Hi. this is my very 1st time on mumsnet. I had an ERPC for a molar pregnancy 3 and a half weeks ago. I'm 42 and my partner is 47, and altho I have 3 beautiful boys from my previous relationship, this would be his first. He has lymphoma so every day is precious and he was told 9 years ago he was sterile. Imagine our joy at New Year to find out that I was pregnant, then 10 days later the pregnancy could not continue. I've been thru so many different emotions and mostly on my own as he's away alot. I feel very alone. I know he's sort of grieving too. Is it normal to have an extra heavy period after an ERPC? It's horrid

fran,

i am so sorry to hear your sad news,

i have suffered from recurrent miscarriages so i know some of what you mean by the rollercoaster of emotions,

i had some bleeding after a d+c but not what i would call heavy although it was for up to 3 weeks,

can you see your doctor and ask for his/her advice?

be gentle to yourself, it takes time for things to settle after such a shock

Hi Fran

So sorry to hear you're having a bad time. I had a molar pregnancy back in 1999, and it was horrible, so I know what you're going through.

Having said that, it does get better in time, it really does -- it seems like a blip to me now, but was completely devastating at the time.

I think it probably is normal to have an extra-heavy period after ERPC -- I remember the bleeding going on for a while afterwards.

There have been quite a few threads on this -- if you put 'molar pregnancy' into the search messages function on MN you should find a good few. I know soapbox has had one, and there are other regular MNers with experience. But it is still quite a rare condition, so if you don't get much response keep bumping.

Do feel free to CAT me if you'd like to chat off-board.

i had an ERPC in december after missed miscarriage and my first period after it occured, although it wasn't until about 7 weeks later, was normal.

the bleeding after the ERPC itself was light.

bumping in case someone with more knowledge is along.

i'm sorry you are going through this.

Thanks for all the replies. It's such a boost to read ur kind words. I know that sounds soppy but it's true!
I did read a thread on molar preg from 2005 but that just made me think that I was the only one trying to cope with such a thing right now!
I've always been such a together sort of a person, I hardly recognise the tearful emotional wreck I've been recently. I realise that all the crazy hormones have a lot to answer for so I'll just blame them.

Never been through your experience and I am genuinely so sorry for you. Things will get better though - you must believe that. I had a miscarriage a couple of weeks ago and I'm starting to feel human again now. Hormones really do strange things to a woman. Its truely horrible.
Take care and I wish you much luck for the future.

xxx

Oh sweetheart

It is horrible - I think any pregnancy loss is difficult, but even more so when your health is compromised too.

do you know yet whether it was a complete or partial mole?

I think the bleeding is fairly normal - they have to be meticulous about getting every last bit of the mole out and so tend to scrape out much more ferociously than a typical ERPC. So a bit more bleeding is probably to be expected.

It was horrendously lonely at the time, no one had a clue what it was really, including many of the medical staff. I'm not sure what testing regime you are under, but I was with Charing Cross, the hotline contacts there were excellent, so do use them if you get confused about things.

The other thing to bear in mind is that with a molar pregnancy, your HCG levels are 100's of times higher than a normal pregnancy, and coming down from that level of hormone overload is potentially very traumatic. So cut yourself a LOT of slack, and your DP too. It is a difficult time, but you know, as Bran says, life does go on, although giving yourself permission to withdraw from 'normal service' is perfectly understandable

Thanks soapbox.

It's 4 weeks tomorrow since ERPC and still no histology results so I don't know if it's complete or partial. I'm going to be under Charing Cross when it all gets sorted. I've looked at the website and the set-up looks good.

Your comment about the bleeding makes sense. After waking up in a pool of blood last night and bleeding all morning, I became v lightheaded. I contacted my GP who has put me on something to help it stop altho they can't give me anything hormonal.Got to go into A&E tomorrow if no better.Great.

I agree it feels like 'coming down off of something'. I think my 3 ds keep me sane.

Cuoldn't read and not post - just to say my thoughts are with you and yuor family.

I hope you get the support and attention you need.

Thanks Teuch

Waiting for the follow up treatment to start is a killer. I just want to try to heal and get on with my life.

Charing X are loverly.

Hope you feel better soon.

x

Did you just get a phone call from Charing Cross?

Not sure how contact will be made. I think I have to send samples to them as I live in East Kent.

Just wish I knew what was going on

Hi,

I had a complete mole in 2004 and now have a lovely ds. I can't remeber too much about the bleeding after the D & C but what I do remember was it was quite heavy.

I was also under Charing Cross and if you want to know anything about the follow-up that you will have to receive I'm more than happy to help.

It's a weird experience ( not great words I Know) Not many people that you'll speak to in RL will know what it is. I never knew mumsnet back then but did find a great website www.mymolarpregnancy.com which I found very helpful at the time.

thinking of you xxx

Thanks LHM. I'll look up that site.

It's true that not many people know what it is and it's rather painful having to explain to eg. GP receptionists when they're asking the usual awkward probing questions in front of a waiting room full of strangers!!

iirc you will be referred to them automatically by the hospital, and they will be in touch with an information sheet and sample boxes. Which will involve peeing in impossibly tiny test tubes and putting it in the post. Lucky postman.

And intermittently you have to organise blood samples too, which also get sent through the post. Of course the protocol may have changed, the last sample I did was post-dd2 in 2004.

Charing cross have a website here and they have a lovely person who answers the phone if you have any queries. So you could always give them a call and find out how the system works now.

Thanks frogs - useful info. I'll practice peeing with accuracy!

It's a good site, mostly american experiences but a few that have been with Charing X. It sometimes helps to read what you're going through in the words of others IYSWIM.

The last follow up I did was after DS was July 2006 and it was pretty much the same. Pee into the tiny tube (all over your hands!) and then down the hospital for the blood test which they will send off for you (pee & blood) Beware the fact that when you take in your note from Charing re blood test there will be 10 minutes of discussion between nurses about what it's all about, which colour blood tube they need to use etc. Don't blame them just remember which colour tube they use to save yourself time.

xx

Hi Fran

I am so sorry for your loss.

I experianced a twin molar pregnancy 10 years ago and was under charing cross. I had to have two years worth of testing. Monthly bloods and weekly urnine for 6 months and then down to monthly.

I have gone on to have two wonderful boys, although I did find my Molar a really hard experiance and if was difficult explaining to people, so in the end I just told them I had a miscarriage.

I hope that you receive some councelling and take some time to get over things.

Hi TheMadHouse.

My dp suggested counselling. I think I'll wait til I come down off the hcg a bit til I decide. I'm lucky that he's being v v supportive and patient.

Thanks for the tip re: tubes, LHM. x

Hi Fran, so sorry for your loss.
I had molar pregnancy (partial) 18 months ago. It is horrific experience but it does get easier I promise, I know that is hard to believe now.
They followed me up for 6 months, and i did get pregnant straight after (not suppose to, mind you) and thankfully have wonderful DD now aged 5 months.
I remember the bleeding being heavy but not overly so...do get it checked tomorrow if it doesnt settle.
I also remember being an emotional wreck for quite a while afterwards so be nice to yourself and allow yourself time to grieve too. [[[[[[[[[hugs]]]]]]]]]

Hi Fran, just felt i should drop in to offer some support. I had a complete molar pregnancy in march last year so i know how you are feeling. Keep pestering them for your results cos it took three months to get mine and i was in a right state by the time i got them.
All i can say is that it does get easier with time. I am now 18 weeks pregnant and although i am very nervous everything seems fine so far. I am so sorry for your loss and i hope your follow up goes well

Congrats lovelylou. I really hope it all goes fantastic for you.

4 and a half weeks and still no results. They don't seem bothered but it's constantly at the back of my mind.It is wierd feeling such loss for a baby that never was. Maybe it's harder cos it's so confusing.

Dr gave me something to help clots form so the bleeding is slowly easing.

im realy sorry to hear about your loss my name is paisley and on the 11/02/08 i found out that my baby didnt have a heart beat.i was supposed to be four months gone but wasnt putting any weight on and was told that the baby had died at 9 weeks and 1 day. its called a missed miscarriage but there was also a possibilty that it could be a partial molar pregnancy. i had the surgery on the 13/02/08 and am waiting for the test results. i cant stop thinking about it and how happy me and my partner were but now it feels like my whole world is crashing down before me.my partner has just clammed up and gone back to normal already i no hes gutted so i just want to be able to speak to him but he doesnt want to i dont no what to do i feel so alone i just need him but hes not there right now.i just dont no how he can move on so quick.xx

I know that feeling Fran. you still have to grieve for the baby you thought you were going to have.it's still a major loss so be easy on yourself. hope bleeding has settled down.

I had an ERPC to remove molar pregnancy on Monday. It's such a strange situation isn't it? I hope you don't mind me asking but was your stomach quite swollen after the procedure? I had got a bit of a belly (apparently one of the signs of a molar?) and kind of expected it to go to that post natal jelly consistency afterwards, however it still seems quite swollen - did you have anything like this?
I hope that your results have now come through - they have told me two weeks, but I won't be holding my breath!

hi mummytobea im sorry to hear about your situation yeah it is a realy strange experience a horrible one it just adds to your problems doesnt it? yes my stomach was quite swollen and still is abit but i had a bit of a bump anyway. its just swelling of the uterus but if you are worried go and see your gp. im afraid my results have still not come back its been two weeks tommorrow since the op i just hate the waiting. i hope all is well with your results well as well as they could be. i hope this has helped a little speak to you soon xx

hi mummytobea im sorry to hear about your situation yeah it is a realy strange experience a horrible one it just adds to your problems doesnt it? yes my stomach was quite swollen and still is abit but i had a bit of a bump anyway. its just swelling of the uterus but if you are worried go and see your gp. im afraid my results have still not come back its been two weeks tommorrow since the op i just hate the waiting. i hope all is well with your results well as well as they could be. i hope this has helped a little speak to you soon xx

sorry i stupidly posted it twice lol

Thanks Paisley, I have an appointment with the consultant at the acute gynae dept on Monday so am preparing a list of questions as my mind tends to go blank when I am confronted by a white coat and I always kick myself afterwards! It just seems so strange that it (my stomach) is bigger now than before I had the ERPC, I feel like everyone is looking and wondering if I am pregnant...! Anyway, I hope your results come through soon - I agree that waiting is the worst, at least when you have the results you know what you have to deal with if you know what I mean! Good luck xxx

yeah i no what you mean about your mind going blank lol. good luck to you to. i hope all is well keep in touch if you need to xx

MadFran and Paisley, just wondering if either of you had had your histology results back yet? I saw my consulant this morning who has confirmed mine was a complete mole - yuck! She thinks that the fact I started bleeding after a week without any means that the mole may have started to grow again so is talking about starting methotrexate. I am hoping to hear from Charing Cross in the next few days so I can get the bloods away for confirmation. It's all a bit of a shock, I was so convinced it would all be ok. I hope you are both ok and not still waiting to hear about results etc.

hi every one im afraid to say i had my results back a few days ago and it is a partial molar i am gutted.i also found out that my best friend is pregnant and having an abortion this friday i feel so low. me and my partner were convinced it was a miscarriage and were planning on trying again now i dont no what to do. i hope you are all wellxx

Hi Paisley, I am so sorry to hear your results (but glad you finally got them back!). It is a horrible shock isn't it, even though we were expecting it, it's totally diffferent when someone actually confirms it. I have to say though, please do not lose hope. Will you be referred to Charing Cross or one of the other regional centres? I am with Charing Cross and they are fab - remember that your normal hospital probably only sees a few cases of molar pregnancy each year whereas the regional centres see hundreds - I feel that my consultant over-reacted by talking about methotrexate etc as it seems my levels are dropping by themselves. I hope that you will be lucky too, remember that the people at Charing Cross (or whichever centre you are referred to) are extremely knowledgable and very helpful and it may be that you don't actually have to wait as long as you think. Please try to stay positive xxxx

Hi girls

The hospital have told me today i have a partial molar pregnancy I dont know what to expect, what to do from here. My ERPC will be on the 31st....

Julezboo, I am so sorry for your loss and to hear that you have been diagnosed with a partial molar too. I was sent an appointment with the consultant obstetrician at my hospital 2 weeks after the ERPC, I did chase as was so paranoid that they might forget me but they had it all in hand! At that appointment, the consultant confirmed that the pregnancy was molar then did an online referral to Charing Cross hospital for follow up. A few days later, I got my first pack from Charing Cross which was a sample pot for urine and a pot to take to the hospital for serum along with some information on molar pregnancies (which won't be anything new if you, like me have been trawling the internet for information!!) You just put the samples into a pre-paid padded envelope and send it back to Charing Cross - they will keep monitoring you until your hormone levels get back to zero as one of the symptoms of molar pregnancy is very high levels of hormone (I think it's hcg but keep getting the letters muddled up!!).
As your hospital know you have a molar before they perform the ERPC, they will do everything they can to make sure they get rid of everything. Please don't panic, I know it is hard when words like cancer etc pop up in the things you are reading but everything I have read has made me very positive that even if you need further treatment, recovery is good and it is possible to go on and have a healthy pregnancy in the future.

Sorry Julez, I have just realised that 31st is a week and a half away - is there anyone you can speak to to see if they can bring it forward? Usually if they suspect a molar they try to get it out asap - don't want to panic you but might be a good idea to check with someone...

thanks for the reply mummytobea

i need to wiat for a senior surgeon to do the op thats why i have to wait, I have had D&C's before and 2 sections plus an op to remove a cyst off my right ovary so I have alot of scar tissue they dont want to send a junior doctor in their poking around. Just in case they cause any more damage so i guess its good they are looking after my bits Although right now i could confidently say i never want to get pregnant again!

madfran and julezboo, i'm so sorry that there weren't the pregnancies you had so hoped they would be. any pregnancy loss is hard(and you do sometimes go a bit nuts with it), but i think this situation must be awfully difficult. i hope things are clearer for you both soon. my sympathies.

julez, just saw this and wanted to say so sorry hun . I hope things go as well as can be expected with the ERPC.

Oh goodness Julez, sorry that you have already been through so much. It makes sense to wait to try to reduce future problems I guess. I hope that you are ok - I think the waiting was worst for me (and I only had to wait a couple of days!) good luck xxx

Julezboo. I was told I may have a molar pregnancy last year. I know a little of what you are going through.
Keep ringing the hospital to get the answers you need to help you get through this.
I am so sorry for you and you DH.

so sorry julez xx

hi everyone i hope you are all goodx mummytobea yes i have been referred to charring cross im sending my first blood tests and urine samples off on monday.im on a research program they have asked if they can use some of the tissue to try and find out more about it have you been asked the same thing? ive also been sent a flyer about a drop in session at charring cross and have aplied i think it would be nice to speak to other people about there experiences and proffesionals face to face.i hope everything is going well for youxx

im realy sorry for you julezboo i hope everything goes well for you.dont beat yourself up give yourself time to grieve and time for your body to heal your going through alot let us no how it goes xxxx

I had my D&C the day before yesterday because of suspected molar pregnancy, but I have not bled at all really.
Should I be worried? Do you think?

I have an appointment with the doc on Wednesday to check my levels and the consultant told me that the doc would have my results.
Seems fast in comparison to you guys?

There again, I live in the back of beyond and things seems to be faster because of less congestion in the hospital.
Had my scan on Wednesday and D&C on Thursday, so all rather fast.
Luckily only 6 weeks along, so hoping it will all be over and done with fast and I can move on.
Or am I kidding myself.
Still feeling V nauseas and I hate that
How long were you guys dealing with pregnancy symptoms?
Crying at the drop of a hat too. Poor DD (18mo) keeps wondering why mummy has gone flop

Julez, so sorry you are having to wait. But as you say, you want to make sure they look after your body properly.
My Consultant was so confident that he would get it all and that it would cause no damage, I couldn't help but be convinced.

Your boys are gorgeous!
I can't seem to get any pics to upload, think they must be too big or something.

How far along are you?

DH and I had a few rubbish things happen with DD pregnancy (Hyperemisis, stuck shoulders, retained placenta and a D&C after cos they left placenta behind) But we try to think of it as a good story to tell Sometimes it helps us.
We are seeing this as a new chapter.
You have had a few rubbishy ones too. This additional one just was not needed thank you very much

twinling - thanks I think so too but I am bias! I do need to put recent ones up there DS2 now has the most gorgeous curly hair! and lots of it.

I was 14 weeks on monday just gone when I went in for my ERPC, been pretty poorly all week though cos I got a womb infection because the hospital let me bleed for a week before ERPC apparently with molar they should have took me straight down when i started but they sent me home!

I get my results on the 21st (which is also my DS1's birthday) will have a blood test and scan then and then another scan is booked for the 30th. I hate that its all dragging on forever! Ive been having scans since the first week in feb, weekly because they was unsure what was going on.

Hope your feeling okay today?

I guess no bleeding is normal, it may well come yet though, mine was minimal at first, only when i wiped but then i got ill, it got heavier.

I am sorry that you've had this. I had a mp in autumn 2002 - kept on going back to the doctors with feeling wrong and bleeding following erpc, and it took them 3 months to refer me for scan - another erpc that night, then emergency admission 2 wks later and referal to Sheffield (one of the other treatment centres). I had to have 9 courses of methatrexate to get hcg levels back to 0, and will be monitored for the rest of my life I believe. Following treatment, we had to wait 12 months before being allowed to start ttc again. Very pleased that the sample regime has changed - you used to have to do a '12 hr urine sample' which wasn't nice and certainly wouldn't want to have to do with ds in the house! Had a scare Autumn 06 following a mc - hcg levels just didn't drop as quickly as they should have done, and had to have scans and blood tests to make sure that mp not coming back.

However, we celebrated ds's third birthday yesterday. so even post mp and chemo, you can still have a wonderful outcome.

As I've been through treatment for mp, if anyone has any questions, let me know...

I had a mp in 2003, 2 d&c's followed by chemotherapy for 9 months to get hcg levels down. I had to wait for a year after chemo finished to ttc. We have now had 2 lovely girls, and I feel extremely lucky.

Good luck with everything, and if you want to talk to someone who has come out the other side, then please contact me. x

So sorry to hear your sad news Paisley and Julez.Good luck mummytobea.Hope it's all working out for you.

I was only 5 weeks when the scan identified the mp and they kept me in and did it all on the same day. 3 months on I've just had my 3rd clear result and my hormones have thankfully calmed down back to normal.

Twinklingfairy - the tears do stop but you shouldn't be hard on yourself cos it's right and natural to grieve.

Your story gives us all hope hazeyjane - thanks.