Please or to access all these features

Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

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

Empty sac at 8+1 private scan

11 replies

happygojo · 09/09/2014 07:07

Basically - what now? My dates are right, we haven't had sex since TTC, the sac measured 6 weeks. Me and my OH are devastated I am mostly angry. It is so cruel as I still feel preg. I know deep down it is over and I just want it done with so I can feel better. Draw a line and start again. I haven't 'booked in' yet and I have no pain, spotting NOTHING. I can't face work right now. It was never there but from the 2ww to now, this has been the longest 6 weeks of my life! Any advice welcome. I am scared. I don't just want to wait to start bleeding

OP posts:
FishWithABicycle · 09/09/2014 07:42

So sorry to hear this. You'll get through it though it will take a few weeks.

You don't need to wait to start bleeding. You can get what is in there removed (either under general or local anaesthetic depending on what is available in your NHS trust). You may need to have a second scan at least a week after the one you already had, to confirm that there is definitely no growth or change.

Painfully, the section that deals with this kind of thing is usually called something like the "early pregnancy clinic" - you should be able to find the phone number for your nearest one with a bit of googling. However, you often can't self-refer so you may need to get another service to refer you (but phone them to check on this and ask their advice on the simplest way to get referred). Depending on how your local services are organised it may be easiest to phone up your community midwife service and ask them to refer you if they are able to do so without having a lengthy booking-in appointment, or if your GP offers same-day telephone triage as ours do then they may also be able to do it without seeing you.

Personally I would recommend going for the general anaesthetic option. This may seem drastic but there are times when you just don't want to be forming memories of what is going on. They will also offer you an option of pills/pessaries to kick off the bleeding but personally I never liked the idea of that - you still get to wait around wondering when it's going to start.

Whichever path you choose, you will get through and it will all be over. Wishing you strength till then.

FishWithABicycle · 09/09/2014 07:46

p.s. my EPC clinic said they would sign me off work for as long as I needed, and would do so without being specific as to why - hopefully yours will do likewise so you won't have to face work until you feel up to it. Remember you can self-certify for 5 days so as long as you can see one of these services within that time to give you a note you'll be OK.

Monten · 09/09/2014 07:52

Very sorry to hear that poorgojo, it's horrific.

Agree with what fish said, phone your local EPU or GP and they will be able to advise the route you need to take. Be prepared tho, as it was a private scan, the NHS will want to do their own, so to speak. They will then most probably make you wait another week and do another scan just to be absolutely sure there is no growth.

I had general anaesthetic both times and found it, physically at least, quite straightforward.

Thanks
happygojo · 09/09/2014 08:06

I am actually supposed to be on Holiday next week.... just in Wales and staying with my parents so nothing is booked. I still want to go. Mainly so I don't sit here all day. It is so cruel to still be bloated and have nausea and sore boobs and everything and knowing it is for nothing! trying to get through to my GP surgery now....tried 25 times so far and the phone line is busy! The local EPAU is open at 9am so if I really struggle i will ring them. I just want it over now

OP posts:
Monten · 09/09/2014 08:33

Yes happygojo it is really cruel. I would definitely still go away if I was you, particularly if it's to see your parents and not overseas. If you can get a scan in this week before you go then that will get the process moving. It's a horrible thing to have to sort out.

happygojo · 09/09/2014 08:46

I called my doctors, no appointments until 7.40pm tonight with GP, so they got a midwife to call me who gave me the number of the Gynae ward, I called the Gynae Ward and they told me they cannot see me until they have a referral from a midwife! Talk about going in circles. So frustrating. The NHS around here is so busy, it is difficult to get anyone to see you, and they almost seem pissed off that I have had an early private scan! but when they couldn't see me until 10 and a half weeks what do they expect. I think Wales will be good, lots of therapeutic mountains, My parents will be with us for 3 days and then we will have 3 days just me and my OH which will be nice... time to heal mentally at least

OP posts:
EffinIneffable · 09/09/2014 09:42

Hi happy. I am so, so sorry for what you're going through right now. It's such a shock when you find out it's not going well. This is almost exactly what happened to me - had a private scan at 7+5 to find only an empty sac. You've had good advice from the others here.

I hope you have a referral to the EPU now - they will look after you. Their guidelines normally say you need at least 2 scans a week apart to be able to offer you any medical or surgical intervention, because they are not allowed to go by the dates you tell them in case there's a 1 in a thousand chance you might be wrong and they stop a healthy pg. Sometimes they won't take a private scan into account, so you need 2 at the EPU, so getting this process started before you go away if possible will be helpful.

It is also possible that the sac is still growing - this is what happened to me. Although no embryo was ever visible and they weren't saying the pg might be ok, they couldn't treat me until there was no growth at all 2 scans a week apart, or sac is over a certain size and empty. This may not be the case with you, but wanted you to be aware of the possibilities. Cruelly it can be quite a drawn out process.

Like you, I also chose to go away on holiday. I'm glad I didn't just sit around waiting, but I mc naturally while I was away (in a tent...) so that might be something you want to think about. If you want to go anyway and be prepared, take lots of massive sanitary towels and some strong painkillers. The EPU might give you some co-codamol if you see them before you go away. I hope I'm not alarming you, and really everything was fine when I mc'd but if you're not at home you may want to be prepared. There are some good threads on this board giving advice on how to manage practically and what to expect.

Most of all, just be kind to yourself right now.

happygojo · 09/09/2014 10:48

Thank you everyone. I will be staying on my parents boat which has all the comforts of home. Have a scan at EPU tomorrow morning but suspect I am starting to cramp (poss in my mind). In my head I am quite rational about it. Then I get these waves or sobbing/panic attack.

OP posts:
FishWithABicycle · 11/09/2014 23:45

I hope you are ok op. Let us know how you are getting on when you feel up to it.

happygojo · 12/09/2014 08:14

Hi all, scan at EPU on Wednesday confirmed empty sac larger than 25mm. I am being admitted to hospital tomorrow for medical management, but I still have no cramps or spotting so it could be a long night in hospital

OP posts:
FishWithABicycle · 12/09/2014 18:42

wishing you strength for that. I hope you can have a nice treat to look forward to after it's over.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page