MMC Nightmare

[Bornfreekp29]

Hi,

1st time poster and 1st pregnancy. Currently going through a total nightmare and would love to hear from anyone going through similar. My LMP was 22nd November 2014 (I know for sure as it happened while I was on a long haul flight). I took a test on 10th Jan and it was positive. I do have irregular cycles, but guessed I conceived some point leading up to Christmas.

I went for my dating scan over a week ago (I suspected I would be around 10/11 weeks due to irregular cycle but midwife worked it out as 12 weeks from LMP). I've not had any bleeding whatsoever or any indication anything might be wrong. At the dating scan there was a gestational sac measuring around 7 weeks and 2 small fuzzy dots which may/may not have been fetal pole/yolk sac (they weren't sure). There was no heartbeat. They told me it was most likely a MMC, but just in case my dates were really wrong to come back for another scan a week later.

I waited all week to start bleeding, but still nothing. I went to the follow up scan last Monday. Again, no heartbeat was found and no obvious sign of a baby (although the 2 fuzzy small dots were still there). However, the gestational sac had grown exactly a week in a week and now measures just under 8 weeks. The sonographer told me it was most likely a MMC, but the doctor I spoke to after the scan said she was surprised by the gestational sac growth so couldn't 100% confirm a MMC. I have to go back for a further scan next Monday. I still haven't had any bleeding or signs of a MC, and still having mild pregnancy symptoms (sore breasts, nausea).

Obviously, due to the dates I am not pretty sure I am having an MMC. However, the sac growth and lack of any bleeding has given me a teeny speck of hope (human nature I guess). The waiting is excruciating and I feel very much in limbo. Anyone else experienced anything similar?

I had a MMC last year, at 10 weeks there was nothing but a sack and was only measuring 6 weeks. However, I had started bleeding at this point and I knew my dates exactly. I can understand how you feel a bit of hope, did they do blood tests to check your levels?

I haven't experienced this but can't imagine how frustrated you must feel, I hope you get some answers soon

Thank you. It actually feels good just to offload it all.

Itsnotmeitsyou1, I am in the UK and unfortunately they don't seem to measure levels via blood tests here - not sure why, but I suspect it's down to cost and the NHS.

PS sorry to hear of your MMC, such a horrible situation to be in.

They should be doing your bloods 48 hours apart to check if your hcg levels are rising x

I agree, they should be doing bloods as it's a good indicator of whether things are progressing and at what level, regardless of the NHS being a shambles at the moment. And thank you, it's an awful cliche but it does happen unfortunately. They should really tell women sooner what a ridiculous roll of the dice it is about both getting pregnant and carrying to term. They like telling teenagers girls that just looking at a boy can get them knocked up, why not some actual real facts?

Anyway, there's always hope until they have made absolutely sure of the facts. I'm really hoping for a positive outcome for you Bornfree .

I have been for a scan today LMP was 5.1.15 so from that should be 7 weeks. However CB Digi said i was only 2 weeks started bleeding over the weekend hence the scan. Absolutely nothing was seen on the scan so they did a pregnancy test and got a bfp. They have done bloods and are repeating them on thursday.

They said if the level of HCG hadn't risen 66% in those 48 hours there is little to no chance of it being a viable pregnancy. Therefore i echo what other people are saying, ask for the bloods to be done as they will help give you a fuller picture.

Sorry you are going through this

Thank you so much, what a lovely message.

You are so right. I (very naively) thought that getting to dating scan with pregnancy symptoms and no bleeding meant things would be fine, so was a horrendous shock. After a week and a half of constant Googling I now know how many different things can go wrong and feel so daft for not considering it before. You live and learn, I guess.

I will speak to them about the blood tests. Although they were nice enough at the hospital, they didn't seem very clear on what was happening. Very much a "wait and see" approach. Am hoping Monday will provide more definite answers.

Thanks again for messages.

I'm so airy you're goin through this. I had a MMC at 12 weeks, just a couple if days off my scan date. I had absolutely no idea anything was wrong until I got a little bit of brown spotting. Y baby measures 8+5 weeks wuth no heartbeat but I still very much felt oregnant.
It's a huge shock and so terribly sad.i had no idea how common miscarriage was until it happened to me. It's like a closet guarded secret. I can't believe there's nothing about it in the blue oregnancy notes golfer you get given, or just more generally talked about as part of pregnancy.
There are some wonderful woman over on the miscarriage thread if you want a peek.
I'm so sorry, it really it is one of the shittiest exietiences a woman can have.

I'm so sorry you're going through this op. Miscarriage is awful but there's something uniquely awful about skipping along to your 12 wk scan only to find all is not well. It is like a guilty secret. I've had a tfmr after a bad diagnosis at 12wk scan and mmc (altho earlier at 8 wks). It's crap. I really hope it's a good outcome for you. The waiting is just awful.

Bornfreak, ring epu and ask for hcg test, I am uk, and suspected miscarriage they did tests on Monday then again on Wednesday to check levels. It cant check a an etopic, but can a mc. Where in uk are you, can you go to a different hospital? Hope all turns out ok xx

I'm going through this at the moment too, though I've started bleeding now and my hcg levels are coming down. The local epu should offer you bloods, but if not you can get them done privately?

Thank you. It's reassuring to know others having experienced the same (although I wish no one had to as really is horrible). Really feel for all of you who are going through this at the moment, or have in the past, it's tough. I will ask about the blood levels (they have never once mentioned it which is weird so just presumed they didn't do it in UK).

Every morning I wake up expecting blood, another morning, absolutely nothing. Ugh.

Btw, in worst case scenario I would always opt for d and c rather than letting nature take its course.

Hi iv currently just been through a similar situation but a little earlier, I went for an early 'reassurance' scan at 7w 4d due to a previous mc. On the scan they could only see a gestrational sac measuring around 5weeks the sonographer said I may have my dates wrong and to come back 10days later.
After 10days at the second scan the sac had grown and a small yolk was detected but still no baby or heartbeat, so I had to wait another week.
Two days before my 3rd scan I started spotting lightly, I eventually went for my 3rd scan and there had been no growth since the last scan, by this point I knew in my heart what the outcome was going to be so I went ahead with the medical management. Having previously had a d&c with a previous mc I wanted to try the med management because it took me a while to recover from the d&c, I feel that the med man gave me a lot of closure and I had very little pain and a lot of support as I stayed over in the hospital.
if you need any help or support feel free to message me, and I pray that you have a better outcome than me xx

I'm afraid its very very likely to be a mmc. If the sac is measuring 7-8 weeks, a heartbeat can't really be missed, especially on 2 separate scans.
The "growth" in sac in a mmc can be due to fluid absorption. The common idea about mc is that you start bleeding and lose the pregnancy, but its also common to have a missed or silent mc where you only find out on scanning that the pregnancy has failed to progress. I think its a bigger shock in its way since often you've never heard of it happening that way. And you can feel somehow stupid that you didn't know anything was wrong (don't though, how would you know?)

MC teaches us with a hard slap that nature is indeed a bitch. It was nothing you did, you couldn't have changed this, and you have every chance of being successful next time, if and when you choose that.

I second the pp who said they would choose erpc if possible, in my experience its much less grim than waiting for it to happen naturally.
There is a specific topic on mn for mc that you might find helpful to post in, with lots of supportive posters.
Best of luck.

Thank you. Countessmarky, very wise words, nature is indeed a bitch! I think I know in my heart that it's a MMC....and thanks for advice, think I'm going to ask for the ERPC when I go on Monday. After all this waiting I just want it over now.

Hopefullyoneday, I'm so sorry to hear you've just been through similar. I really feel your pain and I hope you are managing to cope with everything. I hope that we both have successful pregnancies in the future.

Again, thanks to all you lovely posters, it has helped me a lot. I really appreciate all the advice I've been given too....as a first time pregnancy, you don't really know what the norm is anyway, let alone trying to get your head around all of this.

xxx

I had the same experience on my 1st pregnancy, I remember the shock well, and it was many many years ago. I had a few more mc later on after having successful pregnancies, but nothing ever shocked me like that first time.
Be kind to yourself, do whatever it is that makes you feel a little better, whatever it is. And don't feel like you have to act a certain way, do what makes it easier on you, be that tell people or don't tell, talk about it or not, cry and throw things or stiff upper lip...doesn't matter. Theres no right or wrong here, the whole situation is one big shithole so whatever helps you out a bit.
You will climb out of the shithole though, promise.

Thanks Countessmarky. Sorry to hear you've had multiple mcs....must be heartbreaking, but delighted to hear you've had successful pregnancies too. There is hope!

x