Graphic and truthful information leaflets.

[bb99]

Apologies in advance and I really am not wanting to add to your distress etc, BUT

would a leaflet (optional reading) that explained the physicality of mcs have helped you? eg what will happen now...signs and symptoms, explicit information on what haemorhaging (bad spelling - sorry) IS and what to look for etc etc

Also what information would YOU want included in one to help.

Can't say anything will come of this, but 3 years after my first mc I am angry shocked that so many other women are still being told to expect a 'heavy period' and not being given access to the information they want. Thought this time I should do/try to do something to get better help/treatment for us.

I completly agree that hospitals should provide more written information that is pretty explicit about what you might expect and what to do when.

I think the MC Association leaflets are pretty good, but obv they can't cover what a particular hospital want you to do.

After my third mc I complained to the hospital about their 'care' for those going through mc, and although it didn't help me, I did find that some aspects had been changed as a result

I completely agree with you. I started a thread yesterday because the pain was so much worse than I was expecting, seems that isn't unusual and I think that should be explained better. Similarly with what the clots really are and look like and just how much to expect. And bleeding the same info.

I looked on NHS website to see if what I was experiencing was OK but that had very little info.

I get the impression though that doctors don't actually like talking about it, or maybe they just don't actually know themselves?

Totally agree. The realistic information I got was from the forums. Both doctor and nurses told me today that natural loss will be like a heavy period. I am scared out of my head at the mo waiting for the natural loss as I have opted against erpc and tablets.

Yes, a more graphic explanation would have been/would be useful. I've had 3 D&Cs and was told to expect bleeding for up to two weeks afterwards....true enough but after each op, I've passed small clots ('product' ) which the op did not remove...to be told to anticipate such clots would have been good preparation and also to be told why clots might appear (cos the op is performed blind). Also the bleeding I am currently experiencing following an op 12 days ago is indigo/black/purple , not red at all, not brown, etc.

Some information about how your hormones will probably 'crash' (which is how I describe it) as you recover from the mc and that bad, bad headaches are pretty common, sometimes lasting on and off for several days.

This type of detail would be useful.

My first mmc started at 12wks (baby died at 6-8wks) and I was given the three options....in my naivety, I chose to go home, thinking it would be like a period. In my case, that was a mistake but I was given no warning about how heavy the bleeding could be. The following day my GP referred me to the gynae. ward and I had an emergency D&C at midnight cos they couldn't stop the bleeding.

WLTKW

agree about the hormone thing - they do tend to crash and that just compounds all the feelings etc. Knowing this is 'normal' could be a help - they give you info on this for full term pg (baby blues etc)

I got loaded up with morphene for the delivery this time which made everything so much more tolerable and took the edge off the labour pains, but it seems absolute cruelty to just send women off with the idea that they're just going to get a heavy period and expect a few cramps. Should be sent home with pain meds as it always seems to be bad when all pharmacies etc are shut.

Have looked at the mc assoc leaflets and the treatment choices one does seem to be a good one, which is subtly graphic IYSWIM, I believe a signs and symptoms after X treatment could be good.

Can you / do you need to get in touch with anyone about your bleeding WLTKW??

bb99, I think it's OK , it seems to be a fairly slow flow, just the dark, deep colour which is a little bit unusual...but I'm hoping it will fade to spotting in the next few days...thanks for your concern though, it's an awful business isn't it.

Terrible.