When will the bleeding stop? Surgical management of miscarriage.

[jacquesjacques]

I had surgical management of miscarriage 4 weeks ago on Monday. I was 12 weeks but baby only developed to 6+5.

Surgery went fine (as far as I know) and I thought I'd got away with minimal bleeding at first, but then had a massive episode of bleeding and huge clots a week or so later. This lasted about 2 days and then I had heavy bleeding for another week or so after that.

I'm now 4 weeks on and still bleeding - it's like heavy ewcm mixed with a medium amount of blood, kind of like a 'normal to light' period in quantity I suppose. I'm also getting those twanging sensations that I had put down to stretching pains when pregnant. The amount doesn't worry me as much as the fact it's been almost a month though. Is it normal? I thought surgery would have cleared a lot out but it feels never ending!

Physically I'm feeling quite weak, I think that this might be a mix of iron deficiency, emotional turmoil (I have now officially joined the recurrent miscarriage club) and a lack of physical activity on my part. Emotionally I'm a flipping mess on the inside, but appear to be functioning normally to the outside world.

Anybody care to share their experience of this? I have been to the doctors a lot recently, and my visits are only set to increase in the coming months, so I don't want to bother them for something that appears to be normal.

Sorry if this is a bit rambly, I'm feeling weak, emotionally drained and just sodding tired of feeling so anxious and sad all the time. Plus about 5000 people I know have announced pregnancies over Christmas. Ho hum.

[jacquesjacques]

Bump?

[moomin11]

Sorry you are going through this, I don't have any experience of surgical management but am due to have mine on Monday. Are you able to ring your local EPU for advice?

[Heratnumber7]

My natural m/c lasted several weeks, so I'd assume it's normal. Just like as if you'd given birth at full term.

[jacquesjacques]

@moomin11 I'm so sorry you're going through this. Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery  I will possibly call them tomorrow, good idea.

@Heratnumber7 I haven't given birth before, this would have been my first child. Had no idea this happens after birth too!

[jacquesjacques]

Oh and @Heratnumber7 I'm sorry for your loss x

[Bakewell18]

I had a natural miscarriage in October, I was still bleeding 4 weeks after, I was given pesarys, still nothing. And continued to bleed. A scan at the EPU shown there was tissue left over from the pregnancy that had a constant blood supply (I was still getting positive pregnancy tests) then on Friday 14th Dec I passed the last remaining tissue, a very small amount causing me a lot of grief. I haven’t had any blood since last Monday. Now I’m just waiting for my first AF to arrive. OP there is an end in sight, it may just take a few of us a little longer. Definitely worth giving your local EPU a call to try and get some answers. Thinking of you 💐

[jacquesjacques]

@Bakewell18 oh love I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It's shit isn't it? I just thought the surgery would end it quicker, so to still be bleeding is horrible. Although DH has pointed out that, if it's 4 weeks since my d&c, it could be my period. But I'm not in any pain and it's been continuous bleeding until now.

[Bakewell18]

@jacquesjacques have you done another pregnancy test recently? I know it’s a horrible thing to do after a miscarriage and I put it off for a couple of weeks myself, but it did confirm for me that it wasn’t my period
each time. I really hope for you it’s different

[Heratnumber7]

Thank you jacques. It was a long time ago.
I still wonder about that baby from time to time, although we wouldn't have had DD2 if it had survived.

[moomin11]

@jacquesjacques did you manage to speak to the EPU? Hope you're doing ok x

[Returning2thesceneofthecrime]

How are you doing, OP?

I’ve had surgical management twice. I think you should see a doctor if you are still bleeding. I had the d&c done privately (not currently in the UK so didn’t have to deal with an overstretched NHS) so may have received different care. My oh/gyn gave me a check up at 7 days after and said bleeding should stop around 10 days but if it hadn’t after 14 days, I needed to see her again. I think thee was the possibility of retained products and subsequent infection.

I hope that you are ok now and this advice is no longer needed. It is an awful thing to have to go through.

[itsallaboutoverreally]

I would second @Returning2thesceneofthecrime 's advice. I miscarried naturally and bled for a month. I ended up passing product and the bleeding stopped.

[jacquesjacques]

Thank you all for your replies and for checking on me. I have stopped bleeding now, it took exactly four weeks in the end. I am shocked at the differing levels of care when it comes to these things - I had no after care advice at all; no idea on what to do about bleeding, no clues as to what I could expect and no pain killers or advice on what to take. Having a massive bleed and huge clots around a week or so after the surgery was a horrible shock but, when I called the EPAU, she told me it 'could be normal' and she wasn't concerned. I might write to PALS with some feedback as the idea of another woman going through this with no advice or care horrifies me.

[Returning2thesceneofthecrime]

My first d&c was awful because of the non-existent aftercare. I went private for the second and had my own ob/gyn perform the procedure. Huge difference in my recovery and reactions!

I was too traumatised after the first to complain to the hospital. The nurse responsible for me should have been struck off, frankly. I really wish I had raised a complaint but it hit me too hard to revisit until I had therapy and now I feel too much time has passed.

So please, for other women, do raise this with PALS. I wish I had done more.