Thoughts after recent MMC

[Longbarn5]

I have had two weeks as of tomorrow to look back at the MMC I suffered with our first pregnancy. Like many, I went to my exactly 12 week scan expecting to confirm my due date and get Nuchal fluid checked but instead got the news that there was no heartbeat and embryo measuring 6 weeks.

I now have had a negative pregnancy test and plan to TTC again as soon as we can. I know that when i do conceive again, and i expect i will sooner or later, I will be terrified of having another miscarriage of any type and will certainly be getting private scans sooner than 12 weeks.

Having said all of this, I cant help wondering what went wrong the first time. People say it was probably an abnormality of some sort as it was so early. The sonographer did say that the embryo looked completely normal for iits age as far as she could tell and it wouldn't have been a placental issue since it hadnt yet developed. So, what i am wondering is, apart from chromazone abnormalities, what else might cause the demise of a six week embryo? Has anyone had similar and found any other issues.

If i fall pregnant again, when i go for a scan at around 8 weeks i will be assuming the worst and praying a lot.

Hey@Longbarn5. Hope you’re ok. I feel like we spoke before as we both were diagnosed on the same day at 12 week scan? My EPU said some lovely things about conceiving again. Something about there’s no reason you won’t have a healthy pregnancy next time and this was one of those times where one thing didn’t work and it was nothing we did or could help. I think the chances of it happening again are not high but yes I agree, I will be going for early scans absolutely panicking xx

Hi Rio93, I'm not too bad at all to be honest. Hope you are ok? I think you are right and we did indeed speak before. Yes, it is difficult to not fear repeat of tge same situation but I agree that chance should be in our favour. Here's to hoping for healthy pregnancies for both of us in the near future x

This happened to me in July, and I’m now 9 weeks pregnant again. I’ve seen on other forums that some trusts will scan early after you’ve had a mmc, so always worth a try.

mine don’t so I’ve booked for private ones everyone two weeks since 7 weeks, I’m hoping that once I get to 12 my paranoia will calm a little.

as @Longbarn5 said, my EPU have given the same advice that as hard as it can be to accept, it’s just one of those things, and there is no reason that you won’t go on to have a completely successful pregnancy next time.

Hi, sorry you are experiencing this it truly is just awful.

I was told that the experts do not know the reason for about 80% of miscarriages because it is underfunded and under researched.
So there is likely never going to be a definitive answer.

Armed with this information and due to my weird thinking processes, I set out to do everything I could to make the environment right, so folic acid while ttc, cut out caffeine, super healthy clean diet, exercise, reduced my weight, zero alcohol. Things like that.

Have to say that even with all of that I still miscarried but I knew in my head that I had done everything that I could possibly do and I also accepted that it must be chromosomal or not compatible with life so “one of those things”.

All the best, it works out in the end.

@Longbarn5 Pleased to hear you’re ok. I’m still recovering from the surgery which wasn’t quite the less traumatic way of ending the pregnancy as I first thought but I have other children luckily who have got me through. Yes all the best to you! Do keep us updated. Are you going to start trying again straight away or taking some time to process and recover? Xx

2Rio93, wishing you a safe recovery and I expect your other children are a good and positive distraction. I will let you know how I get on. I am going to start trying again straight away. I am going to just take my folic acid, etc, and pray!

When I fall pregnant again, sooner or later, I will book an 8 week scan and just hope upon hope that things go well xx

HI Agathapoirot,
Sorry you also had this shocking experience and congratulations on your new pregnancy. I dont think ours will scan early after one mmc or mc either so I will book privately. I will likely start at 8 weeks.
I completely get what you say about the 12 week scan.

I think Mumsnet and other forums are great sources of really helpful info and indeed comfort but they are also places where you do read about a lot of people who have suffered several mmc or mc so it is a bit of a two way thing. I might be comforted slightly if I could see a simple to read chart that showed research into how many people experienced this on more than one occasion and how many had only had the experience once but I am pretty certain that no such chart exists so it is just a case of anxiously hoping I think! X

Hi there, such camaradary on here, which is lovely. Your thinking is not weird, just sensible. You just want to do the best to give yourself the very best chance, I'm very much with you on that x

@Longbarn5 So sorry to hear you've went through this. I've had two miscarriages- one at 6 weeks back in 2020 and a mmc at 12 weeks in September, also discovered at my scan. The sac was measuring 10 weeks but there was no embryo despite seeing a heartbeat at 7 weeks. It was an IVF pregnancy so I've had a bit more testing than normal. There's no way of knowing what caused it but consultant thinks its related to underactive thyroid and thyroid antibodies. My situation is quite unusual but maybe just worth getting thyroid checked if you haven't already. I hope you go on to have a healthy pregnancy x

Hi Kamiros, very sorry to hear about your losses too. Your MMC must have been a horrible shock after seeing a heartbeat at 7 weeks and that much harder when you have been through IVF too. I am going to give it another go and see what happens. If I lose the next pregnancy I will be booking some blood tests including thyroid function xx