Miscarriage issues. Help please!

[NotMoreStephanie]

Hi,

I've just joined to ask this question. I have found that over the last few months this site has been very helpful so I hope that continues now as I really need some support.

Basically, I was 10 weeks pregnant when I had some spotting. Over the next few days this got much heavier. I went to the hospital and they confirmed I was having a miscarriage as I was only showing as 6 weeks. They asked me to come back in a week to check everything. During that week I bleed loads, passed lots of clots and the sac too. It was traumatic and heart breaking!

The bleeding stopped the day before my appointment. I went back hopeful that all was complete. I had another ultrasound and was told that there is 2.5cm of something left. They think it may be blood clots but they're not too sure. I am still showing as positive on pregnancy tests so they have asked me to wait two weeks and see if that changes.

If the test comes back as negative in two weeks then I don't need to do anything else. If it is still positive then I need to go back but I haven't been told what will be the next step if that happens.

This is my first pregnancy and I am at a loss. The hospital hasn't been great with information to be honest and they have made me feel a little silly when asking questions. It has been 4 days since my appointment and I am driving myself crazy!

Has anyone had anything similar? If the test shows as negative where have the blood clots gone? Will I pass the blood clots soon even though the bleeding has stopped? Can I have a negative test with the blood clots there?

Please help! :(

Sorry you're going through this. Not something I've experienced myself but I had a lot of support from miscarriage association plus they're very knowledgeable so may be able to explain what's happening to you better.

Thank you! Just had a little look on their website. I'll try and give them a call on Monday. Fingers crossed they can shed some light!

I think (but can't be sure due to trust variances etc) but I believe the next step could/would be an ERPC which is a surgical procedure to remove the retained products, I've had it done and was treated as a day case. I bled lightly for around 2 weeks after.
I'm sorry you're going through this, I second PP about the miscarriage association, or Tommy's if you need to talk things through. Be kind to yourself.

In a similar situation recently I was offered natural (just wait it out), medical intervention which would be given orally and vaginally, AMA (vac aspiration) this is done with anaesthetic in the cervix but can be painful and surgical option where I would be fully unconscious. I would have to wait up to a week for the last opinion.

They explained all options and it was up to me to decide. In the end I had another massive bleed and I was nolonger suitable for my choice of AMA. Despite my expectations of the nurses I still was retaining the sac (they thought it blood laying in uterus) and passed that later.

Be warning it can be normal to have a positive test for up to two weeks after you stop bleeding.

I was thinking that may be the next step. Is it normal to wait 2 weeks though?

I'm worrying about infections. I was feeling cold and shivering earlier. Not too sure whether that's due to a change in the weather, my hormones or even just in my head! I don't have any other symptoms but it's definitely a concern.

I'm a teacher so luckily I'm not at work at the minute but I would really like to have everything sorted before I go back :(

Two weeks is normal.

I don’t where you are based (I’m NE) but it an cold night, the weather has turned here.

I have just left teaching, I know how much you want to be ready for September but your health is more important. You can only be a good teacher if you look after yourself.

Have you taken your temperature? If it's up get seen straight away, infections can be dangerous.

Thanks for letting me know it's normal. I was worried that I was being fobbed off.

I'm SE and feeling better today. Think I just got cold yesterday. It was the first time I'd properly left my house so probably came as a shock!

I've checked my temperature and all is normal. I'll definitely get checked straight away if I have any other symptoms.

Thank you for your help and advice. It's put my mind at ease more now!

hi, do keep a watch on things. two weeks is normal to wait, however you've technically already waited that long as it should be from when bleeding starts, well, three weeks it was at my last miscarriage. its less to do with what actually happens to that blood and more to do with wether your hormones are dropping. if hormones drop and you get a clear negative preg test it means that that blood clot is nothing to worry about as in its not retained tissue, and will pass naturally with your next period. if its retained tissue however youre likely to still have a positive pregnancy test and this then means they will want to remove it because of risk of infection.

however, their methods now are in my opinion not good enough. it used to be that you would have a follow up scan to check it was gone and not rely on pregnancy tests. personally I have had experiences of this where ive miscarried, they've seen something small, sent away and said do the test, I then have clear tests but then show signs of infection, need antibiotics and eventually naturally passed some more tissue, but that could have been a lot worse.

so use your judgement, any sign of illness raised temps, any excess pain, anything you just aren't happy about get yourself seen. sadly people still treat miscarriage like an inconvenience, ive had 5 and I can remember only 2 people who responded appropriately in hospitals, everyone else treated me like a pain in the arse. so do not take their word as gospel, you know best, don't let their ignorance and how they make you feel stop you, because it is important you are seen if showing signs of infection.

I hope you are ok and have lots of support around you. I was asked to write an article for apuk a while ago now. I don't know if you will find it useful but will post it anyway attachmentparenting.co.uk/navigating-trauma-losing-baby/

Hi

I had something very similar- missed miscarriage at 9, sac measured 6 1/2. The sonographer who performed internal scan said I had fibroids. (This could be relevant to my story)

Two weeks after I started bleeding, a week after I passed sac- scan found retained products. I was asked what I wanted to do- I said natural miscarriage.

A week later- another scan, still there. Both were external scans. I found it psychologically very difficult as I felt like it wasn't over until everything was gone- but didnt really want an op or the tablet.

I spoke to a gyno and asked what the mass could be as was quite distressed- they couldn't really give me a straight answer.

So a week later I took the tablet- extremely painful- 3 days of work, on multiple painkillers- no blood just discharge.

Rang hospital- refused scan, told them I'd go private and tey poned me back and got me in for a scan, this time an internal scan. There was nothing there, nor had there ever been anything there.

My conclusion- stupid male sonographer was too embarrassed to perform internal scan which show much more than external scan, the 2cm mass was probably my fibroid which I told the male sonographer I had!

I had actually ovulated just before I was given the pessary, I asked the original sonographer (she was present in the ward when I went in for pessary) if it was possible to ovulate before all products had gone and she said no- so I assumed it wasn't ovulation- but it was!

From my experience, I would say make sure you have internal scan as I went through all that psychological trauma for nothing!

I am sorry you have to go through this- its awful

Oh and sorry if I have offended anyone using the term retained products its how it was referred to by the hospital staff