Mumsnet Talk

Reposting my comment from the other thread:

For a start, could they not use removal instead of evacuation. AFAIK they are synonyms and I personally don't find removal quite such a repulsive word.

I slightly prefer pregnancy tissue to retained products of conception as it implies that the situation is being recognised formally as being an actual pregnancy, not just a sort of medical blip.

Marking place.
I will get on to the scanning and emailing tomorrow

Please can you remind me how to check if my MP has signed up? Thanks

RRPT
Removal of Retained Pregnancy Tissue?

RMPT
Removal of Misscarried Pregnancy Tissue?

Agree removal is a better term but there could be a better phrase than PT

Is material any better than tissue?

Not IMO, material suggests rubbish to me.
How can I check if my MP has signed up please?

I think that the word "conception" is hurtful to some, because it is such a great moment, when you know you have conceived, that you have made that baby.

"products" sounds very clinical, but the same could be said of "tissues".

Which is understandable, as they have to use "medical language".

"evacuation" for me suggests moving someone to safety - not a connotation that is correct here.

Removal of non-viable pregnancy?

Medical Conclusion of Non-Viable Pregnancy

I don't know what the background is on why it was changed to ERPC from D&C (dilation and curettage). My first MMC I was told I was having a D&C ( 8 years ago ) and my second MMC I was told I was having an ERPC ( 6 years ago ). Nobody explained there was no difference.

Personally, I much prefer the term D&C - as it is technical enough not to have me overthinking it, if that makes sense. I prefer it, on reflection, to any other terminology that describes the process more specifically. I realise its a very personal thing though.

The Miscarriage Code of Care is on the agenda locally, being raised at an upcoming meeting with the SHA and local councillors.

I think I agree with Taffeta, I know it sounds a bit silly in this day and age when we're meant to face everything head on, but I think there is value in being a bit euphemistic. I'm if if there's a layer of protection for people who've lost a pregnancy to think 'lost foetus' rather than 'lost baby', but maybe I'm wrong?

Written to MP

I agree, I prefer D&C to ERPC too.

Agree with Taffeta - Having just gone through my second miscarriage I would have much rather heard the term D&C or even, as MmeLindor suggested, "medical conclusion of non-viable pregnancy".

Will contact local MP for signature -

Thank you, MN.

Surely surgical conclusion would be the proper term. Sorry to be pedantic.

I agree that ERPC is unnecessarily distressing and confusing - don't get me started on incompetent cervix and ovarian drilling. I'm pretty sure they would have more sensitive terminology if relating to male body parts.

Also, it can be confusing as I often get the acronym muddled up (if giving medical history for example). I don't want to think through each of the words to remember the correct acronym and apparently there is a procedure called ERCP for gallbladders

DH and I have both thought about this and we would have preferred "surgical conclusion of miscarriage" or "surgical completion of miscarriage" to ERPC.

Our preferred term would be "surgical completion of miscarriage".

I have really mixed feelings about the use of the term "non-viable pregnancy"and if I'm honest don't really like it. That's because in our case we had karyotyping and our baby was absolutely fine - completely normal. There was nothing at all wrong with my placenta etc either. The pregnancy would have been viable. The conclusion of the testing was that my missed mc was probably caused by one of/a mix of my PCOS, my uncontrolled underactive thyroid and a virus that I caught while pg. Sorry if this sounds like splitting hairs.

It is a really difficult topic and I know people will have different views.

not pedantic, kreecher - just more accurate.

after talking a bit more with DP, we agree that using the term 'miscarriage' versus 'non-viable pregnancy' is better wording - clear and appropriate while also considerate of a myriad of causal factors.

'surgical completion of miscarriage'

onholiday
I liked to think of my miscarriages being a "non-viable" pregnancy, in that it gave me comfort to think that there was nothing that I could have done to prevent it. I can see thought that others would see it differently.

I think "surgical completion of miscarriage" is good.

I can't adequately describe the distress I felt at seeing my 6 miscarriages termed as "abortions" in my hospital notes. I think almost anything is better than that.

I don't think it's necessary to have over-complicated PC style references. Just a little empathy and consideration is all that's needed.

Agree with Tanith the abortion statement was numbing at the time, and makes me angry to still see it in my medical notes now. I actually asked for the word to be changed but got muttered procedures etc.

One natural completion of miscarriage without intervention
One natural completion of miscarriage with intervention
One surgical completion of miscarriage
One natural completion of miscarriage caused by a fall- it may have been a viable pregnancy we will never know.
and in hospital the houseman used ERPC on my notes but called it a D and C in conversation. (husband informs me I'm afraid I was sky high on Pethidine)

I like what chobbler said.

I also think that women waiting to hear results about whether or not they are miscarrying (initial bloodtest) should be informed of those results as soon as they are available, just as they would if they were waiting to hear if a child was still alive or not <sat for four hours before I stormed through those swinging doors demanding information only to be told 'yeah, you're still pregnant, course you are!'>

Given they use the terms missed miscarriage and medical miscarriage already, would it make sense to call it surgical miscarriage. It feels like a natural progression.

surgical conclusion to miscarriage?

I would hate to see the term "non-viable" used, I think I have lost both viable and non-viable pregnancies, which I take to mean ones where there was something wrong with the baby and ones were there weren't. Much recurrent mc research is surely about stopping women miscarrying viable babies.

I prefer the term 'Surgical Completion of Miscarriage' from the suggestions so far.

I did get fed up with hearing the term 'Pregnancy Products' I must say.

I am sensitive though. I don't really like miscarriage either, as it sort of implies that I f**ked up, but it's such a common term I can't
imagine anything replacing it, nor can I think of an alternative <helpful>.

surgical completion of miscarriage.

can't think of anything else constructive to say.

one of the links on the page of mp's did not work.

Yes, I like Surgical Completion of Miscarriage, followed by D&C. Much better than ERPC.

I too don't like the term non-viable pregnancy much. I have an underactive thyroid that doctors knew about but couldn't be arsed to treat (said they would look at it at 12 weeks with the other blood tests). So I suspect it was very much viable, but someone else fucked up. For this reason, miscarriage was better for me.

Any more news on this MNHQ?

That's fantastic, Kate - thanks to you and all at MNHQ for the update. Will look forward to hearing what happens in the end.

Hi Kate and others at Mumsnet, just wondering what happened with this in the end?

Do you know if they have decided to rename the ERPC?

I was wondering too what the latest news is with the campaign?

Thank you Helen. Still really pleased the campaign is happening btw - was thinking about my mc again this morning - it never really leaves you, I think.