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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

Will I definitely pass clots?

17 replies

PeriodMath · 30/04/2011 14:10

Apologies for being so direct in the title. I would have been 6 weeks pg tomorrow. I started bleeding yesterday and it has got steadily heavier though not unlike a heavy period. I am not in pain, just a menstrual achy feeling and the odd twinge. I am passing a lot of blood but so far no clots although this morning there have been more stringy bits in the blood (eek - so sorry for TMI).

What I want to know is, assuming this is a MC (I can't see how it could be anything else really), will it get worse and will I start to pass clots? I am googling myself crazy with people's stories of passing the sac and actually seeing the embryo in there and I am dreading that.

As it's a holiday weekend I can't get an appointment at my doctors till Tuesday and will just have to hope they send me for a scan from there. Might it all be over by then? How long should I expect it to last? I keep reading up to two weeks. Just want it to be over and done with now. It's pretty grim, isn't it?

OP posts:

compo · 30/04/2011 14:11

Could you go to your nearest epu for a scan?

I'm so sorry, look after yourself xx

ednurse · 30/04/2011 14:22

Hi where I work I see about 8-12 mc per shift and about half of these present with clots, the rest are light bleeding.

I have never seen a clot in which you can 'see the embryo'...it's just tissuey clot and does just look like a big blood clot really. I wouldn't worry yourself about that as I've never seen any that were visible enough as to what it was until a lot later on in a pregnancy...sorry tmi :(

I think if you have still not passed any big clots by Monday then I would go to the EPU or A+E as they may need to scan as you may need an ERCP

ednurse · 30/04/2011 14:22

Sorry that's ERPC not ERCP, thats an entirely different thing x

Original poster

PeriodMath · 30/04/2011 14:35

Thanks for that - when you say big clots, what sort of size should I expect? Thanks so much for the reassurance.

OP posts:

deemented · 30/04/2011 14:44

When i miscarried at six weeks the biggest sized clots i had were probably the size of my last knuckle of my thumb. When i miscarried more recently, at ten weeks, the clots were much much bigger, easily bigger than my hand.

I'm sorry you're going through this - it's so unfair.

fran28 · 30/04/2011 17:04

Im So Sorry your going through this...im going through the exact same thing today...started thursday...should of been 9 weeks...have a scan booked in for tuesday...

this is my 4th miscarriage..have already passed what looked like a large clot about the size of my finger and have a lot of little ones...surprisingly not much pain...was in agony for the other 3.....hope your okay...its gonna be a long weekend for both of us...

fran28 · 30/04/2011 17:06

It looks like i took over ur post....not my intention..sorry...

LittleWhiteWolf · 30/04/2011 19:41

My first mc was about 5 1/2 weeks and I passed lots of dark clots, but I never saw anything which was remotely baby-like. I looked for anything I could recognise, but I saw nothing like some people describe. But yes, there were a lot of clots.

I don't know how much of that is helpful, but that was my experience.

I'm really sad for you and sorry you have to go through this

Original poster

PeriodMath · 30/04/2011 20:20

Thanks all, I really appreciate the responses. Especially the reassurance that I'm not going to see my baby slip out of me on the loo - the thought is horrific. I'm still bleeding lots but no clots yet. I've had two days of bleeding now, do you think the clots would have started coming out by now? I hope I don't end up having to have a D&C, would rather just get it over with at home. Still not in pain either. If I'd never done a pg test, I'd think my period was just a couple of weeks late...

Oh well. In truth I feel sadder for you all than myself. It's my first mc and I do have my lovely DS to keep me going. Plus it was so early which has to be better than discovering it later on as many do.

I know quite a few people who've had mcs in the past but I've ever really given any thought to how it happens, just assumed bleeding, never thought about the details. It's really a grim process isn't it?

OP posts:

LittleWhiteWolf · 30/04/2011 20:30

I was exactly the same PeriodMath. I never gave any thought to what actually happens in a miscarriage beyond "thats so sad". I've now had an mc at 5 weeks which I mentioned above which was spontaneous and I passed it all. Then yesterday I had an ERPC following a mmc at 11 weeks (baby stopped growing at 8).
If you do find you have to have one, its really not so awful. The lead up to is, don't get me wrong, but the process itself...well I remember being in theatre with 3 wondeful anaesthetists (wow, spelling, sorry) and then next waking up beside one of them, who held my hand while I cried. The care I received was second to none.
So what I'm trying to say is its horrible, mcs are horrible and you will, of course, worry about things, but some of what you're afraid of may never come to pass (seeing the baby, the fear of the unknown with an ERPC). If you are really concerned, make an appointment with your GP or midwife just to be on the safe side.
Take care x

Vix1980 · 01/05/2011 08:20

Hi periodmath, im so sorry your going through this right now, i had my first mc a few weeks ago but didnt really have any of the heavy bleeding and clots as suggested by everyone, in fact mine was even a lot lighter than my usual period but i guess it depends on each person.
I would definatly say though as someone else suggested go to your nearest hospital and explain i think in these circumstances even an a&e dept would do to be honest, and the other thing is to please stop googling it all, i know from experience it really doesnt help, there are so many forum sites out there that i came across where everyone seemed to be an expert on everything and it did nothing to reassure me, the only way to be certain is to get yourself properly checked out then you can plan your next move, i wish you all the best though and hope you keep posting as i found it a release for me to talk to strangers on here who were going through the same thing as myself, dont know what i would of done if i hadnt found this board actually! good luck xx

Original poster

PeriodMath · 01/05/2011 09:54

Thanks Vix. Well, I'm not sure what's going on now - the bleeding seems to have slowed down. There was nothing on the pad this morning but still blood (still bright red) when I wipe. Can't see any clots though last night it did seem to be a little bit more stringy and, dare I say, a tiny bit mucousy (apols to anyone eating their breakfast!). Still no pain at all. Have I had a really early miscarriage or is it not that at all? I know lots of people have bleeding in early pregnancy. Do you think it could be something else? I always thought bright red bood was a miscarriage as opposed to implantation or breakthrough bleeding which is more brown/pink. I would have been six weeks today.

I wonder if I did a pg test today would it show anything? I know I need to have a scan but I can't get one till Tues at the earliest because of the bank hols so am just keft to wonder.

Vix, how many weeks were you when it happened?

OP posts:

LittleWhiteWolf · 01/05/2011 11:40

When I had my first mc I bled until I stopped which was about 5 days, then took a pg test which came up negative. Maybe test and if need be call your out of hours gp?

Original poster

PeriodMath · 01/05/2011 11:53

I saw a doctor on Friday at a drop-in clinic, my own surgery are closed for the full 4 day weekend. The doctor there diagnosed "threatened miscarriage" (which isn't very informative really) and said to see my own GP on Tuesday and ask for a referral to the EPAU.

More bleeding today but not really heavy, just like normal period really. I'll do a test later or tomorrow just in case - but I guess only the scan will confirm. I just want to know one way or another. What rubbish timing I have to start with this on day 1 of a 4 day NHS shutdown!

Thanks for all your replies.

OP posts:

Vix1980 · 01/05/2011 21:26

Hiya, That doctor sounds awful to let yu hang on for such an amount of time, saying that though i started bleeding on a thursday evening, went straight to ht hospital on the friday and was told to go home and wait for a scan on the following wednesday so i had a whole weekend of not knowing whether i was still pregnant (to make it worse it was my birthday so dindt know if i should drink... ive since made up for it tho ;-) !!

I was 6 weeks when it happened, since then though ive found out how common it is but ive also heard many stories of people saying they bled through their pregnancy too, i wouldnt worry too much about the term "threatened miscarriage" either as they refer to all bleeding in pregnancy with that term until they know for sure the diagnosis, think its so its taken really important if they say that. Im not too sure about the blood colours, id just tell anyone to get checked out at all for their own peace of mind if nothing else! do keep in touch and let us know how you get on, good luck! ive got my fingers crossed for you! xx

Original poster

PeriodMath · 02/05/2011 14:33

Hello again - well, I did a pg test today and it's negative so I guess I have my answer. I was fairly sure anyway so not surprised, sort of satisfied in a strange way. I hated the not knowing and speculating. I'm still going to try to see the GP tomorrow and will see if they suggest a scan but presumably they will say no need. I am on day 4 of bleeding now and it just feels like my period, starting to get much lighter now. I wonder if the fact that the test is negative already means it happened a while ago as I am not producing any HGC at all. Perhaps a "chemical pregnancy"? That might explain why no clotting or pain.

Anyway, there we go. Thank you so much for your replies and support. It really was a big help to get some measured advice. There's a lot of scary stuff out there on the web about miscarriage. I think I got off lightly.

Thanks

OP posts:

Vix1980 · 02/05/2011 18:28

Hi again- really sorry to hear that i wish someone had a nice happy ending for you, but i know exactly what you mean about the not knowing, its more torture then the doctors realise to leave you waiting! i'm glad at least your past that stage of suffering and you can still come on here for support if you feel you need it. take care and look after yourself xx

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