Miscarrying - don't know what to do. Please can someone advise ASAP.

[karma]

Just wanted some advice as my head is in a spin at the moment and too emotional to know what to do.
Had a misc. in Feb at 5 weeks. Got a positive (albeit very faint) pregnancy test last Thursday, but started bleeding about an hour ago with crampy pains. Did another test and the positive line was barely there but me and dh could just make it out.
Two things really - was I actually pregnant this time as with our two ds previously had unmistakeable BFPs. Did feel pregnant this time though (really sore boobs) whereas I had no symptoms with the last misc.
Also what do I do now? Is there any point seeing the GP tomorrow as it's almost identical to last time. All she did was send me to EPU where they did preg test which was neg by then and sent me home. No scan or anything. Also in the back of my mind is whether this is just a late period, and I had just convinced myself I was pregnant. Would feel a fool seeing GP if that is the case.
Just feeling so low about the whole situation. Really thought it wouldn't happen again. Can any one give me any advice please.

I had exactly the same thing 3 weeks ago and as I understand it, I had a chemical pregnancy. My body had produced hcg, hence the faint lines (I had a week of them) but that was about it.

I went to to the hospital and had a negative test. I was told that I was just having my period but I knew that wasn't quite the case. They told me to go back if it got really painful or if the bleeding was heavier than usual.

I'm so sorry this is happening, I hope you are ok.

You poor thing (both of you actually). Karma, do go to the GPs, you need to get it registered as a pregnancy if nothing else because it's only when you have had three miscarriages that they will investigate. I can only hope this is an implantation bleed or one of the many mystery bleeds of early pregnancy. I had one at six weeks pregnant and like you assumed I was miscarrying as I had before, then went on to have a healthy baby, so do carry a glimmer of hope if you can. Either way, you should get checked out. I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for the advice. Yes I am going to go to the docs this morning, I think I need some answers.
That's interesting about the chemical pregnancy beansprout. Does that mean there is never a fertilised egg, and your body is just duped into thinking it's pregnant? What causes it?
Has anyone else had a situation like this when they are misc. very early on (previously having had no problems)? I guess it could be an age thing (I'm now 38).
Just hope it'll be third time lucky for us, don't know whether I could bear going through this again.

Karma - chemical pregnancy is where conception takes place and hcg is produced but the egg doesn't even implant. After the initial shock of finding that I wasn't pregnant any more, I found this reassuring as I hadn't lost a "baby", not physically at least, although having spent a week thinking I was pregnant, the emotional side was another story.

There is a fair amount of information on the web and a number of MNer have experienced the same thing. I really didn't get much help from the hospital, who insisted that I was having a late period and questioned whether I had a bfp in the first place .

I hope you are ok and get a more sympathetic response.

Thankyou beanssprout, I will let you know how I get on later.

Hi Karma, I am very sorry for your worries.
There is a possibility that you just have implantation bleeding (often with carmps) can be either way, really. As for very early mcs:
I read several times that experts think that up to 90% of pregnancies get lost in the first two weeks (before you miss AF). People didn't used to know because they didn't have tests. So while it is still distressing for you, it is a sign sign that many things have gone right and chances are you will fall pg next time.
As for GP: I had one of these very early mc and GP didn't believe me, although I had agonizing cramps AF nad positive test (which i didn't bring). So be prepared in case they don't take you serious, so it does not become a double-blow.

Thanks for the message glimmer. Feel sure it's not implantation bleeding as bleeding is as heavy as my normal period. Isn't implantation bleeding just spotting?
Just got back from gp who was lovely. Sending me to EPU later today, although can't really see the point if all they'll do is a pregnancy test like last time.
I agree glimmer - although pregnancy tests are wonderful they do cause alot of heartache too.

Oh so sorry to hear that bleeding is as strong as AF -- that leaves very little hope :-(. I am very glad that you had good experience with GP.

Different from beansprout it helped me to think of it a very short pregnancy, because I think what counts are the hormones and the plans you make for that baby (okay: technically blatocyst) in that few days you know it exists. Just my personal copying strategy.

And again: you know you ovulated, the sperm reached the egg, the timing was right and fertilization occured -- your chances are excellent that things will work out next time, even if you had two in a row (expecially if it's up to 90% loss during that time...)

Take care of yourself and all the best.

Thanks glimmer. Rechecked pregnancy test and its negative. Really don't want to go to EPU later - I'm sure that they'll be thinking and probably saying "wasn't this just a late period?" and to be honest I'm now wondering this too. Mainly because after misc. in Feb the bleeding was really painful, whereas this time I've had a few aches and nothing more (just like a normal period). However, the sore boobs I don't usually get with af, and the cramps that I've had over the last week on and off are unusual. I'm beginning to think I'm a bit of a fraud now which on top of everything else is making me feel awful. Please someone tell me I'm not going mad.

You are not going mad at all, how you are feeling is entirely normal. I felt like a fraud too (what's that about?!).

Maybe call the EPU before you go down there and see what their advice is? I think that someone will need to do a test at some point. Hope you are ok.

Sorry to hear you're going through this. If you got a positive, then my understanding is that you must have been pregnant. You can get a false negative, but not a false positive.

The fact you have a negative now might suggest that you have passed everything so maybe there is little point in going to the EPU. I went to A&E last time I m/c'd, passed the placenta a couple of hours later and discharged myself against their wishes because, as I said, there was nothing they could do for me by then. Spent 2 hours waiting to be seen though and can understand not wanting to spend time unnecessarily in a hospital! See what they say, but don't bother going if you don't want to. Of course, if the bleeding is excessive or you are in pain, then you should go...

Hi

Exactly tbis happenened to me last month. Following a missed m/c in nov/dec when I ended up with an infection adn an ERPC in Dec due to retained products

I DID go and get an scan as the whole experience if the missed m/c was so traumatic that I coyuldn't face the thought of not knowing that it was all gone.

#if its any consolation, I am under one of UK's leading miscarriage experts, and she assures me the two are unrelated and not the start of a reccurrent m/c problem. I hope.......

Karma,

Sorry to hear you're going through this, what a horrible time. Aardfark is right, get it checked and if necessary recognised as a pg in case of recurrent m/cs in the future (but hopefully not!)

Bean - hey hun. Hope you're okay too. sending you all

Karma you are not going mad. You had a BFP it's sadly negative now. Do not ever let anybody talk you into this hadn't happened. (I did because I was so confused and I hate the GP who didn't believe me -- I should have yelled at her.)
I think given that you are bleeding and testing negative chances are there isn't any material left -- but you have to decide for yourself.
(I had material left after a mc, but I tested positive 6 weeks after mc -- that was quite different).

Thanks for all the support guys. Have just got back from EPU. Thankfully was in and out really quickly. Saw a nurse who did believe me but also said that at such an early stage no-one can ever be sure whether it was a misc. or a period, all misc. are different apparently. She sais it wasn't worth scanning but took blood for hormone levels. And she reassured me that 2 misc. are very common.

I had an early misc when trying for 2nd child. Now have a gorgeous 2.5 DS as well as my DD (aged 4.5)- so keep on trucking. Identify completely with the feeling a fraud thing ... but you're not. +ve test = baby. You have every right to grieve. What happened to me is a sweet story \link{http://www.godansweredme.com/stories/making_babies/easter_egg. \my story} Read if you get the chance...

Hi Karma-hope this helps, I had 2 x DS, then two miscarriages and then another (a chemical pg) in Febrauary, I found it reassuring to nknow that it would never have become a baby and for once really was "one of those things", also I am currently 13.5 weeks pg, having fallen pg in the cycle immediately after the chemical pg, we were trying based on the fact that you are supposedly more fertile following a m/c.
Do remember though that you have every right to feel as upset with this one as with any other m/c as although it isn't a baby that has been lost, there are all your dreams of what was going to be (I think I'd planned everything in my mind). Give yourself time to recover, but also especially with this type of m/c there is no reason not to start trying immediately (they can date the next pg by scans)

Thanks josiejump, that has given me some reassurance. I know it's early days but have felt really down today, thinking that maybe i'll never be able to have any more children. That's interesting what you say about increased fertility after misc. I didn't know that.
Thanks auburnmum, will read your link.
I guess I'm worried that because I've had 2 very early misc at around 5 weeks maybe I have got some sort of problem. Will just have to wait and see I guess, it's just really hard at the moment, although I know I'm so lucky to have 2 ds, we would love a third child to make our family complete.
Any more positive stories to give me some hope?

Karma if you have got any way to have invetigations it might be worth it.
I was fortunate to be in a kind of healthcare sceme, my doctor agreed to refer me as he thought it was best for my sanity-I've had tests and a possible clotting problem has been identified (may not have been the reason for my m/cs but possibly), strange because it would have been with me at birth, but I've had my two boys, possible that the birth of DS2 triggered something I suppose. Now injecting with heparin on the advice of my consultant. I know we both should feel lucky for the two children we've both got, but there is still that void whee another is wanted...

Sorry not whee-where

Karma - how are you today?

Thanks for all the support. I have moments of being really positive and others of feeling so down and thinking I'll never have another baby (totally irrational I know considering with my history at least I know I can have babies).
Had to go back to EPU today for another blood sample. Apparently the machine broke on monday so the sample had to be repeated (great just where I wanted to go again with all those blooming, heavily pregnant ladies around the hospital).
Saw a nurse who didn't really seem to know alot, and who then went on to say that I should wait for a period before trying again (not what I wanted to hear at my age, and not what I'd been told after the mc in Feb by the doctor). It made me so angry, that I immediately decided to ignore her advice, and will start trying again as soon as bleeding stopped. From what I've read this should be ok shouldn't it?
I know that in the great scheme of things my story is not really that disastrous, and I should be grateful for all I have (and believe me I am), but the yearning is so strong for another child and I am so impatient I am finding this really hard. How do people manage to stay relaxed about things and not get too preoccupied with this whole thing? I really don't want this to affect the wonderful things I already have in my life. I guess with time things will get better and less painful.

karma -reading your post from yesterday (and sending you love as know how horrible it feels to not know what problem is when you so long for a child), I've dug out the link to this

nice stories after m/c

maybe we should rerun this thread as seems to be somethign that offers lots of people hope/comfort

link to previous post

sorry - not at my most bill gates today!!

Poppy34, thankyou so much for highlighting that link. Those stories have really given me some hope for the future. Sorry to hear that you've been through something similar.