*graphic* physical rather than emotional side - please don't read if sensitive to tmi

[summer15]

I miscarried 5 days ago (early hours of Monday morning). Although I was only 6 weeks on the day I began bleeding it was quite traumatic. I wasn't bleeding heavily at all - in fact it was very light but my cramping got gradually worse throughout the day/night until my husband had to call me an ambulance. Basically I had a large clot (slightly larger than golf ball size) blocking my cervix, so my body contracting to try and expel it was extremely painful along with the fact that blood was collecting in my uterus and causing extra pressure. I had gas & air for the pain and as soon as I passed the clot the pain literally disappeared. Some minor cramping but nothing in comparison, and of course once the clot was out I was able to bleed freely. Since then it has been fairly text book. The bleeding has got gradually lighter and I haven't had any cramping since Tuesday night. If this was a regular period I would expect it to stop by tomorrow.
However this morning I went to the loo and felt a sudden sharp pain and passed another clot - nowhere near as big as before but about the size of a penny in diameter. (Still no heavier bleeding) I was already a bit concerned because my doctor isn't doing any follow up at all I.e scans/blood tests to check everything's out (which some ladies seem to have been offered as a matter of procedure). I thought that because my bleeding was getting lighter it would just trail off like a period but now I'm worried there might still be stuff in there posing risk to infection, if the bleeding stops how will I know??
Or would the bleeding not stop if there is still stuff there?
My doctor told me to take a pregnancy test after the bleeding stops and if it's negative then I'm all clear - is this really an accurate way to tell?
Anyone with experience or knowledge of this please share. Thank you
Xxx

 

[kaz1983]

What an awful time you are having summer it is horrific going thru a mc

I can only go on my experience i passed baby once i had had pessaries and the oral pills and I felt the bleeding was quite heavy as was changing pads frequently. However they were not sure in the hospital if I had passed everything and were prepping me for theatre which I was hysterical at the thought of but managed to get the doctor to remove the remainder of the products in my room on the ward with no anaesthetic. The bleeding gradually tailed off after that as hubby and I were able to dtd 4 days after leaving hospital but I did have occasionally bleeding after that but i think maybe a week at the most after I came out of hospital i cant remember i try and block these things out and just deal with the mental aspect of mc

Hubby and I wanted to be sure there was nothing left as we had started ttc so soon....had two inconclusive urine pregnancy tests with the gp so they then took blood three weeks after levels were at 23.5 then the following week were at 9 and as you know ive just had them done yesterday again

i was hoping for a scan rather than them howking about but no scan the doc just sed he had got everything while hoeing my garden so to speak

I would ask yout GP if they could take bloods just to see the levels are going down it will give you peace of mind like me xxx

 

[Lolie14]

After I passed our baby I bled for about 4 days but it was only light bleeding. I suffered bad cramping which eased off with painkillers. I didn't have any follow up scans but was told to watch for signs of infection and to take a hpt two weeks after the miscarriage. I was 6wks 4 days.

 

[summer15]

Thanks ladies. So if my hcg comes back at 0 (<5) does that mean I'm definitely clear and there is no risk of infection? I would call the doctor but ladies on here seem more clued up on the details to be honest.
Lolie - I take it your hpt was negative after 2 weeks?
I'm keen to be certain that my miscarriage is complete because we want to try again asap. I think any glimmer of hope and ability to take back a little control will help me enormously. I know that some ladies have fallen pregnant again before their next period, but obviously I don't want to be dealing with an infection etc which would do us no favours. Do you think it's safer to wait until after my first period ...?
Xxx

 

[Lolie14]

To be honest I didn't do the hpt as I didn't want to see the negative result... Does that make sense? I didnt feel pregnant and my CM was telling me I was ovulating so I knew my miscarriage was complete. We started trying again once the bleeding had stopped and this is my third cycle since our miscarriage so no success yet.

So very sorry for your loss x

 

[kaz1983]

Once I had the lower hcg blood level I weas (or thought) I was happy enough to accept it was a negative but have since read and my GP sed he would expect a level of less than 1 in a non-pregnant lady

I am hoping my levels come back at less than 9 from yesterdays readings or Im gonna be thrown back into a whirtlwind of emotions and fear

I was happy with the blood results and not to push for a scan hope this helps xxx

 

[Bubbles22]

I am so so sorry for your loss, and the horrific time you have had. My bleeding lasted on and off for a week. at times I thought it was stopped and then there would be another clot. This lasted a week. Hpt was negative after a week too. I was like you too, I didn't want to see the negative, it broke my heart all over again. Best of luck to you, sending hugs xx

 

[summer15]

Thank you, I think I'm just a bit of a control freak and like to know definitive answers but miscarriage isn't a definitive process and every woman is so different.
Lolie - I do understand what you mean, I went into super drug yesterday to buy some Frers, they were on buy 1 get 1 free when I bought them before, so although I knew I would be using one stick to confirm my miscarriage I had in my mind that I was buying 3 sticks in hope of 'next time'. But when I got there the offer wasn't on and I thought 'I'm buying this just to see a negative' and chickened out, I bought myself some nail varnish instead!
I think I just need to have faith in my body and let it do what it needs to do and just be aware of the signs like cm etc that tell me we're ready to try again. It will be a week tomorrow since I miscarried so if I'm still worrying this time next week I'll request a blood test.
I told one of my close girl friends last night, and she said something that helped me a little bit so thought I'd share. She said: "You know, I'm a second chance baby. My mum had a miscarriage, then got pregnant with me the month after. If that original pregnancy had survived I wouldn't exist!" I know we could apply the same logic to every egg we release or every million sperm that doesn't fertilise the egg because every one has the potential to be a different person and I don't want to bang on about the fickleness of our existence because of course when we become pregnant ONLY that little person matters - but somehow having a real person that means so much to me, standing in front of me telling me that she was a 'second chance baby' gave me an 'everything happens for a reason' moment. That was a phrase that REALLY annoyed me before, I used to think 'No! There was NO reason for me to lose our baby' but I couldn't imagine life without my beautiful friend 'existing' and therefore is it awful to think that I'm grateful for her mum having a miscarriage all those years ago??? I was able to imagine our future child telling the same story as my friend, to comfort some unfortunate lady 26ish years from now, and it made me smile. I just hope my 'second chance baby' doesn't take too long!
Xxx

 

[Diane41]

Hi summer15 - so sorry for your loss. My story is similar (stopped growing around 6 weeks) but I was nearly 10 weeks when I started to bleed. I too ended up in hospital due to pain and heavy blood loss. I was discharged on the third day but still occasional pains/cramping and then another clot. I passed 4 or 5 sizeable clots then the bleeding tailed off, and I tested negative about 2.5 weeks after the bleeding stopped. Your story about your friend being a second-chance baby is beautiful, and really touched me - what a lovely way to think about it xx

Fingers crossed you heal fast (emotionally) and start ttc only when you feel ready. After my first miscarriage in 2012 we didn't feel ready for almost a year, but this time (sept'14) we started straight after my first period. Only you know when you're ready - and don't worry about what anyone says - listen to YOUR body and what it's telling you!

Take care
Di xx

 

[Melily24]

Hi Summer. I think I bled for about 5 days after my June mc. The doctor's weren't at all concerned about checking if it had all come out etc.. "Par for the course Ma'am, if you feel ill THEN come to us" so unbelievably unfeeling..

I ended up in hospital in the middle of the night about a week after my mc - with an infection. I had numerous internal scan's etc.. but they couldn't confirm that the infection came from the mc as my womb was all nice and clean.

I hope your bleeding stops soon and you feel abit better.

I get what you say about "everything happens for a reason" now - whereas before it really upset you. When I look at my son, I can't imagine my life without him and I wouldn't have him if I hadn't lost my first baby. I fell pg with my son 6 months after my mmc. He is such a joy and blessing

Big hug. xxx

 

[kaz1983]

Ur friend is rite summer i never thot of it that way yet iv sed to mum that her mc was jus me i jus wasny perfect enuff first time round....took mum 4yrs to hav me after her mc cos of fear iv told her im feart but i wont let it stop me xx