Suspected miscarriage

[Bramble84]

Hi all,
I am looking for some advice please.
I would be 6 weeks tomorrow however I have experienced very heavy bleeding for the last couple of days, lower back pain and cramps, also no more nausea. I am almost certain it is a miscarriage. I have spoken with the midwife who agrees and she said to take it easy and take a pregnancy test after the weekend, if showing as positive still then get blood tests done to test my HCG levels. But that I needed to also ring the doctors to keep them in the loop (I don't really understand why I have to explain it to them as well but anyway), I call them and tell him exactly the same but he insists I have an ultrasound tomorrow.
It feels hard enough having to explain it but to then be told I have to go to have an internal scan to have it confirmed seems quite excessive and unnecessarily invasive.
I guess I'm asking is this normal practice?
Any advice greatly appreciated.

Not normal in my experience. My gp basically told me to eff off and have more miscarriages. They only very very rarely get involved in anything to do with early pregnancy.

Mostly they might give advice like if you have severe, crippling pain or extremely excessive bleeding to go to a and e.

Even in a viable pregnancy, they won't be able to see much from a scan at 6 weeks or tell you if the pregnancy is viable...

Not normal.
I can't see them doing an internal I'd you're still bleeding either.

With both my miscarriages, they've just told me to test in 2 weeks to make sure it's gone, if not to call back.
Both my miscarriages took 4-6 weeks to go negative again

A lot of women would be told no if they asked for a scan to confirm a miscarriage and would just be told to take a pregnancy test like your midwife has said.

My GP sent me for a scan at 6 weeks due to the possibility of being ectopic due to pain so maybe he is just being thorough?

It's your choice whether you go or not.

In my two miscarriages that were around 5/6 the epu did have me in to confirm the miscarriage (both arranged by GP, and actually with different hospitals as I had moved) and did do an internal scan while I was still bleeding (also did bloods to confirm HCG levels). I wanted to do that though, if you are not happy to be scanned no one can make you. Sorry to hear you are you are going through this.

I have been referred for an ultrasound with an early MC but that was at my request because I wasn't 100% sure what was happening and had one-sided pain so they wanted to rule out ectopic. I don't think it happens normally. You can always refuse the ultrasound - they can't make you have it. HCG tests will tell you what is going on. With other MC I have just been told to wait and see and only come in if bleeding is excessive, severe pain, dizzy etc and then to go to A&E.

Note that they will still do the scan internally if you are bleeding. I have had several of these during fertility testing (which always fell at the wrong time of the month) and MC and they don't care but it does make what is already an unpleasant examination even worse.

Sorry you're going through this and good luck.

Thank you all so much for responding.
I'm so sorry to hear of your bad experiences and losses. I guess in some ways I should be grateful that they are actually being proactive, especially if others often aren't given the chance.
The doctor ruled out an ectopic pregnancy so he must just be being thorough. At least it will be a relief to be told for certain.

It is pretty normal but if you feel everything is happening naturally you can decline a scan.

I was booked a scan with my last mc, rang GP on Friday and scan was Tuesday. I passed baby on the Sunday so cancelled my scan appointment, they said I should still go in but I'd been in that position before and gone to be told what I already knew. I didn't see the point and thought it better to leave that appointment open to someone who had a bit of hope left. I got bfp with current 5 mth later and now 15+2wk.

I miscarried at 6+2 on a Friday, my GP scheduled me a scan at epu on the Monday (soonest appointment they had). I bled heavily all through the weekend but they scanned me to confirm it had all passed. They also got me to do a hcg test which was already showing as a faint bfp. Sent me off with another test to use a week later to confirm bfn.

I think it's worth having the scan if they offer it to confirm you've got no retained tissue.

Just to say that I had the scan, it was not as uncomfortable as I was expecting which was a relief. And I'm glad I went even though they confirmed the mc.
All your advice really helped, thank you.