Very graphic questions - sorry and please help

[Pippaandpolly]

Forgive me if this is stupid - I'm reeling a little bit.

I'm 5 weeks and 4 days pregnant but started bleeding on Sunday (at 5.2). Before that I'd had a week of brown spotting. On Sunday I had about 10 minutes of bleeding red then it stopped and went back to brown spotting. Yesterday I started getting period-like pains had about half an hour in the evening of red and dark blood and then back to brown spotting. Today I've had bleeding red on and off all day. At no point has this been enough to 'fill' a sanitary towel, as for some reason it doesn't seem to be actually coming out like that - it's just when I wipe that it's there. (I'm sorry this is so graphic.) I saw my GP today and I'm booked in for a scan on Friday (when I will be 6 weeks). He said to be prepared as they might suggest a D&C - I wonder if this is because it doesn't appear to be 'flowing'? I asked him about doing blood tests to measure HcG but he said it wasn't likely to be useful. (Now I wish I'd asked why.)

What I'm wondering is if they don't do the D&C (he said they might leave it and ask me to come back in a week or more for another scan if necessary - and this is all presuming that there's no heart beat of course - though at this point I'm pretty certain that I'm no longer pregnant) how long am I likely to go on bleeding? Is what I'm experiencing at the moment as bad as it will get (and please don't think this isn't bad for me - I'm pretty much sitting on the sofa staring into space all day and randomly bursting into tears), or am I going to experience worse? I've passed a few small clots (well, that's what they look like - I'm not sure what they are) but I don't know what to expect beyond this. Will there be big rushes of blood? Will anything be obviously my baby?

Thank you for reading - I'm sorry if this is too graphic. I'm in a bit of a state.

Sorry you are going through this. I had a lot of bleeding when I had my first mc, and actually passed the baby (I was 14 weeks)I had 2 more at 6 weeks but there was minimal bleeding. I had a D&C with the first one but not with the other 2, they were more like a period.

Take care

Firstly, I'm sorry that you are going through this.

You may or may not go on to miscarry. Lots of women bleed during pregnancy and things turn out to be OK.

If however, you do miscarry, the bleeding may or may not get heavier. I've had a miscarriage at around 6 1/2 weeks and it was lighter than a normal period. However, other people who miscarry at 6 weeks can bleed heavily and be in a lot of pain. I think either is normal. At this stage you will not see anything that is obviously a baby. The foetus is tiny. I've had a couple of miscarriages between 5 and 8 weeks and the bleeding has tended to last for about 5 days.

Testing for HCG is not a reliable test of whether a pregnancy is still ongoing because it remains in your blood for a while even after a miscarriage is complete. If you have a scan at 6 weeks and a heartbeat is not seen it very likely that they will ask you to come back for another scan in a week. This is because the heart only starts beating at around 6 weeks and so if you were a couple of days out with your dates it would be possible that everythng is OK even if their was no heartbeat. If however a heartbeat is seen this would be a good sign.

Sorry you're going through this. It's hard to predict what exactly will happen, but I would say, based on my own experience, that at 5 weeks you are not likely to pass any tissue that will be "obvious". I'm sure someone better informed that me will be along in a minute to confirm that or not as the case may be.

I mc'd at 10 weeks and had the same only-bleeding-when-wiping type of thing, was booked in for a scan but after 2 days of light bleeding it suddenly became quite painful (like very bad period pains or mild onset labour) and did pass large clots and tissue.

Sorry. Hope you get through this OK.

Pippaanddolly - you poor thing. I can totally imagine why you are in a state, when I had my mc in Dec I was (and I still am on somedays). I was 9 weeks when the spotting started. I went to A&E and they sent me to the EPU for a scan. At that point there was very little blood, my cervix was still closed but the baby was showing at about 5-6 weeks and no heart beat so I knew it was bad. They sent me home and told me to come back in a week. That was a friday and I started to bleed heavily on the saturday, lots of clots and then some pain, like really bad period pains or very early contractions. I then passed the sac, I know because I grabbed it out of the toilet. That was a very dark moment for my DH and I. I continued to be heavy til about the Tuesday and also found standing uncomfortable. The following thursday I went back to the EPU to be scanned again and told it was all gone. The next day was Christmas and I remember the bleeding not being so bad by then. However the bleeding carried on and off for 7 weeks.
I didn't need to have a d&c so I don't know what that entails or what you should expect if that is the route you go down.
I was in too much shock to ask any questions so I don't know what they did or didn't test etc..
Can you not go to A&E and tell them you are pregnant and bleeding and get this sorted out more quickly? Would you not feel better if they scanned you? My EPU was amazing, I did have to wait 4 terribly long hours, but it was the day of the terrible snow and people were finding it hard to get to work.
I am sorry you are going through this it is terrible. Look after yourself and if you have any more questions let me know.
xx

I just wanted to echo what the others have said, and say sorry to hear what you're going through.

At the scan they'll probably have a better idea of what's going on.

If it is bad news, they may offer you a D&C (they also call this an ERPC) but it's up to you if you want to do it or if you'd rather wait for it to finish on it's own. It's really up to you and how you feel about it. I had the ERPC, but that was because I really wanted it to be over with.

It's a really emotional time so take it easy on yourself, hope you are getting lots of support in RL. And there are no TMI questions, please come back and ask any questions you like, or just have a rant, there are lots of lovely ladies here who've been through similar and they gave me lots of support when it happened to me.

xxx

Hi

Sorry you're going through this, it's an awful experience. Don't worry about being too graphic.

I know what you mean about not flowing - I had exactly the same thing with last mc and it seemed like the pad just didn't absorb and it was only when I wiped, even though I was bleeding heavily. I put it down to crappy pads. For me the proper bleeding lasted 7-8 days or so, was very heavy at some points and I passed a lot of clots.

As to whether it can get worse, well my first mc was just like the heavy period they often refer to, my last one was very painful. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you are in pain.

Nothing will be obviously baby, it will just look like clots.

I'm so sorry and I feel like I just can't say anything to help you much as I want to, but I'm thinking of you and sending you a virtual hug.

Thank you all for replying so quickly and sharing your experiences. I keep veering between thinking that of course it's all going to be alright, and of course it's all over. I think I'm just going to sit tight till Friday and keep praying.

Pippaandpolly I really feel for you. It's the not knowing that is worst...

I have had several miscarriages and each has been different, ranging from a heavy period and strong period cramps (at 7wks, but pregnancy had not progressed beyond 5wks, no embryo had developed) to a total agony, massive haemorrhage,emergency surgery, transfusions and the works 8.5wks).

At the stage you are at you wouldn't expect to recognise a baby, perhaps just a blob that is a bit more solid than the other blood you might expel... but depending on when the pregnancy has failed (if it has failed) you might not even see this.

If you do get bad news which hopefully you wont (my besty bled heavily through all of her pregnancies and has three gorgeous children to prove that bleeding doesn't have to mean bad news), given how early you are your body might do the job perfectly well on it's own, however if the mc is missed (your body is not trying to expel) or incomplete (tissue is left behind) I would definitely opt for a ERPC/D&C after a week or so.

I keep reading posts about women bleeding for weeks on end and not being offered a procedure to bring it all to a close. That's fine if that's the way you want to go, but personally I think it's an NHS cost cutting exercise. I'm originally from Australia and a women would never be expected to suffer in such an ongoing way...

I just want to thank you all for taking the time to read my post and reply - I really needed straight talking and I'm very grateful to you all for that and for sharing your experiences with me.

I had my scan today and they confirmed that I'd miscarried - thankfully entirely, so no need for a d&c. We're mourning but were pretty certain by Tuesday that this was going to be the case, so in some ways it's a relief that it's confirmed and we don't have to wonder anymore.

We've decided to sponsor a child as a little goodbye present to our baby. It's silly really but it's making us feel a bit better, so why not.

Thank you again to all of you for your help.

I started bleeding yesterday, looked on here for some advise and found your thread.
I am so sorry for your loss, and looks what will be mine too.
I am/was 6 weeks, early I know but felt very real to me...strange how you can go to sleep full of pregnancy hormones, and then wake up with them almost gone.
It is very sad for all concered, and leaves you feeling empty.
I am being scanned on Monday, but I'm 99% sure the pregnancy has gone.

Thank you for putting someting so personal to you on here, it has and is helping me, and I'm sure others.

Sending you hugs and best of look for the future.

Louise x

hi,
i had same symptoms as u, i started bleeding on sun morning which was just when i wiped, i went to a&e and had an internal and was told my cervix was closed which was a good sign, by sun night the bleeding was heavier and started to pass clots.
i had a scan today which confirmed i had mc,
i brought a little rose bush to plant in my garden to make sure my baby will never be forgotten i was 8week.
this has brought some comfort to know that we have something but i know other people will think it silly, but they are not the ones suffering.
Im sorry for all of our loses its such a sad thing to happen xxx

I'm so sorry Busymum05...we both had a really bad day yesterday.
The rose bush is a lovely idea...sending big hugs XXX