5 weeks miscarriage - how do I confirm?

[bloodynewusernameagain]

Please can you offer me practical advice? First pregnancy, 5w+4 had a phone call with midwife yesterday, but not booked in to see anyone for another two weeks. My periods are ALWAYs regular and I get ovulation pain when I ovulate so I know exactly what day it was. Tested positive last Saturday.

Yesterday I started with light pink spotting, brown discharge yesterday evening and today which doesn't smell great. On and off. I don't know what "fill up a pantyliner" really means but I haven't soaked through knickers to my trousers or anything.

Some twingey/cramping yesterday, a bit of back ache today, but I've been running around on my feet all day so not too uncommon. Major hormonal meltdowns of earlier this week have stopped, don't seem to need to wee all the time anymore and I don't feel mega tired now like I did last weekend/start of this week.

Am I having a miscarriage? If so, I'm OK, it's not great, but it was the first month of trying, a total shock (as I'm 38 so thought it would take a lot longer) I just want to know and be able to process and move on. I'm just stuck in limbo here and it is completely fucking with my head - from what I understand I just have to sit here and wait for a couple of weeks or something?

I don't feel I need to rush to hospital, I'm not in any pain re. ectopic, but I want to be able to just get some closure and take what comfort is possible from at least knowing I can eat what I want to now, have a hot bath, go horseriding this weekend, have a glass of wine if I want, start helping with the DIY on our home renovation again (climbing up scaffolding etc). i.e. some of the fun/distracting things that at least cheer you up a bit at this fucked up time.

I feel in complete purgatory.

If I take a dating pregnancy test and is says "3 weeks" is that a clear enough indication that I'm miscarrying?

Is there any other way to test hcg levels?

Is there any point in booking a private scan to confrim at this point.

Mentioned the spotting to the midwife yesterday, she wasn't bothered after confirming no ectopic symtpoms, but as it has continued I phoned three times today and haven't been able to get through. Took them 3 days to get back to me after initial call so I'm ruling that out.

Any advice would really help. Many thanks

I'm sorry you're stuck in limbo, unfortunately it is a case of waiting and seeing, you can book private scans from 6 weeks, you may not see a huge amount which is why they advise to wait till 7 ish weeks.

You could contact your local early pregnancy unit, but alot require referral from GP so you could speak to your GP however a lot will tell you to wait :(

Browny pink discharge can be normal! Fresh red blood is more worrying, as for symptoms they can come and go!

I would consider a private scan at about 6 and half weeks maybe? So another weeks wait unless your GP can refer you to your early pregnancy unit.

I've had 3 early miscarriages. I watch the line go lighter on pregnancy tests or you could buy finger Prick HCG blood tests online and do two (at least a day apart, ideally more) to show your levels going down. You could ask your go to do the blood tests but I'm not sure if they would. I've not been to epu for any before 6 weeks as they wouldn't see me (might be different depending on where you live).

If I were you I'd book in a private scan for 7 weeks, as that's when you should see a heartbeat from.

I bled 3 times when I had my dd and she's 5 now. So bleeding doesn't always mean miscarriage. My miscarriage bleeding has either started heavy or started light but within 24 got heavier. Obviously that's just me. But You still have a good chance.

If your discharge doesn’t smell great then that’s a sign of an infection and you need to see a GP. You need to ask for a referral to EPAU (early pregnancy assessment unit). From your description I wouldn’t automatically assume you are having a miscarriage.

It's too early for a scan but checking the line on pregnancy tests is a good idea. It doesn't sound like you are bleeding a lot yet.

With a chemical pregnancy you'll get the line going lighter so you can just buy a few cheap tests and see if it gets darker or lighter over the next few days.

I had a miscarriage at 6 weeks. Started bleeding like a period but no cramps. I called 111 and they advised I could either try and get an early scan, go to A&E or wait a week and do a pregnancy test. I really didn't want to bother with scans etc and certainly not going to wait in A&E so I just waited, did a test a week later and it was negative.

My GP would do the HCG test - I think she referred me to EPU actually to get them done. If they go down or aren't increasing sufficiently then you know.
But I've had spotting for four days with one child and also with miscarriages - I think you need to see if it increases or decreases, sorry.
I hope it works out for you

I had the same with similar time scale in October, also first month of trying. I used an FRER two days after bleeding started and it was negative already at that point, but it can take longer, I think the advice is to seek advice if no negative test within 2 weeks of a very early miscarriage or significant bleeding or pain, but this isn't my area of work.

A scan wouldn't show anything yet either way unfortunately.

FWIW I found the bleeding to be similar to a normal period and pain similar too, nothing awful.

To be honest it sounds more like old implantation bleeding or an infection than a MC. I’d wait and see if it gets heavier. Super tough but you’d see very little on a scan so I don’t think it would be illuminating either way. Best of luck

Thank you all, I really appreciate your thoughtful and really useful responses and will take on board the points made here. Thank you again

Hi,

Can someone please contact me regarding a possible early miscarriage I think I’ve had.
I’ve just joined this so I don’t even know if anyone uses it or anything.
Thanks,
Jess

Hi @Jesslb88 I would recommend starting your own thread to get more responses. Hope you are ok x

I don’t know how? Thankyou for your message