Mumsnet Talk

Hi,
I miscarried at 22 weeks - it was my first pregnancy.

It's now four weeks since the event and I have noticed spotting that is increasing - Is this my period or something else? The initial bleeding stopped at about 2 weeks but I've had some discharge or the other since.
If it's not a regular period, what do I need to think about?

so sorry to read about your loss, i am too wondering the same thing, i had a miscarriage last week at fifteen weeks, so ive got a while to go yet but have been reading some people had a period at two weeks, im still bleeding but wondering if the first period is heavier or lighter than a usual one as mine are usually very light and not much different from the bleeding im getting now...

not any help to you im afraid, just sharing in your questions and confusion

Sorry for you both. It was 42 days for me ( I miscarried at 12 weeks naturally at home). I think I was told to get in contact with hospotal if I stated to bleed again. Worth a check...

I wish you both a speedy recovery.

Thanks you for chiming in - - I am going to give it one more day and then see the GP tomorrow based on what's happening..

Sorry to hear about your losses.

I mc'd at both 20 and 16 weeks - both times my periods returned 4 weeks after - thought it would take longer but my cycles went back to normal straight away.

I had a late miscarriage at 20 weeks, it took 6 weeks before my first period came!

Thanks Going and blue - I too felt four weeks was too soon.. will wait and watch...

Well, I gave birth at 24+1, so it is similar to 22... My period was back 8 weeks later.

Mind you I tried to express every 3 hours for three weeks (tiny amount came out), so do not know if it would come earlier if I did not.

I am very sorry about your loss xxxxxx

Womanly just seen your post I am so so sorry for your loss. I have no words life has been very cruel to you I hope you have good news in the future. My period came at 4 weeks but m/c was much earlier. Was your discharge clear or always discoloured if so go

Oops go to gp

Hi Womanly I lost a baby at 18 weeks and bled for 3 weeks afterwards, I think part of that bleeding may have been a period as I was pregnant again by my 8 week check (so must have got pregnant 6 weeks after late MC).

My late MC was my second baby so I was expecting bleeding for 5/6 weeks like after giving birth, hospital told me to expect anything up to 4 weeks of bleeding but getting less and less.

This could easily be your period if you have no symptoms of infection, it may be that your body is recovering quickly. Did you have your baby in the hospital? Did they check all the placenta had come away? Are you in any pain / high temperature?

I hope you are physically okay anyway and am so sorry for your loss.

Hi, thank you for sharing. I did have my baby in the hospital and they were very sure all of the placenta had come out. This feels like a period with heavy days in the middle and and an easing of the bleeding today which is day six. I will wait till weds and if it all stops by then I will be relieved. I have no temp... just a headache from a head cold. I do feel some pain in my lower back and tummy but its really mild.

I'm glad you feel reassured that it may be your period and there are no signs of infection, it is very difficult not to become anxious about other things after you have lost a baby in this awful unexpected way. Make sure you are being taken care of and rest as much as possible, I sometimes took a very mild over the counter sleeping tablet in the immediate aftermath and it really helped. Also if you have been bleeding a little while it may be an idea to get your iron levels checked if you are not already on supplements.

Thank you combinearvester - I am on supplements - DH has been really insistent on those and also having good, nutritious food. I have so many conflicting feelings at present - a tug of war really between my body and my mind with my body obviously having the upper hand.

I gave birth at 20 weeks, and first period arrived 5-6 weeks later. (Normal cycle for me is 3-4 weeks so it was basically 2 weeks longer than usual, and that 2 weeks was postpartum bleeding for me)

thought i should add my experience here.

i bled for a couple of weeks after i mc'd at 20 weeks. i didn't get af for 12 long weeks after day i was induced. it was torture.

i went to gp after ten weeks and they told me to keep waiting. i eventually went to accupuncture after 12 weeks and came on the next day. my cycles have been regular ever since.

womanlytales I am so encouraged to hear your story. I had MMC at 20 weeks in early Dec. Now been waiting 11 loooong weeks for AF (or ov as been temping), am booked in for acupuncture next Sat as am so fed up waiting to try again. Consultant gave me standard advice to wait a cycle before trying again but am desperate to start straight away, does anyone know if there are any medical reasons why I should wait ?
Oh and for info my baby was perfectly healthy, he died because the cord got tangled , however am 36 so am worried about egg quality and risk of a MC in first cycle after MMC.... over worrying probably ! Any advice would be much appreciated.

So sorry to you all for your sad losses. I lost my little girl at 18 weeks in October. Af came along exactly 4 weeks later - quite welcome because I retained some of the placenta. Since then my periods have been regular - every 24 days, which was shorter than before and much, much heavier but over and done with in two days.

I was advised by my consultant that women should wait until first AF to try again, only because it is easier to date a subsequent pregnancy.

In my case I had to wait longer as we had a postmortem carried out on Baby as she was born alive. We had to rule out other causes before trying again in case it was something that might recur. As it turns out, she was perfectly healthy and all it was was an infection I had that could have easily been cured with antibiotics had the many doctors I went to in agony done a simple swab... but that's another story.

Basically, no medical reason to wait before you try again, but periods do indicate that all is well down there so I guess it's up to you!

Hi wt - we lost our boy at 35 weeks last August. I bled for a couple of weeks then had a vv light bleed after about a month and then AF finally came 3 months after. I got pg again that cycle and now 16wks. Sorry you are going through this. HTH