Placenta investigation after loss

[Lemonyfire]

Hello
We sadly lost our baby last week at 16 weeks. I've posted about this specifically previously.
The placenta was sent off for testing and we declined a post mortem. Because it was all such a blur I didn't think to ask what they will be looking for/ when and how we might get results?
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Based on our feelings and no external genitals we felt very strongly our baby was a little girl and named her. I'm now worried the testing will come back with a different gender and may impact our memories and how we feel ( I understand to a lot of people this may be a silly thing to worry about )

They are checking to see if anything was wrong with the placenta that may have caused the loss. I lost my son at 14 weeks and it was very obvious he was as a boy and a little girl not long after around the same gestation, it was not as obvious with the girl. Were you put in contact with a bereavement midwife? We were contacted by ours with the results. We were never told gender with the placenta. If you opted for them to do genetic testing they may tell you from that. I’m not 100% on that though as ours had been inconclusive.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I've lost 3 and the 1st was only a few weeks before yours in terms of weeks at loss. Was there anything on the 12 week scans to indicate issues? Did you had an NIPT? I did at 10 weeks so know the gender of that loss.
External genitals are normally fairly clear by 12 week in females and 14 in males, so I'm not sure what you mean by no external genitals at 16 weeks? It would have been clarified during an autopsy, but I understand you didn't want that.
I don't know what the placenta can show you in terms of genetic disorders- unless if was a placental issue that caused the loss. Did you ask the medical team what it could show? ARC might be able to provide some advice. I'd be concerned that without knowing the actually cause for the loss- then you don't know the risk for future pregnancies. Sorry if this is hard to read, but is it too late to consider an autopsy or having histology samples tested?

https://www.arc-uk.org/

Thank you for your replies. Sorry I wasn't very clear, I mean there was nothing obvious externally that would indicate male genitals but her legs were crossed and it was only when they opened them to measure her but it was quite hard and I didn't want them to properly open her legs etc so we based on our first instinct of what we felt and could see, which is what the midwives recommended we do.
We declined post mortem because she was so small and they said only 50% come back with a cause but the placenta was sent off for histology testing.
I did ask a bit but it was all so quick and I was so shell shocked by it all I think I didn't process anything.
I've also now got a womb infection so might explain why feeling so unwell.

In my 12 week nuchal scan everything was perfect, I was feeling her move by 15 weeks ( third baby). I'd had 3 early scans with early pregnancy unit due to prior early miscarriages and nothing identified at any stage. On the scan where they found no heartbeat, the gynae said there was nothing immediately obvious, all the right size, placenta and cord looked normal. She was born in her sac, looked peaceful and perfect. Midwife said 99% of babies this happen to don't have anything 'wrong'.
I had no infection at the time, don't have diabetes, and no other risk factors ( aside from being 36)

@LeLemonyfire I'm so sorry for your loss. We had a similar scenario last month, everything looked perfect until the 20 week scan when my little girl had no heartbeat. I understand how upsetting the thought that they weren't the gender you thought is; my baby looked like a girl and it was only when I got home I realised occasionally they get it wrong and genetic testing shows a different gender than expected. You should have been referred to a bereavement midwife to support you through any next steps and I think you should get a debrief with a consultant regardless of whether you chose a post mortem or not. How long that takes varies massively depending where in the country you are. Tommy's and Sands both have good info and support FB pages.