Time taken to start MC after stopping progesterone

[UnluckyCat23]

Have posted on the general support thread but thought it might be better to start a new topic in case anyone has any specific advice! I’m 8 weeks into an IVF pregnancy, unfortunately it was confirmed Monday evening that the pregnancy had stopped developing and the heartbeat has stopped. I’m trying conservative management and just wondered if anybody had any experience of how long it took after stopping the progesterone pessaries to starting bleeding? My consultant said that if I’m not bleeding at a week to arrange medical management but it just feels like such a long time. I hate being in the house all day and want to go out for walks, see friends etc but I’m paranoid about starting bleeding heavily when out and about. I know nobody can give me an exact timeframe and this is my anxiety disorder driving this information seeking but if anybody has been through this and feels able to share it would be really appreciated.

Hi @UnluckyCat23, hope you are looking after yourself. I can’t help on your specific question as I ended up going down the medical management route but can share my experience.

I was on progesterone and had a MMC confirmed last week at 9+5. I stopped taking progesterone on Wednesday night and didn’t have any bleeding so I opted for medical management yesterday. Wishing you all the best.

Sorry I don't know how quickly progesterone falls, however I had medical management last week. I tested my progesterone and hcg just after 7 weeks and progesterone was up at almost 1500, when normally it would be about 60 without supplementation (hcg was just over 5000 and may have already started to fall). Medical management suits me and makes your period start, reset your hormones and any pregnancy tissue passes then. I had a previous MMC in September (10 weeks, but 6-7 weeks development) and also had medical management, but wasn't on progesterone then. This time I had mifepristone orally on Thursday and misoprostol vaginally and then orally on Saturday. The second MMC wasn't as bad as I knew better what to expect and it wasn't as developed due to lower hcg levels (also the placenta kept developing with the first MMC).

I had a very similar experience last month, I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing the same. I stopped taking my progesterone on the Friday morning, started bleeding the following Tuesday

Thank you, it’s really helpful to know other people’s experiences. I’ve got a low threshold for asking for medical management but it’s just more waiting and seeing I guess.

So sorry for your loss - I wasn’t on progesterone and miscarried naturally but will say that it was ‘light’ for two/three days before the real heavy passing of the tissue started. Therefore in mt experience you’re unlikely to be caught with a sudden really heavy onset - the cramps will come first (and make sure you stay dosed up if you can with pain killers) followed by the bleeding maybe an hour or so later i found when the actual tissue was passing xxxxx

sending lots of love xx

Thank you - that’s really helpful advice x