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Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

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Original poster

OK so this is a new one even for me 'Empty Uterus'

28 replies

Missedagain · 07/02/2011 20:34

So this time I thought i'd made it as the sticks of doom clearblue digitals seemed to tick over well etc ...

Paid for early scan ( nearly 7 weeks) and there was NOTHING to see except some fluid filled mass ( assumed corpus luteum cyst but not sure??) on an ovary

Feel even more of a fraud as there is NOTHING not even an empty sac

Can't face HCG testing . Can't face hospital visits and lets 'rescan in one two three weeks' but am left really not knowing what is happening.

When i google it just pulls up ectopic which i know is a possibility and am aware of risks but don't think it is.

Feel exhausted and awful but am guessing wont even get a d and c as there's nothing there????? What can i do to stop the hormones and get a bleed?

OP posts:

janpa · 07/02/2011 21:38

Poor you. This happened to a friend of mine. It is called a missed miscarriage. A really good book I was recommended when I had 2 miscarriages is called: Miscarriage: What Every Woman Needs to Know by Lesley Regan. It is a very positive book. Most women who have a missed miscarriage go on to have a healthy baby - my friend went on to have 2 with no problems. I wish you every success. x

Greythorne · 07/02/2011 21:39

Really sorry.

Good luck.

MoaningMedalllist · 07/02/2011 22:26

I'm very sorry for what happened big hugs,

take care of yourself

Original poster

Missedagain · 07/02/2011 22:27

Thankyou so much for the kids words...but is it even a miscarriage?? I don't know what to think

How long do i wait - will my hormones keep on rising?

OP posts:

MmeLindt · 07/02/2011 22:31

So sorry, Missedagain.

No experience with this one, I had "normal" miscarriages, but whether there is something there or not, it is a loss.

Janpa
A missed miscarriage normally refers to a miscarriage that does not start spontaneously, as far as I know.

pecka33 · 07/02/2011 22:46

really sorry for your loss, i agree with mme as i had a mmc at 13 weeks, which was a 8 week old baby that had sadley passed away and my body hadnt recognised it until 13 weeks, surely the epu can explain more, did they give you a contact number??
Look after your self in the mean time and get plenty of rest. X

Original poster

Missedagain · 07/02/2011 22:50

that makes sense Mme Lindt thankyou!

Pekka - just can't face the epau now...would rather do it all on my own . As for getting rest - still feel revolting and lethargic thanks to hormones so am really doing bog all.

AWFUL - so sorry for those who have also been here x

OP posts:

pecka33 · 07/02/2011 22:56

ahhh missed i meant for advice on exactly whats going on?? I also medically managed, it was my first baby and i wanted it to be as nature intended. Quite cathartic really in the end, im 5 months on now so feel alot more positive and strong about it all. You,l get plenty of support on mn, unfortunatly there are plenty of women whove been through the same and can sympathise.
Take care of yourself, words of advice, a hot water bottle, co-codiamol, iron tablets, maxi pads all helped me through my experience, oh and mumsnet xxx

Original poster

Missedagain · 07/02/2011 22:59

pecka sadly this is my forth in a year!
I am so sorry for your loss- thanks so much for your advice

OP posts:

pecka33 · 07/02/2011 23:11

oh god im so sorry, here,s me giving you advise, when really you should be advising me!!! So sorry your going through this.
Are they testing you now?? Have they all been around the same time??
Im not sure i could go through it again, its emotionally traumatizing.

Original poster

Missedagain · 07/02/2011 23:20

not at all Pecka!! I can't even spell it'a affected me so badly !

No - i say that everytime and no i don't want tests i know it's just age.... still can't stop hoping

OP posts:

libelulle · 07/02/2011 23:27

Have you been bleeding? If so is there the possibility you've had a complete miscarriage? Or could your dates be well out?

If not, I don't mean to scare you but you need to get an hcg test and follow up. High hcg with an empty uterus does unfortunately point to there being an ectopic pregnancy. You wouldn't necessarily have symptoms yet. I am surprised that at 7 weeks the hospital let you go without further immediate tests. In similar circs 4 years ago they wouldn't let me go home at all; not long after I was in emergency surgery. I really hope it is not ectopic, but please, please, take the possibility seriously- it is not that uncommon unfortunately, and can kill you in hours. If you have any pain or bleeding, dial 999.

Original poster

Missedagain · 07/02/2011 23:38

thanyou lileblue and no no bleeding which is the worry i know

the scan was private and she wanted to refer me but only to be seen in ten days

will not tarry if any ectopic signs thankyou x

OP posts:

libelulle · 08/02/2011 01:43

This is not my style to be pushy, missedagain, but I think 10 days is much too long to wait. Ectopics can rupture without warning, often between 7 and 9 weeks, by which time you are effectively bleeding to death. Really, if it is ectopic you need to find out what is happening before you reach that stage! Can you get your epu to see you? I completely sympathise with the feeling of wanting it all to just go away, and with the feeling fraudulent - at my scan I remember thinking 'I suppose I've made it all up.' but of course I hadn't. It's possible your dates are out - but seeing nothing at all on a scan if you really are 7 weeks is worrying, and only with serial Hcgs can you get an idea what is going on. If they are doubling, that is a really good sign. If they are dropping, then sadly probably a miscarriage. If they are rising but abnormally, that is time to worry about ectopic. Either way, really much better to know what is happening than sit at home worried sick.

Good luck; I know it is tortuous.

libelulle · 08/02/2011 01:49

Also if it is ectopic, god forbid, caught early enough it can be managed clinically rather than surgically, so that is another reason not to delay.

The folks at www.ectopic.org.UK are amazing sources of advice, there is a telephone helpline and internet forum if you just need to talk things through and get expert advice (which obviously I am not - just unlucky enough to have been through it all myself)

MmeLindt · 08/02/2011 07:27

How are you this morning, Missedagain?

I agree with libelulle. Do press for an earlier scan - a week is too long to wait. Did the doc not mention ectopic after the scan?

artifarti · 08/02/2011 07:43

Missedagain - so sorry you are going through this. Three weeks ago I went for a scan at 6+3 due to spotting and they couldn't see anything in the uterus so I was classified as a 'Pregnancy of Unknown Location'. They told me they it was likely to be a) too early to see anything; b) ectopic; or c) a missed miscarriage. They were definitely concerned about ectopic and monitored my hcg levels over the next three days. I agree with the others - you need to be followed up for this. In my case, a sac did develop over the next ten days but it was unfortunately not viable - I had a blighted ovum and had an ERPC. It sounds strange to me that they have just let you go. Let us know how you get on.

Original poster

Missedagain · 10/02/2011 22:18

hello ladies thankyou for the great advice
I am still not doing anything but ABSOLUTELY no ectopic signs and i am looking...

cannot face the long distance trips for HCG and folloow up HCG and depressing scans so just leaving it for a bit

as there is nothing there they cant do d and c so no idea how long i will continue to be prgnant like this - torture

OP posts:

milkyway2007 · 10/02/2011 23:28

missedagain - I am sorry you are feeling like this, and please dont think that you are having miscarriages because of your age. I am 27 and have had 4 mc's since Oct 2009. Age has nothing to do with it. You may have an underlying problem that could be easily rectified for you to have a perfect baby.

Please dont give up like this - it breaks my heart. You say there was a fluid filled mass on your ovary? It may be a functional cyst and nothing to worry about, but it could be something more serious. Please dont ignore treatment based on your age - every person has the human right to be examined and treated. I know it's a horrible experience having scans when you know there's nothing there, but please look after yourself.

No one can force you to go and have your hcg tested, but I really really wish you would go, and take care of yourself. Please at least get the routine tests they do after 3 miscarriages? I really wish everything works out for you. You dont have to go through this on your own xx

Lola78 · 12/02/2011 16:36

Hi missed, I am currently being assessed under nhs for pregnancy of unknown location/possible ectopic. I would be 9 wks now and I had a scan at 7 wks due to some spotting which showed a minute sac which wasn't consistent with my hcg levels. They said it could be a 'pseudo sac' i.e a fake preg sac in uterus and the actual pregnancy could be somewhere else although they can't see it on ultrasound. My hcg levels did rise then slightly declined but they wanted to treat with methotrexate which I declined until after the results of next scan and bloods on Monday. Any way just want to echo the concerns of other posts in that you do not necessarily always get symptoms of an ectopic - it could rupture without any previous signs. Absence of any bleeding is not good. I really hope you're ok.

glimmer · 14/02/2011 21:57

Hi Missed. I am very sorry for your you.
I agree with what Lola sais. You need to be seen and investigated. I believe sometimes, they don't ever find the 'location', but once they are sure you don't have a viable pregnancy, they make sure (medically) that you are getting back to normal.

galwaygal · 15/02/2011 21:16

Hi sorry to hear you are going through this.

It is a few days since you last posted, so I am wondering how you are?

My thoughts on reading what you have written are (excluding the ectopic idea), that firstly the scan might not have been done well and that all is ok, I had this with a scan I had at 7 weeks with my dd, they thought there might be a sac, but too small etc... the usual, and then 3 weeks later all was well and exactly to dates, the second sonographer said it must just have been poor technique previously.

At the scan did they check that the uterine wall was thickened?

My next thought is could it have been like I had with one of my miscarriages that you have already re-absorbed the sac? I had scans at 5 and 6 weeks that showed the sac shrinking, but I never bled after the first scan and my hcg levels took a month to decrease and only when my levels were back to zero did I finally bleed. The sac/embryo had been reabsorbed by my body.

However since with you there is a pregnancy of unknown location, you do need to find out if the levels are declining. If you really can't face the hospital still yet, then you should at the very least be looking to see if your pregnancy tests are getting lighter etc, this is not really a good way, but I can understand the way you feel right now. I try to avoid going to hospital now for my m/c's as it is do difficult. When are you due to go for your next scan?

I hope that actually this message is pointless and that you have already got an answer. Take care of yourself.

Original poster

missedagain · 16/02/2011 21:45

hello all and many many thanks for your kind messages

I finally cracked and went for another scan today (8+3) to see a five week empty sac. I was pleased as hopefully this is not pseudo sac. Sonographer said ectopic highly unlikely but still possible and that they would check hcg

midwife did not bother with hcg and hinted my dates were awry but seemed to agree things hopefully ending naturally

Galwaygirl |(you know me ) i would love this to end and am dreading the slow climb of hcg....... my symptoms are slightly worse each day and no bleeding

I wish I could just get it out and start again
Thanks again - you are all so kind thinking of me x

OP posts:

galwaygal · 18/02/2011 21:25

missedagain - so sorry you are going through this trauma again. It is so unfair. I am sitting here hoping that it will all still turn out great for you, but as a fellow recurrent miscarrier.... I can sence that you know it is not going well. So my wish for you is a quick resolution, so that the answer will be definitive rather than messing around physically and mentally. Have you got another scan booked for two weeks time again?

I will be thinking of you.

galwaygal · 24/02/2011 12:11

missedagain - how are you?

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