Spotting in the middle of the first cycle after MC

[culina]

I wondered whether anyone may have had a similar experience and may be able to advise me on this. I had a natural MC and got what I thought was my first period 4 weeks after. The bleeding was rather heavy with some biggish clots, then it changed to light bleeding and then it stopped. A few days later (which should have been around my ovulation) the spotting started again and has now continued for four days. I am concerned that there may be something wrong with my cycle and that I may not be ovulating (I have not really had the wet discharge you would expect around ovulation time).

Could anyone please share any similar experience with me and provide any advice? I would like to TTC asap and not sure if my body is ready and/or if I should seek medical help.

Many thanks

[Tads]

So sorry to hear about your loss.

It is normal for your cycle to be a bit haywire for the first few months after a miscarriage and periods are often very different for a little while. Your body has geared up to support a pregnancy and will need time to settle down, particularly if there is still pregnancy hormone in your system.

I had a natural miscarriage in October and am still not ovulating. I did have a couple of bleeds (with random spotting in between) which I've since been told were not actually periods and now I don't seem to be having them at all! However, I do think I may be the exception to the rule. Most people seem to get back on track within 2-3 months and I really hope you are one of them. It can take a little longer (from what I hear) if you opted for the natural route as opposed to medical management or a D&C. It's very frustrating and cruel to contend with haywire hormonal problems on top of the miscarriage isn't it, particularly if you are wanting to conceive asap? If you are at all concerned that you didn't have a complete miscarriage and the spotting seems sufficient to worry you, you can always ask for a final scan to check that there are no remaining products of conception. It certainly helped my peace of mind.

[culina]

Many thanks for your response Tads. I am sorry to hear about your loss too. It must be really hard still not ovulate 6 months after your MC. Did your doctor offer you any treatment? I have heard that you can take some medication to re-start you cycle.

Sorry to ask a basic question but how do you know that you are not ovulating? Did you have any medical checks or did you do ovulation tests? I have no experience with ovulation tests as my doctor advised me against them (when I was TTC)but may give them a go now I am worried about my cycle.

I was told at my scan that the MC was complete and I did a pregnancy test a week later which was negative. However, when I was bleeding (what I thought was my first period post MC) I still had big pieces of tissue there, so do think that I miscarried completely when I had the scan done.

[Tads]

Hi culina. I think they can give you medication, but it often depends on the doctor. Mine would rather let nature take its course, which is very frustrating!!! I'm normally fertile, so they're reulctant to give me anything until I've been broken for a year! Seems like a lifetime to me but I know that medically speaking, it's nothing.

To track my cycle I use OPKs (Ovulation Predictor Tests)and chart my temperatures. I know I'm not ovulating because OPKs have always worked for me in the past and I'm never getting positives. I've backed that up by going for a blood test at the doctor which confirmed I'm anovulatory. Bummer! Get some OPKs if you think it would help, but I warn you now it can make you a bit obsessive! In some ways I wish I'd never started, because they are not completely foolproof anyway and they don't work for all women. You can also get a blood test on day 21 - 23 (depending on your cycle length) of your cycle to check you've ovulated and your body is doing what it should, but I wouldn't recommend doing that until at least 3 cycles have passed as there will be inaccuracies in your results if your body is still recovering from the miscarriage.

From what I hear the first cycle after a miscarriage is always a bit bizarre. Some people have a perfectly normal first period only to have a random second one, but I guess the key thing is to expect the unexpected until your body settles down a bit. It's a horrible time, particularly if you are TTC again. Hopefully you'll be fit, well and pregnant again before you know it. In the meantime, I found this site really helpful after my miscarriage.

pregnancyloss.info/

[daisytaylor]

Hi there so sorry you are going through this. I had a mmc back in october and for 3 months i had spotting between my periods. I decided to see my GP who done an internal. He found i had a mild infection and some deep thrush. After treatment the spotting stopped and so did my heavy bleeding and my cycle is starting to return to normal. It can take your body a while to get back to normal after mc so i would suggest that if you are worried go and see your doctor just to check all is well. Hope this is of some help to you.

[culina]

Hi many thanks for both responses. I will go to see my doctor next week.

Tads - I cannot believe you have to wait a year for any medical help. I can understand that sometimes it is better to let the body to recover itself but a year seems too long! They should think about both physical and emotional recovery. I cannot imagine waiting that long. Have you tried any alternatives e.g. acupuncture or herbal remedies?

I have ordered some OPT, so will give them a go as well as charting the temperature.

Daisytaylor - I am pleased your cycle is getting back to normal. I was thinking about whether I may have some form of infection as it feels a bit dry (and occasionaly even itchy there). Well, definitely best to have it checked.