger who just entered the restroom to please go tell my doctor's office I needed help. She ignored me, so I told her I was having a miscarriage and needed help. You would have thought I was asking her to go get the janitor to get more toilet paper - she sighed and reluctantly left the restroom. She then popped her head back in the restroom a few seconds later, said, "Someone is coming," and then left me alone in the bathroom!! Not that she could have done anything, but I would have at least stayed in the restroom with the person until help came.

Check with your doctor about the length of your symptoms. Also, my doctor did blood work every few days to make sure my pregnancy hormones were going down and that I would not need a D&C. My doctor did give me medication to speed up the process since my husband and I had a family trip planned with 13 other family members for the following week and really could not cancel since so many others depended on us to go. I remember having intense cramping in my abdomnen and legs to the point I was doubled over, even in the middle of the night. The only relief was to walk around.

Again, I am sorry to hear of your loss. It is a difficult process emotionally and then you have to deal with the physical pain of the cramping.

V.