Natural vs Medical vs Surgical after mmc?

[Chocolatedays]

Hi all, I could do with some help.

Summary: slight bleed at 9weeks and EPU scan showed mmc at 7w 4d. Spotting has stopped and cramps are occasional and slight.

Can you share your experiences on the three options? (here the medical protocol is an oral pill then pess. 2 days later and cramping/ passing the sac etc at home)

Which would you opt for & why?

TIA

Hi chocolate, I am recovering thanks but as you say, it's the lost dream that's hard. Dh and I so want another baby and it just seems so unfair that this has happened. I found that I was v tired for a couple of days after the erpc but then regained pre-pregnancy energy levels. I was v stupid though and went for a run 3 days after the erpc, I just wanted to clear my head but it made me bleed v heavily and I felt horrendous for about 3 hours so do take it gently for a few days afterwards.

chocolate yes I recognised you from the Feb AN thread too (and knackered from the late Jan thread...)

Feeling ok so far although dreading the EPRC on Monday.... Will let you know how it goes...

To all the ladies on here who have miscarried, wishing you all gentle days.

chocolate I know you have made your decision and in my opinion I think its the right one. I m/c last year at 8+3 and baulked at going into hospital (I'm just like that) so opted for 'home management'. Was it painful - two mornings I awoke very early in serious pain (at one point I couldn't hold a conversation), went through A&E to the gynae ward (where it started to wear off) and went home feeling like a fraud. I had loads of bleeding and large clots until I passed the sac after about a week. It is not something I would want someone else to go through. I know it doesn't happen like that for everyone, I just wish someone had told me how painful it potentially could be.

I have also had a ERPC another time and it was all fine, straightforward altho I was shattered for about a week from the GA.

Hugs to all
xxx

I wasn't sure what to take to the hospital when I had my erpc and someone on here mentioned towels (the ones the hospital gives you are huge, like maternity ones). I also took some trashy mags which was a good distraction while I waited to go down to theatre. I really hope it goes ok for you both. Take care

A little update...
Although the erpc is booked for Tuesday - I have had heavy bleeding overnight and passed tissue that makes me think the natural miscarriage is in full swing. The pain has been no worse (so far) than my period pain, and manageable with regular paracetamol plus (though I have always suffered from quite severe pain most months)
I am very grateful to have known prior to the heaving bleeding and tissue loss that I had had a mmc - it would have been hard to have gone through last night combined with the shock and grief I went through 10 days ago.

I am not sure what to do at the moment - I guess I will call either the epu clinic or the hospital who are doing the erpc (different hospitals) and ask their advice tomorrow.

Chocolatedays, we seem to be experiencing similar things - my MC seems to be progressing today. My pain has been quite extreme though, very intense, I ended up taking some Diclofenac and it's easing now.
I know what you mean about being grateful for knowing it was likely - I can't imagine having this start unexpectedly.

I think probably you should call both places and let them know what's happening. The EPU may call you in to scan and see whether the ERPC is still required. The ERPC hospital may want to postpone your booking until it's clear whether it's required or not.

Hey - similar from me although I'm a bit further behind... I'm actually willing my body to hold on to everything for another 12 or so hours - actively don't want to 'do it myself' and would rather someone just 'did it to me' if that makes sense....

But I agree that I'm glad I was expecting this and not discovering I'd MC'd now... so hideous for our ancestors who didn't have scans etc...

I'm booked in tomorrow - fingers crossed for me at about 2pm....!

Fingers crossed for you KNT.
For me, I'd say it was not as bad as I'd anticipated but I understand that depends a lot on how far you were along.

Hi there
Just thought I'd report back after the ERPC today. It was actually ok - despite all the waiting around which was VERY boring. I feel fine now - no cramping and no pain, much to my surprise. It may be that the once the drugs wear off I feel worse later though....

The staff were all lovely and my husband was a superstar dealing with a day that can only be described as boring with occasional outbursts of inconsolable sobbing from the wife...

My DH has got to go back to work tomorrow so my mum is coming to hang out with me...

Hope everyone else has a speedy recovery...

Knitter, Dee36 here from the Feb thread - so sorry to hear your news. I too opted for the ERPC as I couldn't bear to have things drag on and on. I'm now nearly 3 weeks on from it and have recovered well.

Take care.

hi there run/dee thanks for the nice words and the encouraging thoughts. good luck.

Hi there
I called the hospital on Monday and they asked me to come in as scheduled. So I went in this morning and was scanned. All was clear and so I didn't need the erpc.

KNT glad it wasn't as bad as feared.

Take care everyone on this thread and anyone lurking.
All the best. Choc x

Hi I'd just like to add my experience to this thread as my medical management wasn't as bad as I expected. This thread is very skewed towards having an ERPC and I don't think it needs to be as medical management is a good safe alternative. In fact I would definitely recommend it for early gestation miscarriages < 9weeks as it's more likely to work.

My first scan was at 10weeks when I started spotting brown discharge. I knew it wasn't good news I hadn't had any morning sickness or usual pregnancy symptoms everyone expects. The scan confirmed a small fetal pole yolk sac but not heartbeat at gestation 5wks which was inconsistent with my dates.

The following week after they rescanned me the same details were seen on the scanner. I was offered 3 options waiting. medical and surgical management. I opted for the medical management as I have never had a baby and was worried at the (albeit very small) risk of trauma to my cervix and risk of general anesthetic.

I had the mifeprostone tablet given a few days after the 2nd scan, after a couple hours I did start to bleed heavily with cramps and pass small clots of blood. I needed one ibuprofen and some paracetamol and after a few hours the bleeding settled down and I felt ok. I went into hospital 2days after and had misoprostol pessaries inserted followed by oral tablets 3hours after. This caused pain and cramping but not enough to need more than paraceramol and no bleeding occured. I waited for hours, still nothing then I had 2 further courses of tablets . As nothing had passed I had to stay in overnight and see if anything happened. The tablets were doing something , i felt cramps and at one point I felt contractios my uterus going hard. But still no bleeding.

The on call dr was advising to put me on the theatre list in the morning but the nurse was very helpful and suggested I might have passed the products at home. I had a scan the next morning which showed a normal empty uterus I couldn't believe it! I went home and passed a few clots and then bleeding is slowly tapering off.

The reason I'm sharing this story is because it concerns me that most women are put off by the possible pain bleeding and trauma of having a medical miscarriage. But if you can avoid the risks of surgery I would say it's worth a try. It wasn't as bad as I thought at all. Especially with a gestation of 5weeks , you're unlikley to notice the sac/fetus.

Hope this helps someone

Thanks Star, the only reason the thread has a surgical bias is because no-one posted a positive experience about medical, so thanks for offering some balance. As you say, hope the thread helps others having to make this horrid decision.