Late miscarriage at 18 weeks
Hello ladies. Like everyone else, I never thought I'd end up on here. I've had three healthy pregnancies (which I thank God for more than ever now) so I figured #4, especially this far on, would also be fine. Yesterday I went in for my routine appointment, and then for the ultrasound where we were hoping to find out the sex. I had an ultrasound at 12 weeks and everything looked great. His little heart was beating away, and he even waved at us. I had no real reason to think anything could be wrong. But yesterday the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat, and the ultrasound confirmed the baby had died.
I was wondering if anyone else has gone through a loss this far on. I'm going to L&D tomorrow to be induced, and I'm just not sure what to expect. I've delivered before, obviously, but not like this. How long will I bleed after? Will I still go through colostrum and milk coming in? How long will it take for my cycle to regulate?
I just feel like my emotions are all over the place. I just want things to be "normal".
Re: Late miscarriage at 18 weeks
It is similar to a regular delivery. They will give you medicine for induction (misoprostol or cervidil or pitocin). They should make you comfortable and give you an epidural as early as you ask for it. I get really upset if a patient undergoing induction for a loss has any pain....that's the last thing she needs. Most of our loss patients deliver within 12-24 hours of the start of their induction.
Your bleeding will be similar to a regular delivery and should be much less by a week afterwards. You will probably have some milk and you can stop it by the tricks previously listed (tight bra, cabbage leaves, cold peas). Your cycle will also take a few months to regulate just like after a term delivery.
I am so so so very sorry for your loss.
Oh no.... I'm so so sorry. I can't imagine the pain you are going through.
I have worked on L&D before and the earliest loss we've induced (that I've been a part of) is 22 weeks. She did have colostrum and milk come in and the doctor expected her to bleed for a few weeks. I don't know how long it took AF to get back to normal.
You should be able to hold the baby after delivery, so that's something to talk to the doctor about if you want to do it. Again, I am so sorry for your loss. We are all here for you, even if we can't understand the pain you're going through. ((HUGS))
I am so sorry for your loss. In October, I gave birth to my son, Isaac, at 36 1/2 weeks. He was born alive, and lived for 16 minutes. We knew from about 12 weeks in my pregnancy that his prognosis was poor, and from 20 weeks that it was most likely fatal.
I will be praying that things go as well as possible tomorrow. Be sure to hold your son, take pictures, make memories.
Your milk may come in. I had a c-section w/ Isaac and bled for about 7 weeks. MY cycle is still straightening out.
You're welcome to check out my blog, and e-mail me any time at coolteacher79 at yahoo.com
I am so sorry for your loss {{{hugs}}} I too lost my twin boys at 18w 6d I delivered them my labor was induced and I was given my meds vaginally to induce and also was given morphine for the pain by IV which was great, I bled for about two weeks and then AF came exactly 1 month afterwards and I really havent stopped bleeding since then (a couple of days for valentines day) but its back. I also chose not to see or hold my sons because it would have been too hard for me to do so but my DH did see them and he was shaken up a while about it........ just remember it is your choice to do so...I did get their feet prints but no pics.....HTH and GL on tomorrow I will be praying with you and for you & DH
I'm so sorry for your loss... I want you to know that I'm praying for you.
I am so so sorry for your loss. I had a very similar situation, where we were at our big u/s at over 19w hoping to find out the sex, and instead found out that our precious boy had died. This was on a Friday and I was admitted Monday night to be induced. They started me on Cytotech which didn't do too much, then all of Tuesday I was on Pitocin, which did nothing at all for me. Late Tuesday night they put me back on Cytotech and after the second dose I finally started having regular contractions and delivered my angel at 4:55 on Wednesday morning.
Afterwards, I bled for about a week, week and a half, which compared to some people I've heard, isn't too bad. My milk did come in on the Saturday after delivery, which was also the day of the funeral. I was leaking a little bit, but for me, it dried up pretty fast and was not that painful (physically). I got my first AF 46 days after delivery, then my next cycle was 34 days, then 30. I apologize for the ticker, but we are now cautiously expecting again, so it took 2 cycles of actually trying for us to conceive again.
Of course everyone is different, but I hope this helps. I know when I was being admitted I had no idea what to expect and I just felt really lost.
Friday I had my 5 month appointment (I was 21 w 3 d) and they couldn't find the hb so they did a u/s and confirmed baby had died. They sent me to the hospital and induced me at about 6 pm. I delivered our baby girl at 1:30 on valentines day but myself I couldn't look at her or hold her (neither could DH) it was so difficult. I couldn't deliver the placenta so they took me in for a D&C and then I recovered in the hospital until 4 that afternoon when they let me go home. My milk came in just today but I hope that it dries up quickly. I am still going through some major emotions but reading this board has really helped. We know we will have a family so looking towards the future is the only thing that seems to get me thru each day.
Our little angel girl was too sick but she will watch over us and our future family.
Hold on tight to your other children.
I'm so sorry. I don't have any words of wisdom for you but I just wanted to tell you that my heart aches for you.
((((Hugs))))
I was induced at 20 weeks, no other kids.
I had to have an epi because the contractions were pretty bad.
My milk never came in, but I think that's because I had a reduction.
I'm so very sorry -- this was so heart wrenching for us I never wish it on anyone.