What happens with a misscarrige/stillborn?

[FrillsandLaces]

Hya, I found out last week at my 20 week scan that my little boy has pelvic renal dilatation. I went for another scan which showed it was really severe. His kidneys nd bladder are to big for his tiny body. His water was low aswell.

A further scan today showed that his water is even lower and will get lower and lower. One of his kidneys had cysts on it and was completly packed out, the other is barely working. His bladder id that big it is in his chest where is lungs should be.

I have another scan in 3 weeks but he is likely to have died by then. My scan is just really to see if he is still alive. Either way there is nothing that can be done for him and he is going to die.

If he hasn't died by my next scan I will be having a termination, it is my only option. He isnt going to survive. Sorry to ramble on just needed to get that off my chest.

My question is, if I have a misscarrige before the scan what happens with a miscarrige? If I have a termination they will stop his heartbeat. What will happen? Will I go into what will be labour? Will I have to give birth to a dead baby? Will they let me hold him? Will they let me stay with him for a while?

I am 21 weeks and if he doesn't die in the next 3 weeks I will be 24 weeks pregnant by the time I have to terminate him. Just to be clear I do not want to do this, there is nothing they can do for my baby and I am absolutly devastaed. Im 21 and this is my first child. I was so looking forward to meeting him.

Even as im writing this I feel as though im talking about Someone else. It all seems surreal. I can't believe I am never going to meet my son alive, im never going to hear his first words watch him learn to walk and talk.

my partner is as devastaed as I am, I have no idea how to support him, I can barely process what is happening myself.

Sorry to ramble. I just need to get it off my chest. What will happen if I misscarry him? As in my body and him? And same if I have a termination?

Thanks for reading x

[ariane5]

So so sorry to hear such sad news. Iam afraid I do not know what will happen in terms of the birth as have no experience of this at your stage of pregnancy (have had a mc but slightly earlier).

Hope someone who knows more than me is along soon

Thinking of you

[LackaDAISYcal]

Oh love I'm so so sorry. Someone will be along with advice, but I couldn't not post. Wishing you and your DP strength over the coming weeks and months xx

[booksandchoc]

I can't help either but just want to add another hug in for you.x

[pickledparsnip]

Sorry I can't help. Sending you a huge hug xx

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry to read this. Like the others, I don't have any knowledge of your particular situation, but couldn't read and run.

Why don't you book an appointment with your GP tomorrow and ask them what the process will be?

Thinking of you x

[Bimblepops]

I'm so, so sorry, I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through.

Sending y

[Bimblepops]

Sorry, fat phone fingers.

Sending you a huge hug and all my sympathies.

[saycheeeeeese]

Lots of hugs, im so sorry about your angel boy x

[Tamdin]

I am so sorry :(
My best friend had a stillborn son in January. She was 28 weeks and hadn't felt him move that day and when she was scanned her fears were confirmed. Her baby had died.
She was admitted that night to hospital and given a tablet to induce labour. She was given a second tablet 12 hours later and delivered her baby in the early hours.
The hospital were incredibly supportive and she and her dh got to spend the whole day with him. The sands charity provided a lovely box to keep a lock of his hair and little memory things. I know she was very appreciative of that at the time.
It's an absolutely awful situation for any woman to go through. I am so sorry :(

[RufousBartleby]

Oh I'm so so sorry - how absolutely awful for you.

Have you tried posting this on antenatal/tests choices board as I think you will find more ladies who have been through what you are going through there? Also quite a few stories if you look back on that board of peoples experience of late termination.

I also think the NHS website is quite clear on the actual process.
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Abortion/Pages/How-is-it-performed.aspx

Would second the previous poster who suggested talking to your GP also.

Do you mind me asking, OP, why you feel you want to wait for the scan in three weeks given the diagnosis? Do you feel it would be easier for you if the baby died rather than the pregnancy was terminated? It seems to me to be an incredibly harrowing wait for you.

[FrillsandLaces]

Thank you for your replies. Id just like to prepare myself fr when it happens. IV tried reading it up on the internet but all its coming up with is what happens to the baby afterwards.

Rufous, yes. I want to wait the three weeks because I am hoping that it ends naturally rather than me take his life. I can't bear the thought that I am going to have to end my sons life. He is a baby, he's meant to grow bigger and im meant to meet him in July. This shouldn't be happening.

[Smartiescoffer]

a friend of mine had something similar and had to have a termination. Not sure what they did, think she took a tablet, her baby was about the same stage as yours and she was born alive and lived for half an hour. They got to meet her alive and to spend precious minutes with her. Not sure how normal that is but I suppose there is a chance you may get to meet your beautiful boy and hold him in his final moments. So sorry for you. They had a little service for their baby and I think that helped them in some way.
Really sorry.

[StrawberryGateaux]

Hugs to you op xxx

[RufousBartleby]

Oh Frills I know that feeling - have a (((hug))).

What an utterly dreadful time for you - I hope you have lots of lovely people around to support you in real life.

[ariane5]

Frillsandlaces-please, please if you go for your scan in 3 weeks and it has not ended naturally do not think for one moment that you will be taking his life if you end up having a termination.You have done nothing wrong so please don't make yourself feel bad that it will be your doing, it is something you have had no control over and you are not 'responsible' although I can understand you may feel like you are.

As I mentioned earlier I do not know the process, I have had a mc but it was at an earlier stage and managed surgically under GA (was mmc). I also have had a termination but far far earlier than your stage (I was 13 weeks) it was for medical reasons and also under GA so I can offer no real insight into what may happen for you as I was not awake during main part of it all.

What I can tall you is that yes, it is hard I was sad, very sad at the stage I was at so cannot begin to imagine how it must be for you.I have a memory box in which I keep scan photos and a couple of little bits I had already got for my babies at that stage.for a while I did blame myself but I know now I could not have changed things it was out of my control.

Every now and then I get my box out and I do still cry but I know that what happened with the mc and termination was not my fault.

I now have 4 lovely dcs but you never forget the ones you have lost.

I really really wish I could reach out to you and help you more.this has put my other problems into perspective and made me remember how I felt.

I truly am thinking of you and your little boy.sending you lots of hugs.x

[FrillsandLaces]

Thank you everyone. Smartie, one minute id like to meet him alive the next I don't. Realisticly it would be cruel to him if I gave birth to him while he was alive, he wouldn't be able to breathe and would suffer terribly. Im trying to prepare myself for when he arrives, its just not how I ever imagined it.

Rufous, it really is. One minute im alright and the next im crying my eyes out. I have a lot of support, my mum, step dad, sister and my partner. I have a younger sister who was so excited to meet him, she knitted him a blanket and its took her so long. Im planning to tell her we lost him when all this happens. Im upset for my mum aswel, he is her first grandchild and I could see on her face today how devastated she was. She was trying to put a brave face on for me. She's bought so much stuff for him already - a lot more than I have.

Im worried about my partner - he doesn't have much support. His mum lives abroad and he isnt close to the rest of his family. He's as devastated as I am and I have no idea hoe to help him. He's a mans man aswell and doesn't like to show his feelings. He's cried but then apologised when there's no need to say sorry and there's no shame in crying. I fee so awful for him. He has supported me through so much and now when he needs ny support I feel like there's nothing I can do for him.

Arian - Logically I know that im not ending his life but when I think about it it feels like I am. My poor little boy. I have no idea whats going to happen, its awful thinking im going to have to go through labour and instead of a baby looking at me and crying and me snuggling him, he's not going to be there. Its awful, I wish this was all a terrible dream.

Im going to get a nice box for his things, I have a clay mould thing that my mum got me for Christmas so I could make a mould of his hands and feet when he was born. Im going to use that still so I always have his little hands and feet. Im also going to buy a moulding set off eBay, you can make a 3d mould of your babys hands and feet.

Its awful isnt it, I know it isnt my fault yet I still feel like what could I have done differently? The doctrs and consultants have said its just one of these things and its nothing iv done. When i have another baby the chance of this happening is very unlikely.

Thank you so much x

[Bakingtins]

Frills, I am so sorry that you are facing this. I have only had first trim losses but my best friend lost her first baby at 25 weeks. She had an induced labour because the baby had died and was able to spend time with her and take photos etc. They chose to have post mortem tests because they hadn't known something was wrong then had a private burial service.
Have you contacted SANDS ? I would think they'd be able to offer support and if you need it, counselling, for you and your partner. Thinking of you, wish there was more e could do to support you, I hope you are both well supported IRL.

[Bluemonkeyspots]

I had a termination at 15 weeks for similar reasons.

Yes they will start labour and you give birth, it's up to you if you want to hold/see the baby.

The worst part for me was being on the labour ward and hearing all the women in labour and new babies being born (already had 3dc so labour ward had only had good memories till then) but I understood why they needed me to be there.

Afterwards we had a private funeral just dh and I and I got the keep the babies ashes that are beside my bed.

Make sure you and your partner talk to each other, you need to get through this together and unfortunately you will prob find out friends run a mile.

[JakeBullet]

Frills, I am sorry you are having to go through this, it's a really awful situation to be in.
As to your questions, I am an ex midwife and I helped many women going through the same process as you and helped them deliver their babies. I never once delivered a baby which was alive at the point of birth. From what you describe for your DS it sounds like his lungs will be be less mature than they would usually be at 24 weeks.
Usually what happens is that the baby is born in the amniotic sac....we don't break the waters. These babies don't make any effort to breathe as their problems are generally incompatible with life .
The midwife will take your little boy away and get him out if the amniotic sac and clean. They will wrap him up in a shawl so that you can give him a cuddle and spend some time with him. You'll be able to spend as long as you want with him so you can say goodbye.
They'll also talk to you about a funeral/blessing etc which you will be able to attend..it's only a simple thing unless you want to do your own thing.

Hope that answers your questions a bit.

Another organisation who can help are ARC.....Antenatal Choices and Results
here who have an excellent forum for families going through the same situation as you x

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

I'm so sorry about your little boy. I have had two pregnancies where the baby died at 20 weeks. Both times I took tablets at the hospital to start labour off, then came back the next day and had a pessary to help labour along.

The hospital I was at had a special room for people in this situation. The midwives were lovely and very kind. Although the babies were only 20 week size, labour was still painful, so I used gas and air.

Both times the midwives offered to do the babies' footprints, they were dressed in mini blankets which we kept afterwards. We were able to spend some time with both babies and take photos. I kept a little memory box for each baby.

We had a very small funeral and cremation both times.

[ErikNorseman]

You poor darling xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Shellywelly1973]

How are you?

Big hugs. x x x

[TERRICOVERLEYDoSAC]

So very sad to hear about you little boy. Thinking of you all.

Just to say that I had a missed miscarriage at 20 weeks. A lovely midwife got us through the delivery. We were treated very kindly and sensitively, given time with the baby (brought back to us wrapped in a blanket in a moses basket), given hand and foot prints etc.

My sister lost a baby at 24 weeks and at this stage her loss was treated as a still birth (and she received her full maternity leave entitlement etc). She got support from Sands.

I'm so very sorry that this has happened - sending you love.

[Rosduk]

I lost my little boy in nov at 28 weeks. I actually had an emcs as he was poorly and he lived for 2 hours so slightly different situation but I can tell you that once the baby is born they give you hand and footprints, a lock of hair (if there is any!) and lots of sands leaflets. You will be able to spend as much time as you like with him. Depending on how many weeks you will be If it is after 24 weeks you legally have to register them and have a funeral burial/cremation paid for by the state. For what it's worth we originally chose to cremate Thomas, but decided on a burial at last minute and I'm so glad we did as now we have somewhere to visit him. If you cremate it is unlikely you will get any ashes so just be aware of that.
I hope it all goes as ok as it can. Another one here sending you love x

[FrillsandLaces]

Thank you for your replies. I was induced last Friday and had my little boy on Sunday morning. He surprised everyone because he was born alive. He lived for half an hour and then passed away. Me and his daddy all got into bed together, we told him how much we loved him and we all lay together while he passed. He wasn't in any pain. His funeral is on Tuesday, I can't get my head round that its actually happened. I keep forgetting im not pregnant with him anymore. I stayed in hospital with him till Tuesday I couldn't bear to leave him. My poor little boy, he was so tiny yet big at the same time. He looked just like me but his hands and feet were just like his daddys. Im so proud of him he was so strong and im so glad he held on to meet us.