Miscarriage Hospital Care

[Murphsxxx]

Hi I don't know if this is the right place to post, but I just wanted to know if this is a normal procedure.

At 5.5 weeks pregnant I started bleeding at rang my local hospital who have an early pregnancy unit. They advised that because I was too early to scan they could only do a blood test to check my HCG level and advise me once the results were back in the afternoon. I did the blood test and when they rang me they told me my HCG level was a lot lower than it should be and that I would need to have another blood test in 2 days time. I advised them that the bleeding had got heavier since that morning and their only response was yeah that means your losing it. I repeated the test two days later and when they called me they said my HCG had halved so I would need to redo the test a week later. I went for the final blood test yesterday and they didn't ring me so I rang this morning and they told me that my HCG level was now 3 so they would be discharging me. That was it, no how are you feeling, if you need support here's some people to contact, nothing.

AIBU to think that there should be more care? Or is it just as a result of me being so early on in pregnancy and there being a pandemic on.

I want to add that I know there is a lot more important things going on I just wanted to check and I appreciate how hard the staff in the NHS are working right now

Thanks

Seems normal procedure unfortunately.

There are charities that you can contact for support after a miscarriage, like Tommys:

www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/pregnancy-complications/baby-loss/miscarriage/support-after-miscarriage/getting-more-support

Hope you are okay.

Sounds totally normal.

Doesn't mean it's right, but the NHS does not have enough funding for everything

Yes unfortunately that is how it is.

I do think that they only do the blood tests as lip service too as when bleeding it’s fairly obvious that a miscarriage is taking place, blood tests only confirm what you already know.

I did once have increasing HCG levels, this caused me so much trauma as it gave me hope that I wasn’t entitled to feel. I felt very very bitter sbout that & far more upset when the inevitable continued.

It’s poor but so so common that it’s seen as just one of those things.
Nothing can be done.
Sorry it happened to you

This sounds (sadly) totally normal. I have just had my 4th miscarriage and my epu discharged me still pregnant but the baby had stopped growing weeks earlier, no management was offered at all. I was just sent away to miscarry naturally. They've never offered me any emotional support, not even a leaflet.

Thankfully because I've had previous miscarriages, I was able to contact my recurrent miscarriage clinic (who were closed due to covid) and they transferred my care to a different epu and I was able to medically manage the loss and was able to send the baby off for testing.

I'm sorry for your loss ❤️

I’ve had a few in the past and this is how they do things. It’s horrible. I had a very blunt nurse that seemed constantly robotic and angry for one and it made it worse somehow.
I’m so sorry for your loss

I’m sorry for your loss.
But do think that the bare minimum they should do - which cost nothing - I’d suggest the Miscarriage Association website to you.

Ah sorry, didn’t answer. Yes - my experience with a missed miscarriage at 13 week scan was similar.

My wife used to be a nurse in an EPU and was a hell of a lot more empathetic than that. She would at least signpost women to support services, and would express her condolences.

Unfortunately yes that is normal procedure. In fact I don't believe it's even classed as a miscarriage at 5.5weeks (I've been there myself and wasn't even given blood tests, just told one of those things).
Sorry you're going through this x

That’s just how it is - though it shouldn’t be.

I’m so sorry for your loss I hope you have people around who can support you and look after you.

Unfortunately completely normal, I had a similar experience at 13 weeks.

Normal. I actually found the matter of fact approach quite containing.

I'm really sorry. I've been there a few times and that was standard procedure.

Sorry this happened to you. 💐
But yes it is normal procedure. Early pregnancy units deal with so many early miscarriages. There’s nothing else they can do especially when it’s so early it wouldn’t show up on a scan.

They only get worried or admit you if they fear it’s ectopic (eg if you had one sided pain with the bleeding but your blood HCG didn’t drop as rapidly as expected, hence the repeated blood tests to confirm how much HCG is falling/rising by.

5.5 weeks is only about 10/11 days after your missed period so they tend to treat it as such (1 in 4 pregnancies end this way, very early so you’d not necessarily have known you’d conceived if you have erratic periods or didn’t take a test.) There’s nothing they can do to stop it sadly. Although they could have offered you painkillers (or signposted you to your GP for painkillers/counselling).

I imagine the unit is quite busy dealing with later miscarriages/ectopics/life threatening pregnancy problems so they’d only admit you if they were worried about your health.

Did you go through the EPU? When I had a miscarriage, I felt very well supported. I had, I think, 2 (maybe 3?) scans. I was 7 weeks when I found out (by private scan) and then went to EPU after that as I was bleeding some. They had a specialist midwife who deals just with loss who managed me. I ended up needing surgery as the miscarriage didn't complete after 6 weeks and even the surgical team and aftercare were lovely. I think realistically if the miscarriage is happening on its own, they are probably quite hands off, and that's probably for the best as it's not a nice thing to have medicalised if you don't have to. Mine was obviously different because I needed more follow up care. You might try ringing the EPU and asking if there is someone you could speak to by phone?

Its shit. I miscarried at 6 weeks and early pregnancy unit wouldn't even see me. I rang 111 because of how much I was bleeding (literally pouring out of me) who insisted I have someone take me to A&E immediately or she was sending an ambulance, got sent to another department who did a vaginal exam and saw my cervix was shut. Asked EPU to do a scan to see where the bleeding was coming from but they refused. Took about 2 weeks for my test lines to fade the whole time not knowing if I was still pregnant or if something was seriously wrong.
This time I had a subchronic haematoma spotted during private scan. Told local midwife who said to ring EPU because they will need to scan so they have a picture on file. Nope. They refused fo see me again.
Everyone else I've seen have been amazing but the early pregnancy unit is a disgrace.

Hi everyone, thank you all so much for responding, I feel ok, I just wanted to check if it was normal not to offer anything in terms of where to get any support if I were struggling. I suppose if I was I could have always asked and I'm sure they would have pointed me in the right direction.

Thank you all so much for your insight

I should add, it wasnt me that asked EPU to do a scan for the bleeding, it was the doctor in the other department that did the exam who asked them. Being told by one doctor that something was wrong, then by another that they weren't willing to investigate was terrifying.

@Murphsxxx honestly if you struggle with anything ring your local midwife unit. Mine are lovely. So sorry you've been through it. I know it's tough now but you'll get pregnant again. My current pregnancy began immediately after my miscarriage.

I'm sorry. Miscarriage care is appalling in this country. I often wonder how much money would be saved in the economy if women were treated with care and dignity at this distressing time and routinely offered counselling. I have had so many friends end up signed off sick for a prolonged period some time after the initial medical situation was over because they weren't given the support to grieve (or even treated with basic human compassion).

@RattleOfBars

Sorry this happened to you. 💐 But yes it is normal procedure. Early pregnancy units deal with so many early miscarriages. There’s nothing else they can do especially when it’s so early it wouldn’t show up on a scan.

They only get worried or admit you if they fear it’s ectopic (eg if you had one sided pain with the bleeding but your blood HCG didn’t drop as rapidly as expected, hence the repeated blood tests to confirm how much HCG is falling/rising by.

5.5 weeks is only about 10/11 days after your missed period so they tend to treat it as such (1 in 4 pregnancies end this way, very early so you’d not necessarily have known you’d conceived if you have erratic periods or didn’t take a test.) There’s nothing they can do to stop it sadly. Although they could have offered you painkillers (or signposted you to your GP for painkillers/counselling).

I imagine the unit is quite busy dealing with later miscarriages/ectopics/life threatening pregnancy problems so they’d only admit you if they were worried about your health.

Funeral directors also deal with a lot of deaths but they still manage to muster up some compassion. Not being able to save someone's much wanted pregnancy is out of their control but acting like they don't give a sh*t, very much is in their control.

I've seen the same epu nurse for several years through the losses and the healthy babies she has been amazing and has offered great advice, sympathy, extra reassurance scans, signposting and even a hug during the really hard times. I genuinely think she is an amazing nurse!

Sorry you are going through this. When I had a miscarriage at 12 weeks, the care was awful, I was put in a ward with pregnant women who were in for other reasons. I was asked by the horrid and very brusque female doctor "why are you crying"!!! I'll never forget that. No-one explained what was happening. I was taken by ambulance from my GP surgery (where the bulk of the miscarriage happened in the toilet) to the hospital, left on a trolley for hours without any examination. I generally found the female doctors far more unsympathetic than their male counterparts for some reason.
In my second pregnancy I also experienced bleeding at 6 weeks and was told "most people wouldn't even know they were pregnant at this stage" and just to think of it like a period. Honestly, some care for women having a pregnancy loss really leaves a lot to be desired. The things people (nasty doctors or nurses) say to you are remembered for ever. I'm sure you would likewise remember compassionate and supportive care, but I certainly didn't get it at hospital.