Surgical management

[MustStopSnacking28]

Hi all, I am not really sure what I am after from this post but hoping for some experiences I guess. I found out this morning that I have had a MMC and have chosen surgical management, seems like the least worst option to me. I am struggling with this news on top of my dad passing away 10 days ago...his funeral is tomorrow. I am not really sure how to cope with it all.

Does anyone have any advice for after the surgery, was there any pain or anything? I am fine with a GA but I suppose worrying about afterwards more than anything. I feel as though my mental health is totally shot and I am not sure if I can cope with physical pain as well.

Hi MustStopSnacking28

I just wanted to say I am so sorry for your loss, especially at such a difficult time for you and your family. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you at the moment.

I found out two weeks ago that I had a MMC and have been scheduled for surgery on Thursday of this week. So I can't share my personal experience yet but from what I have been told and read, the procedure isn't bad and the recovery is usually ok, the first couple of days to get over the GA seem to be the worst of it. I can post more after Thursday if that is any help. If you search for ERPC on this site, you will find some more threads about the procedure.

Anyway, I just wanted to send you a big hug and to let you know that you are not alone

Thank you @honeymirabella and so sorry to hear you are going through the same thing. I have been booked in for Friday (as long as the COVID test comes back negative) and wouldn’t want to ask you to let me know how you feel on Thursday, but I really appreciate the offer. Look after yourself - this is such a shit time

Sending best wishes to you both.
I'm also booked in for Friday (wanted MVA but hospital not offering it and misoprostol hasn't worked) following my mmc.

Sorry you're both going through this, it's so hard

Thanks so much @MadameBat. So sorry to hear that you are going through it too. Will be thinking of you both on Friday.

Assuming I'm not too dozy tomorrow after the procedure I'll let you know how it went. Hopefully we will all have a good experience of it.

Big hug

I am sorry to hear this is happening to you on top of all other upset. I hope my experience is of help but will probably differ depending on the hospital too. I had a surgical management a few years ago. I went in early morning and waited in a day surgery unit until the time of the op around 11am. All I remember is being taken in and the next thing someone was waking me up. I had a bit of a sore throat my guess is it was to do with the oxygen tube but at that point no other pain. I was offered a hot drink and after a while taken down a different ward for a few hours so that they could observe how well recovery was going. More tea toast /biscuits if wanted was offered. Nurses needed to make sure that I was able to go for a pee and also checked whether bleeding wasn't excessive. I found everyone to be very compassionate and sensitive about the matter. I was discharged around 4.30pm and my husband was called by a nurse to come and pick me up . When I got home my bleeding was like a heavy period and when pain relief wore off I felt strong period type of cramps and general feel of being a bit sore and bruised . Pain was easily managed with ibuprofen and paracetamol. The following day I was feeling a lot better just a little weak. Bleeding got less and less and within a week it was just like a beginning or an end of period, completely ending within 2 weeks. My procedure was on Thursday and by Monday I felt well enough to go back to work (not physical work). I was feeling a little more tired than usual for about a week and for about a month had a bloated tummy feel. But I can honestly say that recovery and bleeding was better than a natural miscarriage that I experienced.
Good luck to all of you ladies that are having to go through this xxx

All the best for today, @honeymirabella I'll be thinking of you.

All the best for both of us tomorrow, @MustStopSnacking28
I'm so sorry you've had such a hard time recently

Thanks for sharing @Natmat1 I'm a bit nervous so that's definitely helped

I'm so sorry OP, what a shitty time you're having.

I had surgical management last year and it was as positive an experience as such miserable things can be.

I felt a little sore as I woke up, but I guess the painkillers kicked in and by the time I was properly awake I felt fine. I had made sure to have plenty of paracetamol and ibuprofen in but I don't think I took a single dose. I did have a medicinal McDonalds on the way home. Everyone in the hospital was lovely and very caring.

I had very little bleeding that day, none the next day which I spent on the sofa (unnecessarily I think but I appreciated the downtime) and then light bleeding for a couple of days. I had the surgery on Wednesday, went on holidays on Monday and was swimming on Tuesday without the slightest concern.

(I don't know if you find such stories helpful, so apologies if not, but my MMC was September last year and I'm sitting here watching my 16 week old on her play mat. I really hope you can tell a similar story, if that's what you want.)

Wishing you all the strength in the world.

@honeymirabella I am thinking of you today. I hope that everything has gone/goes ok for you

@MadameBat all the best for you tomorrow also, mine is confirmed now as the covid test was negative and I would like to just have the day done so I can hopefully enjoy some time with my DS over the weekend...

@Natmat1 @MindyStClaire thank you for sharing your experiences. I am sorry you had to go through it but so appreciate you sharing your experiences. I am not nervous about a GA as have had those many times for other procedures but it reassures me to think it might not be too terrible when I come round.

Best wishes to all of you

I’m so sorry for everything that people on this thread are going through and have been through in the past. I had this happen in July this year after a scan revealed that I’d miscarried at 8 weeks in June. It was very much as @Natmat1 described.
Be kind to yourselves and rest for as long as you can afterwards. Physically I felt sore and weak and emotionally it is a tremendous grief.

I have to say that four months on I am glad they did it this way. For me they also did a hysteroscopy. I’m not sure if this is the norm. It means inserting a camera and by doing this they found a large fibroid that didn’t show up on the scan and also some endometriosis. They removed both of these things, if they hadn’t then I would likely have had repeated miscarriages. As it was I fell pregnant again in the very next cycle (which was an extra long cycle).

I hope and pray that everyone else gets their rainbow babies very soon.

@MadameBat and @MustStopSnacking28 thank you both so much for your messages - they really cheered me up when I was waiting in the hospital today.

So I am back home now after having the ERPC and I can reassure you both that it was fine. I am sitting at the laptop and my tummy is a little tender but not painful and I am feeling ok. It is a relief that it is over.

I was in the hospital for 7am and had a long wait for the procedure, until 2.30pm - there were delays in Theatre. Thankfully I had brought a book with me and managed to read nearly the whole book which made the wait less bad. I would definitely recommend bringing something enjoyable to read to pass the time!

The procedure itself was quick - I think it was about half an hour between the anaesthetic and waking up in recovery. I don't remember a thing about the procedure and also don't feel any after effects of the dilation bit. I am bleeding a little bit but not more than an average period.

The nurses and doctors were really kind and compassionate. I think they do understand how hard it is and I found them very sensitive. After the procedure I was given tea and toast (which was SO delicious after having fasted from midnight last night) and I had to stay on the ward for around 2 hours for observation, until I had eaten and passed urine. The doctor who carried out the procedure came to speak to me and told me that the procedure had gone well with no complications. Then I was allowed to go home and here I am. I feel like the healing process (physical and emotional) can start properly now.

I hope all that is some reassurance to you both. It's a really sad time for us but please know that you will get good care tomorrow and you will both come through it fine. I will be thinking of you both tomorrow and saying a little prayer that you get on well.

Big hug to you both and @MustStopSnacking28 I am sending you all my strength to get through an unbelievably tough week for you

I'm so glad it all went well for you @honeymirabella
Hope you get to rest and relax a bit this weekend, hope we can all start healing soon

@MustStopSnacking28

I'm adding my sympathies to other posters' on the loss of your dad. I'm so sorry about your MMC too.

What an awful couple of weeks for you 😥

It's some time ago for me but I had a ERPC (previously D&C) after quite a late MMC. The lead up in terms of how the MMC unfolded was v traumatic but the procedure wasn't at all, even tho it was done as an emergency.

I recovered fine, very little bleeding afterwards, I was tired & weak but that was due to significant blood loss before the procedure was done. Emotionally it's obviously hard but physically, the recovery really is fine.

Wishing you, & all the other posters experiencing loss, happy outcomes soon 💐

Hope you got on well yesterday @MustStopSnacking28 and are recovering well.

How are you feeling @honeymirabella?

Mine was all done before I knew it, and I feel absolutely fine, physically, just a bit lacking in energy.

Sending love to all the ladies on the post who've been through this

@EarringsandLipstick thanks for your wishes and sorry you had to go through the same. I appreciate you sharing your experiences though

@MadameBat I am doing ok thanks. Long wait yesterday but it was over quite quickly and I was allowed home fairly quickly too. The staff were so compassionate and I am so grateful for that, it really made a difference to me yesterday. I hope you found the same. I am also glad that I found out last week, despite everything else going on, as I think from this week if we go to another lockdown it would not have been an option...hope you’re feeling ok too

@honeymirabella I hope you are still feeling ok, thanks for your messages too. This thread has been such a help to me - I am so grateful to each and every person who has replied.

@MustStopSnacking28 and @MadameBat I am doing fine - thank you so much for asking. I feel like I am recovering well and don't really have any discomfort any more, just a little bleeding. I went for a long walk this morning and it was lovely.

The hospital sent the tissue away for analysis to test for issues such as molar pregnancy. It takes 1-2 weeks for results to come back so am just keeping my fingers crossed that nothing shows up.

My plan is to focus on my own health for the next few months. With the days getting shorter, and lockdown and working from home it has been hard to keep a good healthy routine of diet and exercise going so that is going to be my main aim until the new year anyway.

I will be happy to see the back of 2020! And hopefully 2021 will bring us all that we hope for

How are you both doing today?

Sending you good wishes @honeymirabella & hope you'll recover well, in all regards x

Sorry I meant to tag OP, @MustStopSnacking28 but good wishes to you too @honeymirabella ❤️

Glad to hear you're doing well @honeymirabella I'm impressed you went on a long walk, I've just been hugging a hot water bottle on the sofa
I'm also going to concentrate on getting myself fit and well, sounds like a good idea.
It's still hard, I'm still trying to get my head around this happening.

Sending much love to everyone on this thread

Thank you all for posting in this thread - it's been helpful to read. I am booked in for an ERPC under general anaesthetic on Monday coming. Our scan at 12+2 showed a MMC (est of fetal death was 10+5). Heartbreaking as we had had a scan (NHS) at 1p weeks that looked great and really thought we were home free. But I think surgical will be the best option for me.

I'm so sorry for all your respective losses x

Hi @TheDaydreamBelievers I am very sorry to hear you are in the same position, it’s devastating. If it is of any help, I am now exactly four weeks post surgical management and had very sporadic bleeding (it is still there a bit bit very light, just an annoying and sad reminder) and no pain at all. I personally think it is the best scenario if you are ok with the general anaesthetic. I hope yours goes as well as possible and please let me know if you have any questions about any of it. Look after yourself

@TheDaydreamBelievers I am so sorry this has happened to you and best of luck tomorrow. A MC is very hard but the surgery really is fine and you will feel better when it's done and you can start your recovery. I am now a month after my ERPC and feel really well, and my first period after the procedure started a few days ago.

@MustStopSnacking28 I hope you are doing ok. I have been thinking of you the last few weeks with all that you had to cope with and hope that things are starting to get a little easier.

@MadameBat how are you?

Just to update you all:

I had to wait from midday until 530pm for the surgery as I was last on the day lists but it went well.

Went down at 5pm, in surgery at 530pm. Was done and awake by 6pm. Had to eat, drink and wee then headed home. Feeling okay - had misopro--- whatever pre op and the minor cramps from that were worst than how I feel atm . I'd estimate current pain at like a 2/10 and I have 3 options for painkillers if it worsens. Bleeding a bit but its expected to die down over the next few days.

Definitely feel like surgery was right for me - it was very easy procedure wise. The hardest bit was the boredom waiting in the day surgery clinic!

Hi @honeymirabella I am doing ok thanks. It’s been shit and I have very down days but I am ok...I’m glad you are ok as well, I am still waiting for my period - hoping it will come soon!

@TheDaydreamBelievers I am glad to hear your procedure went well and you feel it is the right choice, hope you’re recovering well now