Medical management or surgical?

[Considerphebas]

After a scan showing that baby stopped growing at 8 weeks I'm considering options for management. As I'm now 12 weeks I don't think waiting is going to work so it's either medical or surgical- I really can't decide!

• I like to idea of being able to 'collect' baby with the medical route and it feels like a proper 'end' but I'm concerned about the pain and (stupidly!) The size of the oral pills as I struggle to take anything bigger than an ibroprufen! Also I had a hemorage after my sons birth and worry about this also happening during miscarriage. My previous losses were much earlier and happened spontaneously, uncomfortable but no more painful than a heavy period, but I'm further along this time.

I've arranged for my Mum to stay and toddler is booked into pre-school/ grandparents if necessary, stocked up on large pads, pain killers and chocolate just need to decide what to do.

Hi there - I can only comment on the surgical experience but I can totally recommend it. I had it at ten weeks after 3-4 weeks of scanning and waiting and dreading a natural miscarriage. The ERPC was very civilised, I had no post-operative pain at all and just having v light occasional stuff on the bleeding front, am now ten days post-op.

I've three friends who had both surgical and either spontaneous or medical management, and they totally recommended I go the surgical route.

They ask if you want the embryo looked at to determine, for eg, if it was a molar pregnancy....

I ended up trying medical management first as my DH said he'd be happier if I'd try this first as its less risky than having surgery & a GA(he's a Dr ) but it didn't work for me at all ( got cramps but no bleeding even after 2 tries) so I had an erpc a week or so later.
Emotionally I was in pieces as I knew there were problems from 10weeks, confirmed miscarraige at 15weeks and didn't have ERPC until 17weeks . Physically the erpc was fine, I had a small light bleed after and I was very tired for a few days after the GA but I think that was also the emotional side of it.

I had surgical at 9.5 weeks and it was the best decision for me. There was no pain and the bleeding was minimal.

Hi
Really sorry for your loss :(

I have had both, medically managed as recommended by my Dr, for pretty much the same as you - 12 week scan showed that the baby had stopped growing. To be brutally honest, it was the worst experience of my life. The pain was horrendous, lasted for days until the baby came out, I can only imagine it's similar to a very slow childbirth without the help of the baby pushing it's way out. I also had a spontaneous MC at about 6 or 7 weeks previously and it was nowhere near as bad as the medically induced one.

In June I had another MMC, and I insisted on an ERPC. For me it was the best decision ever, minimal pain and bleeding, went back to work the next day, emotionally I felt better as well as the experience didn't drag on. The Dr wanted me to have another medically managed as there is less risk of scarring and so on but never again!

Thanks- ended up going for medical management. Last night I had about 3 hours of heavy bleeding and passed two (TMI!) large clots about palm sized. Bleeding had since settled down but cramping has started up again, I'm concerned it's not all going to pass but the EPU seemed happy, just really didn't seem like enough blood for this stage.