MMC -medical management bleeding. MVA query...

[thecherryontop]

Hi everyone. I had medical management for a missed miscarriage last Tuesday. I assumed it was successful as passed a lot that evening after contraction type pain, then passed more an hour or so later. Can anyone advise as to how much they bled afterwords (as in for how long), I'm still bleeding (a bit like a period) though yesterday passed a large clot and then a smaller one which worried me as I thought it was over.

My hospital have advised another scan tomorrow as said the bleeding should have stopped -I've read online that it can take 2-3 weeks sometimes?

Also -had anyone had 2 lots of tablets or gone for the MVA option? My anxiety could not cope with the thought of GA.

Thank you for reading!

I had three rounds of med mgmt (one full dose of misoprostol, a half dose two days later then fought for mifepristone as well as misoprostol the following week) I started bleeding after the final dose of miso but it took two days for the main pain/loss to happen (several hours of agony and clots). I then had a few more "gushes" for the next 7-10 days but continued to bleed/spot for 5 weeks in total, right through to my first period. I had a negative test about 10 days after the final dose. X

Thanks -interesting and reassuring to hear that you bled for quite a while -I was starting to think there was something wrong with me. I genuinely thought it had worked the first day as so much came away. I'm absolutely dreading tomorrow... it's such a long drawn out process but at the same time I can't face the quicker option of the D&C.

I was the same. I have a medical phobia so any intervention, even scanning was horrific. The consultant also said she wouldn't be keen to operate as my little one was so small (3.1mm) and they do it "blind" so would advise the med mgmt and if not waiting for my body to sort it itself.

I honestly think they don't know enough about miscarriage to be able to give a good idea of what's normal and what's not. Especially missed miscarriage. For me I just kept a close eye for any infection signs.xx

Thanks @Laney79 I have to say, the staff are so lovely and supportive but also a bit vague. I'm the same as you in that my blood pressure rises just having to be in the hospital. I just want to know if it will clear itself eventually -if like you I just kept an eye out for infection.

@thecherryontop if I'm honest I think I may have had a little of the sac left over-passed some unusual tissue during that first period, and I guess that would explain the continued spotting/bleeding. My nurse has also been amazing, It's just heartbreaking.

I had a MVA eleven days ago for a missed miscarriage and I was very anxious about it beforehand. I couldn't cope with the thought of a GA and initially thought I would go for medical management. I only choose the MVA once I realised that it would be over and I would be back home pretty quickly. I had misoprostol two hours beforehand, then cocodamol and 800mg ibuprofen one hour beforehand. Local anaesthetic was injected into the cervix, and I asked for gas and air which really helped in distancing me from what was going on. I did have some period type pain, but it was completely bearable and nowhere near as bad as I'd anticipated. One of the nurses put a heat pad on me which really helped. It took maybe twenty minutes, and then about forty minutes sitting afterwards drinking coffee before I went home. I had pain and bleeding for a day or two and then it tailed off to intermittent mild cramps and light bleeding for a week or so. So overall it was fine, but I put a lot of that down to all the painkillers and the gas and air.

@Rollycat thanks for this information. I haven't read a lot of experiences of this so it's good to know. It's maybe something I should have opted for as at least it got it over with.

It can be a tough decision to make. I read pretty varied accounts of MVAs so it's different for everyone I guess. Hope things go ok with your scan tomorrow x

I was told I’d bleed for up to 3 weeks. I’m 2 weeks this evening post medical management for a mmc. Bleeding is pretty light today and I’m hoping will stop this week. The only thing I’ve been told is to phone if a pregnancy test is positive next week. After my natural miscarriage, also with a mmc I also bled for 2 weeks after the main event but had bled for 3 weeks prior to that...so 5 weeks in total.

@Lumpy76 Your post is also reassuring -I was sure that one nurse had told me it could be longer but the latest one I've spoken to twice tells me that it should be done in a week. I've also read loads on google (as I can't stop myself) saying that it could be up to 2-3 weeks -even the NHS website. I suppose time will tell tomorrow with the scan but for now I'm clinging onto it having worked and being "normal".

@Rollycat thank you! It's such an emotional drain. One minute I think I'm ok and the next minute I just feel so sad and like there's also no end to it.

@thecherryonthetop did you have your management at home or hospital? I expect the scan is to check you passed the actual pregnancy sac not because you’re still bleeding. I had mine in hospital and it was checked that I did pass the sac - after that they basically said my body would sort the rest. Can totally empathise with the “up and down”. I’m fine one moment and yet feel absolutely bleak the next. I was much better the first week but towards the last weekend I began to feel my mood sliding downwards and generally I feel very low now. I’m hoping this is mainly hormonal & as my cycle returns to normal I’ll feel better. I do get very bad pms the week before I’m due a period so I know my hormones influence my mood a lot.

@Lumpy76 I had it at home. Their policy is to have it at home, then phone when something happens/if it doesn't and then in 3 weeks to a pregnancy test and if it's negative then it's worked and if it hasn't then scan. However because I had passed some clots at the start of this week they called me in and said that as I was bleeding they would scan as it was a sign of retained products. Dreading the scan as every one I've had throughout this hasn't delivered anything positive.

I know what you mean about the hormones. Just want it to be over with.

Try not to worry - your body will most probably sort it out. I had to stay as I started bleeding very heavily very quickly (my last mmc I haemorrhaged and ended up in resus) so they didn’t want to take any risks. I was told that first course of action is to give more tablets (if you want them) if the sac hasn’t been passed or you can choose to go surgical. 🤞🏻 for your scan xxx

Thanks @Lumpy76 -there was some retained product (horrible term) but they think it will pass naturally, they apologised as I had been given wrong info and it's not the case that bleeding should have finished within 1 week. So relieved I don't need any further treatment.

Have you had more than 1 MMC @Lumpy76 ? I can't believe how naive I've been to all of this, obviously I knew miscarriage was always a possibility bug I just didn't really know too much/anything about MMC. Xxxx

That’s good (if there is good) news! Yes I’ve had 2 mmc and an ordinary mc. My first mmc was 3 yrs ago. With that one I waited for a natural miscarriage but it was a bit dramatic and I haemorrhaged. I decided then that if I had another I’d opt for medical management. I’ve had a baby in between.

@thecherryontop don't feel naive - I'm a researcher and journalist by trade and did buckets and buckets of research before we even gave up on the pill. I knew one in four stat about miscarriages but not once in my research did missed miscarriage come up, or blighted ovum or any of the other types of miscarriage complications. I think it's one of those things people don't talk about, and they should. I just assumed if I was going to miscarry I would bleed, but I had no signs at all the first time.

This stat of having a 1% chance of a missed miscarriage must be out of date now, especially with early private scanning available. The only two pregnancies I've had have both ended as mmcs. So don't feel naive-it's it's something society needs to talk about more, and women should be told about x

Completely agree @Laney79 -its definitely not discussed enough. I too have read that 1% statistic and agree that surely it has to be out of date now.

Sorry to hear you have both experienced this more than once. Xxx