D & C vs. natural miscarriage

cyndi72

My doctor recommended getting a D & C because my baby died a week ago (8w6d). What are the pros and cons? Anyone not get one and had a natural miscarriage after they knew the baby had died?  I had a friend not get the D & C and a few weeks later she miscarried and it was a really bad experience and painful.

dgasu79

I have no advice, but have been thinking of the same thing. I had an ultrasound on Tuesday 6weeks 4 days and there was only a gestational sac. I go back next tuesday and hope that there is a baby, but I am preparing myself for bad news. 

The RE said I can wait or have a D&C. I don't know what to do. I don't want to wait weeks for it to happen. I'm leaning toward the D&C. I have a few questions I need to ask her.

Thank you for asking this and I am sorry for your loss. I know I feel numb.  

Septmomtobe

I'm there right now. My missed m/c was confirmed on 3/29 and I was given the option of a d&c and waiting to naturally m/c. I have been waiting 2 weeks now and just started to naturally m/c this morning. I have a precription at the pharmacy for cytotec as I was planning on using it this weekend. Is it painful? Yes but not horribly. I took 3 Advil and am fine. This is also my 3rd m/c and the first two were natural as well. Physically uncomfortable? Absolutely. 

For me, I waited bc the risks of a d&c were greater than I wanted. With 3 m/c I didn't want to add any other issues into the fertility issues. 

Its your decision. It hasn't been easy waiting to m/c. A d&c would have been quicker and allowed me to move on by now. However I'm glad I waited.  

mom22labs

I have had two natural miscarriages.  They were painful but managable.  If you choose this route I would recommend you talk to your Dr about some pain medication.  I needed it both times.  I am glad I chose to do it this way.  For my second m/c i was really thinking about having a D&C mostly because I didn't want to have to wait for weeks for it to happen.  But once I found out both times that I had a missed m/c it was like a switch went off in my mind and body and I started bleeding within a week of the diagnosis.  I am so sorry you have to be here asking these questions.

MrsChadWard

I was supposed to do the meds way of passing it, but it happened naturally before I could do anything.  It was the most painful thing I've ever gone through!  I seriously do not recommend doing it naturally if you can.  I would definately choose a D&C.  Get it done and over with and move on.  (Easier said then done, right?) 

Whatever you choose, I'm so very sorry for your loss.  Such a hard thing to go through.  Hugs, if I could.

JennyP0222

I had a missed miscarriage and was given the option of natural, cytotec, or D&C. I personally did not want the D&C. My doctor gave me two weeks to pass naturally before she was going to push for me to do the D&C. At exactly two weeks I started the MC naturally. The first few days were relatively painless, like an AF bleeding. Then I had an extremely painful and heavy bleed day that almost sent me to the hospital. After that I was checked by my OB and was not done. She prescribed me the cytotec at that point in time. She also prescribed vicodin, which I highly recommend to be taken with the cytotec. After 4 doses, it worked and I experienced very heavy cramping and bleeding for 2 days. After that I was clear.

Pros of natural: Privacy and comfort of your home, feeling like you are in control of the situation and the monitoring of the situation, not being put under anesthesia, not feeling like it was a 'medical' situation but just a natural body situation

Cons of natural: pain may or may not be severe, extreme heavy bleeding can be scary, risk of seeing something you do not want to see

Since I did not get the D&C, I can only tell you my reasoning. D&C is a medical procedure which uses anesthetic. It may or may NOT lead to some issues with fertility depending on circumstances, lack of control over the situation, being in a hospital and not at home.

This is such a personal choice, hon. It is 100% based on what personally you can handle/want to deal with. If I had to do this again (please please no!)....I would still do natural. The wait SUCKS and the process is beyond unpleasant, but I prefer the natural process of things to going the medical route.

Whichever way you go, I send you positive vibes and hope that it goes as well as it can, given the situation. *Hugs*