3 Weeks of Waiting to Miscarry Naturally...

LBmommy

Hi,
We are going through a really drawn out miscarriage and I have so many questions. Here is our story first...

December 9th - dating appt, doctor saw our baby but thought was only 4 or 5 weeks (I was 7 1/2 weeks) she said there was a "questionable heartbeat"
December 18th - follow up appt. doctor immediately saw our baby, we all saw it clearly - measured 8 weeks 5 days (I was 8 weeks 6 days)... no heartbeat sent to radiology for a second opinion u/s that also showed "no cardiac activity" (awful experience) Was sent home with pain medicine and told "it's going to hurt a lot so have our wife take these..." That's about all she told us.

Today, December 30th - still no cramping, no spotting, no signs that miscarriage will happen naturally. It has been (almost) 3 weeks since our first appt with the "questionable heartbeat" but the baby grew to measure 8 weeks 5 days. I am now 10 weeks 4 days in this pregnancy and it's just getting so hard knowing my angel is gone but it's body is still with me. I just really want closure but I'm absolutely terrified of surgery.

I have lost all of my pregnancy symptoms that I had: hunger, bloating, extremely sore breasts, exhaustion - all gone. I called yesterday to see if I can go in today to get some blood work done again to be sure my levels are going down a lot. We really want to do this naturally, but it's getting really hard. I'm getting so anxious and nervous that I'll have to get a D&C. This afternoon we are going in to "talk about our options" with our Dr.

I've read tons of threads on here about the pill and about D&C stories and both are terrifying me. I am hoping that today I can get my levels taken.

My questions:
-If my levels are going down (were at 124,249 last time they were checked at 7 weeks 6 days) does that mean there is a better chance of my miscarriage happening naturally, or does that have nothing to do with anything? Can your levels go way down and still nothing happen? I don't "feel" pregnant at all, so I'm guessing my levels are down.

-Has anyone tried acupuncture to get it to happen naturally? My friend who is a doula recommended this.

-If anyone who has gone through this could please share: How long did it take for your miscarriage to happen naturally? Am I just not waiting long enough?

Unfortunately, we aren't really loving our doctor. She is quick and doesn't answer questions fully or to the point. She has left us hanging since the very beginning and it's just left us so confused about what to do. I'm hoping you girls can answer these questions better

Thank you so much and I'm so sorry for all going through loss right now. This is awful...

kcmichel

I'm so sorry for your suffering. My first MMC baby passed away at 8w2d, I didn't find out until 11w5d, and after a week of waiting (I was spotting so hoping it would happen but it wasn't) I took the cytotec medication at almost 13 weeks.
I don't have any answers about accupuncture or other options to start it. But like you I didn't want a D&C - I didn't even consider it an "option".
If you don't get the answers about other methods to try and bring on the MC naturally and decide to go with the medicine - I just posted my list of tips/advice for taking it in the discussion "Advice and Experience" - click on MC with cytotec and you will find some good feedback about it.
Whatever happens I hope your pain and suffering ends soon! Xox

m6agua

I'm sorry for your loss. I would get a new doctor. I am very thankful that I was able to MC naturally and not have to have any intervention. If you are worried about a D&C there are other options. I guess there is a pill you can take that is supposed to help the process along. I strongly suggest you demand more from your doctor or find a new one. Have you started bleeding yet?

If your levels are going down and you've lost your symptoms I would say you are on your way to MC.

TW - details about natural MC

First I am going to say everyone is different so my story is only meant to help you through this and by no means tell you how your MC will happen.
My office doesn't do early US so I didn't know until I started spotting on a Sunday at 9w5d. I had an US at 10w and confirmed a MMC/blighted ovum measuring 6 weeks. That is the morning I woke up and all my symptoms were gone. I continued to spot and I thought I MC on Saturday at 10w4d. I had been cramping and felt like I "peed." I went to the bathroom and had a lot of blood and passed some larger clots for about 30 minutes. Then it slowed back to spotting. Then on Sunday at 10w5d I had more blood/clots/cramping. The cramping started about 5/6 pm. They got more intense as time went on and came in waves. More like contractions I assume. I continued passing a lot of clots/blood/stringing things. I also got the chills at one point and could not warm up. At about 10 pm I had a really long cramp/contraction. I went to the toilet and passed something. I felt relief after. The cramps had stopped. I had passed the sac. I had my HCG tested that Tuesday it was 325. I continued to spot and bleed for 6 days. I had my HCG tested weekly from then and after 2 more weeks it was down to 4. So technically you could say it took almost 5 weeks for my body to recognize and MC since the sac measured at 6.

Cubslove12

Why are you against a D&C? I was also, I thought I miscarried naturally, didn't still had to do a D&C. I really didn't want a D&C it felt, as irrational as it sounds, that I was choosing to end the pregnancy, Also I hate hospitals, I was terrified of the pain, I didn't want to miss work,.. Honestly after weeks of trying to do it naturally I wish I just did the D&C.

Naturally I had the worst cramps for a week + constantly had a pad on (which I hate!) was so terrified all the time because I didn't know what to expect, and only passsed 1/3 of the tissue. I had to keep going into the doctors for ultra sounds and see pregnant women with their husbands (that was the worst!)

After my D&C it killed the day of (went in at 6:45am was home sleeping by 11:15am) I was popping Advil like candy. The next day was normal cramping and by the third day I was working out and back to normal. I was barely even spotting on the 3rd day only noticed when I wiped a little. If I wasn't on winter break I would of been back to work the 2nd day. Everyone at the hospital was so nice, they offered a chancellor to say a prayer, and my tissues went in for genetic testing.

Personally I wish I did the D&C right away it helped so much with closer, instead I feel waiting naturally I prolonged my pain weeks... I did my D&C Dec 22 and in this past 1.5 weeks I'm getting back to my old self and ready to try again! Yes I have my ups and downs and have my hard days but I couldn't handle having no closure anymore