Your experience with a surgical management of MMC

[Smaugli]

Hello Mumsnetters,

I had my first pregancy end in a MMC unfortunately. Following some bleeding and pain on Sunday, a private scan showed a faint heartbeat which stopped by the time I had my NHS scan appointment on Wednesday.

It took me a day to absorb all the information and to research my options. My first reaction was to have it naturally, but after learning that it might not happen for weeks and might still end in a surgery, I decided to go with the surgical management option. I couldn't bear the idea of carrying my dead baby around not knowing when it will be the time...

So I had it done today, first thing in the morning. Cannot praise the NHS staff enough. They made it as comfortable an experience as possible in a situation like this.

I am still groggy from the GA, but otherwise much better than expected physically - no cramping and the bleeding is almost non-existent.

What was your experience? Does it get worse in the next few days? I was told a period like bleeding lasts for a few weeks, but so far it's not been enough to even stain a pad.

Thanks x

I bled like a period for about a week following my D&C due to a MMC.

I was pregnant again 3 and half months later and had a beautiful baby girl.Good luck to you @Smaugli;I hope you get your rainbow baby too x

First of all I'm so sorry you have had to go through this. To see a heartbeat on the scan and then it lead to this is the worst news in the world.

I have had 5 miscarriages in total and 2 as you have experienced today. I personally think you have made the best choice because you have managed to take a little control in an awful situation. For me the pain/discomfort was the first 24 hours and then it was just like a period for not even that bad for the next few days and my cycle went back to normal pretty quickly.

If you have any concerns about the pain or even want to talk get in touch with your ward at the hospital as they are amazing and can put you in touch with who you need to.

Possible the physical can be faster to heal than mental side.

The best thing i ever read was better than take one day at a time, to take one breath at a time, one minute, one hour and then after a while it may just seem manageable 🌈

@popsydoodle4444 I'm sorry about your MMC, but very happy you had your little girl! It's very reassuring to read stories like yours, I am eager to get pregnant again after I heal emotionally and physically.

@Homeboddy49 5 miscarriages! I am so so sorry you had to go through that. The strength you have... Women amaze me everyday. Do you mind me asking if they were consecutive, over what period of time?

Thank you for your kind words and taking the time to share your story, I really appreciate it. I agree that the surgical management, however intrusive, is the best option and does give you at least some control in this blur. Fingers crossed I won't have a reason to contact the ward. So far the only thing is not being able to sleep, everything else has been very mild.

Hi OP. I’m sorry that you’ve gone through this, I too had a MMC and surgical management in August. I didn’t want to wait and carry it little one about either and just wanted it over with so I could move forward and conceive again ASAP.

I’m terms of afterwards I just had some period like cramping. The blood was barely anything, just a little within 24 hours of the operation and then for a few days some red on the tissue when I wiped. Nothing really- that was surprising as I was expecting much more. Like you I feel medical management was the best option for me and allowed me to get some closure. I’m glad you’re feeling okay and that your not too uncomfortable

Also just to give you hope after the surgical management at the end of August my period returned within 5 weeks. The second cycle afterwards worked for us and I’m currently 5 weeks pregnant. Fingers crossed all goes well, it’s worrying considering what happened last time but it’s possible to get pregnant again quickly afterwards if that’s what you want. All the best!

I guess 5 sounds like a lot but I have read of woman experiencing many more than that.
There are quite spread out because my husband works abroad a lot as well.

First MC was in 2014, then another 5 months later. Got pregnant again that same year and had our beautiful DD in 2016 🌈. Then had two in 2018, decided for some crazy reason to have IVF in 2019 which failed then another MC this year.

We keep giving ourselves a timescale when we are going to stop trying but one of us finds a reason to stretch it and keep trying.

Sorry you have gone through this OP. I also had surgical management of MMC last year.

I didn’t have such a great experience as you. The unit I went to make you wait in the general day surgery area which was cold, busy and not very sympathetic. I was fasted from 6am and didn’t go to theatre until 3pm. They also didn’t warn me that the medication they gave me would make me start bleeding so I was sat in the general waiting area cramping and bleeding.

It’s great you’ve not much bleeding. Just to give a different perspective I bled for about 3 weeks then continued to have spotting and breakthrough bleeding for 3 months. I eventually had to take the pill to regulate my periods again.

I struggled mentally with the experience too so if you start the struggle please know you are not alone. I’ve had 7 miscarriages and this was by far the hardest.

It took me about 5 months to get pregnant again which sadly ended in MC at 10 wks but I’m now nearly 12 wk and feeling very hopeful.

Sending you lots of love - take care of yourself.

Moo678 - 12 weeks is a huge milestone, Congratulations. You have been through so much, I really hope this is a healthy pregnancy for you.

I’m so sorry for your loss, @Smaugli. I had a MMC in March and an MVA in May (Covid meant they made me try expectant and medical management first so a big delay before the MVA and then I wasn’t allowed surgical under GA) and also found the experience much better than I was expecting. I had very little bleeding afterwards and no cramping other than for about 20mins immediately following the procedure. I felt a million times worse after the (failed) medical management. I got a negative test when I tested after three weeks and my period came back two weeks after that. I conceived again that cycle and am now 24 weeks pregnant.
I wish you all of the luck in the world in your pregnancy journey - going through a MMC is absolutely horrendous and you deserve some joy. Xx

I am so sorry for all that you have gone through @Smaugli. I too had a surgical management back in July. The worst part for me was walking up... the pain was hideous but after getting home and resting, I felt better in couple of days. I hope you can sleep soon. What I found hard was that my body still thought it was pregnant for another couple of weeks. I was still feeling pregnancy symptoms for a while. My cycle returned about six weeks later and i fell pregnant again that first ovulation, I am now 14 weeks pregnant. It seems from reading these stories and from statistics that many women fall pregnant again within a year and many very quickly. I hope this happens for you if it’s what you want.

Hi, I had surgical management last year. To help with a timeline I had mine on a Wednesday evening, home late that night. On the Thursday I felt fine, almost normal. Relieved almost it was over.

Friday night I had the most terrible hormone crash and I think that is when it all sank in and most painful breasts. So I am assuming that's when all those lovely pregnancy hormones went in one go.

Physically recovery was quick but the emotional side took much longer

I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. After my surgery I only bled a little, but about 5 days later I had a couple of very large bleeds, including some quite impressive clots, it settled down to a more normal period level for about another 4/5 days and then stopped. We’re all different and our bodies behave and respond differently so don’t panic if you get more bleeding in a couple of days. Good luck with your recovery

Hi,
I haven’t experienced surgical management but will be Tuesday. Today I found out that unfortunately there was no heart beat at 8 weeks after seeing a heartbeat at 6+1.
I was told I would need to manage it conservatively but I have made it very clear that this is not in my psychological welfare following a very traumatic conservative management 18 months ago. They have agreed to do surgery and said it will be under general. They said they will use a catheter to suction it out. Is this a D&C?
Right now I cannot think straight. I think I am in shock and not coping at all.

Oh @Confused38 I’m so sorry to hear about what you’re going through. I hope you have some support around you. It’s so very hard. Sending a hand hold and hoping and praying that you soon feel better and get pregnant again.

This thread is useful thank you. We found out at 12 weeks that baby had died at 10+5. Gutting because we had seen a HB etc on an nhs scan at 10+1 and all looked fine. We have been offered expectant, medical or surgical under GA

Hi OP, hope you're doing okay. I didn't have a MMC, I found out at 6 weeks although the sac kept growing until 8 weeks when I then had medical management followed by surgical management.

I felt surprisingly fine after the surgery. A bit weird from the anaesthetic for an hour or so but otherwise fine, hardly any bleeding and no pain. Emotionally I felt crap but otherwise completely fine. Sending you lots of love

Thank you for all your replies ladies, I was taking some time off MN... I thought I was recovering well, but today is the third day of experiencing pains in the bladder and ovaries area, especially when peeing it feels the ovaries are being squeezed and the bladder is being cut, I cannot stand upright after it for good 15 minutes (sorry for TMI). Anyone had this experience? I called the number they gave me for post surgery problems, they seem to think it's UTI, I am waiting for urine test results, but TBH I don't think it's that. I don't have urge to go to toilet more often and no other cystitis like symptoms.

I'm so sorry about your loss @Confused38 . It's such a terrible experience. How did your surgical management go?

@TheDaydreamBelievers I'm sorry you have to go through this. What option have you decided on?

I decided to go surgery under GA @Smaugli - pre op appt is tomorrow and surgery is on monday.

Sorry to hear you are still feeling unwell and I hope you get some answers soon

@Smaugli
Hi, sorry to hear of your on going issues.
I had my MVA on Tuesday. The procedure went well. Little bleeding and pain free. Was home by 4pm. Fine all of Wednesday until late in the evening then I started getting this sharp pain over left ovary area. Around the back on the left hand side. I took 4 codine 2 paracetamol and a naproxen and 2 hot water bottles. The bleeding got a lot heavier but I wasn’t changing pad hourly. I must have just passed out from meds/pain and when I woke this morning bleeding was minimal and pain was gone. However, this evening I’m getting that pain again so not sure what will happen. Just going to load up on pain meds again

Good luck with your surgery @TheDaydreamBelievers and I wish you the quickest recovery, both physical and emotional

@Confused38 ouch, that sounds very painful, I'm sorry it's that bad for you. I am surviving on occasional 400mg ibuprofen, but the pain is exhausting. I hope the pain goes away for the both of us. Wishing you strength and patience xx

Ugh it was pretty horrible tbh
I got an infection about 3 days after and was really ill. I passed a big chunk of matter a couple of days after starting anti biotics. It hurt like really bad period cramps for a few days. I cried a lot :(
So sorry this is happening to you xx