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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Well the doctor definitely thinks I am miscarrying

160 replies

AnguaVonUberwald · 19/01/2007 13:53

Had severe cramping for the last three evenings, followed by slight spotting yesterday and this morning.

Am seven weeks and 1 day pregnant. Can already see the baby in my head.

the doctor said - "will have to wait and see but, the good news is that you managed to get pregnant and than you should therefore be able to do it again", and "these are not good signs". No suggestions that it was likely to be anything else.

Very clear she thinks its most likely a miscariage.

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Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 19/01/2007 21:55

Well no cramping tonight, which I am cautiously taking as a good sign. Or could it mean I have had a missed miscarriage and its all already over and I just don't know?

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sillysausages · 19/01/2007 22:03

can i strongly urge you to go to your early pregnancy unit they will see you probably without a doctors referral and can possibly put your mind at rest will keep thnking of you

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 19/01/2007 22:14

Sillysausages, thanks, I will see if I can call them, I presume they only do 9-5 monday to Friday, but still worth a try. I just wish I KNEW one way or another

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sillysausages · 19/01/2007 22:20

if you go to a&e they may be able to give you a scan anyway good luck

AitchTwoOh · 19/01/2007 22:21

fingers crossed for you (as someone who had bleeding and cramping in a successful pregnancy).

foundintranslation · 19/01/2007 22:23

I might be talking cr*p as i don't even live in the UK, but I think some EPUs do weekends?
The waiting and wondering is horrid, isn't it? Take care of yourself.

oops · 19/01/2007 22:26

Message withdrawn

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 19/01/2007 22:30

well I just spoke to a lovely doctor in an A&E department (while trying to find out about an EPU) and she basically said that at 7 weeks there is very little point as they won't be able to see a heart beat. So I would just get refered to come back again at 8 weeks.

Also said cramping could still be to do with stretching ligaments. The problem is now I am worried if its there, and worried if it stops - Oh what fun.

Still it has to be a good sign that I still have my pregnancy symptoms.

Does anyone know what the chances are of a missed miscarriage, or is this just something I am tormenting myself with?

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motherinferior · 19/01/2007 22:33

Angua, I wrote a piece about bleeding in pregnancy for a baby mag a while back and IRCC you're right, sadly, there is bog-all they can do at this stage. (CAT me at any point if you would like the whole thing. It quotes lots of lovely MNers.)

I have to say I cramped like mad in my first pregnancy. Which went to term.

Good luck!

MrsJohnCusack · 19/01/2007 22:34

Angua so sorry - but you must try to get to an EPU for many reasons, not least your peace of mind....from what you have at the moment there is no way of telling whether it is a miscarriage or not without having a scan. Doctors will usually try to prepare you for the worst which is I expect what your GP is up to.
I have been convinced that my pregnancies were all over at around the same time as you, with really quite a lot of bleeding, but the first one is tugging at my arm and am 35 weeks with the second. It is horrible waiting. Some A&Es will scan you too, it may be worth turning up there. Where are you based? (only if you want to say) as others may know the situation in your area.

oops · 19/01/2007 22:36

Message withdrawn

foundintranslation · 19/01/2007 22:36

Don't think about chances - the statistical chance of mc in a first pregnancy is quite low, I think, but the flipside of that is worrying you'll be one of the unlucky ones. It's horrid and awful, but there really is nothing to do but be good to yourself and wait it out.
I think I read somewhere that as many as half of successful pregnancies have at least one episode of bleeding.

foundintranslation · 19/01/2007 22:37

(Sorry, should have added: Or get to an EPU, if you can - the downside being that it might just be a tiny bit too early to see a hb).

motherinferior · 19/01/2007 22:38

I do agree that you should find out, sorry, I was not meaning to be doomandgloomish, I reall wasn't.

MrsJohnCusack · 19/01/2007 22:40

oh cross posted with you and MI - sorry

still, I saw heartbeats with mine at 6 wks 6 days both times (2nd time without even having to have a transvaginal scan) so I think it is shit if you have to wait.

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 20/01/2007 08:27

Thank you all for your messages, I will CAT you motherinferior, thank you, it would be great to have the piece of writing on this.

I didn't realise some A&Es will scan you. I will definitly look into that.

The cramping was much better last night, so I veer between being cautiously optimmistic, and thinking it must be a missed miscarriage. I am at the stage of trying to decide if my breasts hurt leses than they did a few days ago. All very stressful.

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Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 20/01/2007 08:40

I am in Islington and have looked on the internet for any EPU that is open at the weekend, but can't find anything. Does anyone know about one? Or if any Casualty deparments around here do scans? I have tried calling them, but they won't actually tell you if they do scans or not.

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lissielou · 20/01/2007 08:43

try nhs direct. they should be able to get you an appt

northerner · 20/01/2007 08:53

AnguaVonUberwald sorry to hear you have all this worry.

I had loads of cramps with my first PG, and he's now a healthy 4 year old. However 2nd time, I had no cramps but did bleed/pass clots etc which resulted in m/c.

I was 9 weeks and got a scan at EPU, sometimes though even a scan is inconclusive. They found a heartbeat on mine, said all was well and sent me home. Next day I passed the feotus Sorry if that is tmi. So I then went to A&E who could not scan but the doctor did do an internal and as my cervix was open he confirmed a m/c.

I hope you do manage to get to A&E, it's the feeling 'I should be doing something' isn't it? Rather than just sitting and hoping and wondering.

I have everything crossed for you

mower · 20/01/2007 09:03

Your story sounds exactley the same as mine about a year ago. I had cramps and spotting was convinced I was going to miscarry, my cramps where quite bad as well.

Went to A&E they couldn't scan me it was a friday night and gave me an appointment for monday morning when the early pregnancy unit was open, went for a scan however but they couldn't see anything and had to wait two weeks! Then I did see the baby in that scan and everything has been fine since ds2 now 11 weeks old.

Good luck, you could ask them to take your blood levels for hcg levels at a and e.

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 20/01/2007 09:16

Northerner/Mower thank you very much.

Its interesting what you are saying as basically a scan at this stage could tell me if I have definitly miscarried, but I haven't done that yet as I have only had slight spotting.

But other than that they won't be able to tell me if its all OK, as its too early and they won't be able to tell.

Its exactly that feeling that I should be doing something but it sounds like it wouldn't do that much good anyway.

I think I will TRY and wait over the weekend, see what happens and call the doctor again on Monday. The good news is that there was much less cramping last night.

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weddingcake · 20/01/2007 12:31

So sorry I didn't find this earlier but if you want to see someone first thing Monday I know that the EPU at St George's Tooting is open between 8.30 and 11 am Monday - Saturday and you can self refer.

A bit of a trek for you I know but I'm sure if you were 'in the area' they wouldn't refuse to see you.

I ended up there a few times early in my pregnancy as I had several episodes of bleeding and cramping and they were absolutely lovely to me.

Hope your weekend goes quickly, I really feel for you because it's agonising not knowing what's happening. Be really gentle with yourself and rest as much as you can.

Will keep everything crossed for you.

mears · 20/01/2007 12:41

Angua - cramping and spotting isn't uncommon in the early stages of pregnancy. Do you have other signs of pregnancy like breast tenderness or nausea? If the other signs are still there it is likely you are still pregnant.

Although the temptation is to go to an EPU for a scan, at this stage you often don't get reassurance. Very often the sac cannot be visiualised properly and then you are on the treadmill of attending for repeated scans. If there is no more spotting then that is a positive sign. I would advise you to find out if the doctor has referred you for your booking scan and when that might be. It would be better to wait until at least 9 weeks before you are scanned if possible.

Original poster
AnguaVonUberwald · 20/01/2007 21:28

Thank you very much for that weddingcake.

Mears, I had kind of come to that conclusion myself. I have Still got all my pregnancy symptoms including breast tenderness, dislike of sugar, lots of acid, tiredness etc.
Plus the extreme cramping has stopped for the moment, as has the spotting. My scan is actually for when I will be thirteen weeks. So I thought it might be worth asking the doctor if I can have one earlier than that, like at 10 weeks, as I presume that will tell us more. I am feeling more positive today, though still worried it could be a missed miscarriage.

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ShouldKnowByFriday · 20/01/2007 21:56

I hope all is okay with you. I had terrible cramping with first pregnancy as bad as a period pain which was put down to the stretching of ligaments. They were so bad I took Paracetamol. Didn't have any spotting though but I would think that if the spotting started with you if you were going to miscarry the spotting would continue or get worse. The fact that it has stopped is I would say a good sign. I saw heartbeats in all of my three (successful) pregnancies between 6-7 weeks so you may wish to be scanned to know either way. I have had 2 miscarriages at 7weeks both and didn't have any cramping or spotting leading up to the miscarriages but I knew that something wasn't right as I didn't have pregnancy symptoms. Fingers crossed for you.