Waiting for period after MC

[thankfulbee]

I am a little over 5w since my MC, and am still waiting for my period to come back. NHS says 4-6w after the event, but I have been reading every single thread and know that some ladies don't get things back for much, much longer.

I'm trying to stay calm, but I'm a bit worried as ever since the op (I had surgical management) I get a tiny bit of pink discharge when I exercise, and recently I've been getting some weird cramping/aching pains in my ovary/uterus region.

I got a bit excited over the past few days because outside of my doing any exercise the smallest bit of pink came up on the TP, but it came to nothing. Also, hopefully not TMI, but I had some 'me-time' yesterday with a toy, and in cleaning it off afterwards there were tiny bits of brown/red blood on it, as well as the smallest bit of (bizarrely!) what looked like clear stretchy CM (i.e. fertile?!) so clearly something is wanting to come out.

I'm scared that there is some sort of blockage in my cervix/uterus that is stopping things coming out. I'm just all over the place trying to figure out what's happening. Btw I know 100% I'm not pregnant, but I also wonder if the delay is because my HCG isn't at zero; I know this because I'm still getting the absolutely faintest stupid shadow on a 10mIU test.

Is anyone else in this position where they've had pains/seen a tiny bit of blood but their proper period hasn't come yet? Or are just waiting still?

It took me just over 7 weeks to have a period after a 7.5 week medical miscarriage. I had a big bleed initially and then a very light flow for 3 weeks. From week 3 until my period arrived, I was spotting slightly most days. I continued to do pregnancy tests and they stayed positive for 6 weeks after the miscarriage. Towards the end of the 6 weeks, the line was faint but still there (first response test). My period wasn't super heavy or painful but I did pass some very dark stringy tissue so I assume it was left over pregnancy product - maybe this was giving me the positive tests.

I feel hopeful that your HCG will drop to zero over the coming days and you will bleed soon after. I felt a sense of relief when I finally started my period and I'm sure you will too.

Please keep us updated. These posts are helpful to others who stumble across them at a later date. Take care of yourself x

@camillaesther Thank you so much for responding. I decided to call up my EPU yesterday for advice, and because of the positive HPT and the spotting they had me in for a scan to see if there was anything retained. Scan appeared to be fine and they had me do a test there which was negative. It still doesn't give me 100% relief because I know 2D ultrasound can't pick up any sorts of blockages/adhesions.

Anyway, before I had the scan I started getting a bit of pink discharge on my pantyliner, and afterwards there were a few dark brown/red drops of blood. Yesterday afternoon I started getting more of the cramps I described before and when I went to the toilet there was clearly some red blood on the TP and enough to drip into the toilet - I was overjoyed! However, although a bit has come out overnight, it's still not very much (easily contained on a pad), and when I went to the toilet this morning things seemed to be easing back again, so I'm just crossing my fingers it will keep going...

I know I have a lot of lining in there to come out (the sonographer was even saying that some of it was a little thickened at around 12mm, but she wasn't concerned as this could just be where I was in my cycle - i.e. hopefully close to period) so...

I know you shouldn't make comparisons with your pre-MC periods, but it's just so confusing and worrying.

@thankfulbee reading your reply just now was almost identical to my experience. My EPU had me back in 5 weeks post MC because of a positive HPT. The scan showed no retained product and my lining was 11mm. The hospital did a urine test but theirs came back negative. They explained that their tests were 25mlU whereas the first response tests are more like 10mlU.

It sounds like your period may have finally started albeit slowly. Mine was the same - I was expecting it to ramp at any time but it never really did. It lasted 6 days and was very uneventful. I'm now on CD10 and will start OPKs today.

I really hope you have a complete but uneventful bleed and you can finally start moving forward. My fingers are firmly crossed for you x

@camillaesther I just wanted to update you that my period did start on Friday!

Since my post in the morning on Saturday, things got heavier and are now looking a lot more like the sort of bleed I would've expected pre-MC. I feel a bit reassured about the blockages/adhesions that I mentioned, because I am filling up Always Ultra Night pads (normal for me at heaviest point of bleeding) over a few hours, and my amateur thinking is that at least my cervix is not blocked to be able to pass this much. My periods pre-MC were around 5-6 days like yourself, and I'm hopeful this one is on the same trajectory.

I wanted to thank you again so much for your kind posts and soothing words - it really has meant a lot. I also wish you the best moving fowards xx

@thankfulbee I can sense the relief in your message and I'm really pleased for you. Everything you're describing is sounding like you will have a full and complete bleed this month.

It has been a pleasure chatting with you. It's just a shame it wasn't under better circumstances.

Take care x