How long does it take- natural m/c?

Aquabee21

I started spotting and cramping during the day on Monday and by Monday evening the bleeding became more regular but still a light flow. Bled/cramping throughout Tuesday but still light, only needed to change the pad a couple times. Lots of tiny clots but no tissue that I noticed. Then it kinda fizzled out Wednesday, last couple days I've only needed a panty liner the whole day, mainly brown discharge.

My midwife said we'd wait until this coming Monday to test hcg levels if I didn't have any significant episodes of bleeding in the meantime. But I'm not holding onto a lot of hope the pregnancy is still viable (I guess I'd rather be pleasantly surprised vs. hold onto hope and be disappointed). My pregnancy symptoms prior to monday were breast soreness and drop in milk supply and they both resolved the day the bleeding started.

Anyways, that's a long explanation for asking, how long after initial bleeding began before the heavy bleeding/passing of tissue started for you with natural m/c?

imwithrebel

I'm so sorry for your loss. Everybody's body is so different. I hope you will be through the worst of it soon.

I had a miscarriage at 5 weeks and only had very light spotting for a few days. It was much lighter than my period and never enough for even a panty liner. I went through beta hell and had an on again / off again relationship with progesterone supplements, so honestly I think my body got very confused. I've never really bled on my own, so now about 3 weeks later I'm on Provera (another form of progesterone) to help induce bleeding.

Tisharp

I started spotting while I was sleeping the night of the 13th/early morning of the 14th. Spotting got heavier and turned red by evening of the 14th. Went to ER and servix was still closed. But hcg had dropped from almost to 15,000 to just over 13,000. Braking got worse and bleeding was what I'd call a light flow on the 15th. Cramping was worse on the 16th. At 1:30am on the 17th, I woke up crying in pain from cramps and pain in my back. I passed clots and a lot of blood then and that continued until sometime between 5am and 6am. I had a dr appointment at 9am abs by then the bleeding was what I'd call a medium flow. U/S showed I'd passed all but 1 clot. It passed with minimal cramping on the 20th. Still had what I'd call a medium flow until the 24th. And I'm just barely barely barely spotting now. My u/s on the 26th showed that everything passed and all is well. Hcg is down to 52.9 now. It was 10,000 the day before I passed most of the tissue.

Tisharp

Sorry for all the typos above. I'm on my phone. Obvs servix should be cervix and braking should be cramping.

Butterflylove00

I started bleeding last Thursday. I had very heavy bright red blood. I passed the baby Sunday night. My hcg had been 138 on Friday and 45 on Monday. As of today I'm just spotting. Hth. I'm sorry for your loss!

Aquabee21

I wish this was happening in a more predictable fashion. No discharge at all yet today. It's messing w/ my mind. I'll be glad to start hcg testing tomorrow just so I know for sure.

And people's descriptions of their heavy bleeding/pain are freaking me out! I'm a SAHM to a very active and often high needs almost 1yr old that doesn't sleep well. Plus have his 1st b-day party next wkend to prepare for. Not that m/c's are ever convenient but I'm worrying how I'm going to cope when it gets bad. I don't have a lot of people to ask for help from. If it happens during his party, how do I explain why I'm not participating? Not many people know we were pg in the first place. Sorry- I'm having a hard time processing it all.

Tisharp

You may just want to let your DH know the possibilities, so he will know you may need him to help a lot more. (I'm not saying he doesn't help - I hope you know what I mean). And remember that everyone is different. You may have very minimal cramping. I'd highly suggest having a heating pad on hand though. That thing was my best friend for a week or so. Best wishes.

Tisharp

One more suggestion - you might get a package of adult diapers to have one hand, just in case you do have some very heavy bleeding the day of the party. Hopefully you won't need them, and I know it sounds weird. But I would personally rather be prepared for something like that in advance.

kacelle

I'm sorry for your loss.  I passed the gestational sac two weeks after I started spotting.  I didn't have any days of no bleeding or just brown bleeding in between that though.  I bled for a few days after the tissue passed and that was it.

kelly321

Aquabee21:

I wish this was happening in a more predictable fashion. No discharge at all yet today. It's messing w/ my mind. I'll be glad to start hcg testing tomorrow just so I know for sure.

And people's descriptions of their heavy bleeding/pain are freaking me out! I'm a SAHM to a very active and often high needs almost 1yr old that doesn't sleep well. Plus have his 1st b-day party next wkend to prepare for. Not that m/c's are ever convenient but I'm worrying how I'm going to cope when it gets bad. I don't have a lot of people to ask for help from. If it happens during his party, how do I explain why I'm not participating? Not many people know we were pg in the first place. Sorry- I'm having a hard time processing it all.

The m/c experience is different for every woman. I had one at 7w4d, which was also DD's 1st birthday. Physically, I would have been ok to have a birthday party for DD at any time during my m/c. Yes, I had cramps and bleeding, but nothing worse than my periods when I was a teenager. 3 Advil did the trick. 

If it happens during your party, either tell people you're having a miscarriage (that would be my choice and I told plenty of friends/family who didn't know I was pregnant that I was going through a miscarriage), or, if you're not comfortable with that, tell them you've got food poisoning. That will explain the cramps, frequent trips to the bathroom, and wanting to stay away from the party. Personally, I would go with just being open about the m/c - then they'll understand why you're emotional, as well ("Why are you crying just because you've got food poisoning?"), but I know not everyone feels comfortable doing so.

I'm very sorry you're having to go through this at all and hope that it's not a physically horrible experience for you.

gbby3m

I had spotting/light bleeding on and off for 5 full weeks before anything episodic started happening, but I had a b/o and my HCG was still rising for about half of that time.  Mine also ended up being incomplete after going through 3 episodes at home, and I had to have a D&C to put an end to it all.  

I want to emphasize, though, that everyone's very different, and it's hard for anyone to know how it turns out.  Incomplete m/c is definitely less common, and I didn't want to scare you, but just wanted to share as one of many possibilities.

As others have suggested, I think it's good to be over-prepared than underprepared.  Have a box ready with pads, some pain medication, water bottles, some light snacks (so not to upset stomach depending on which pain meds you're taking), heat packs, and emergency phone numbers, so that when the time comes, someone can just go get the box for you.  I'm really sorry you're going through with this.  

Aquabee21

Thanks everyone for the support and advice. It helps to be able to talk about this with people that have been through it. I thought you might appreciate my mom's first response- "are you sure you were really pregnant?" Most times I appreciate that she's more practical than emotional but not right now. DH is supportive but is a hs teacher and a track coach (season is on right now) and is gone from at least 6:30am to 6pm for his regular commitments and extra when he has meets. He is taking DS on a 2hr hike right now; it's been nice to have a break, it'd been awhile since I'd had any time to myself.

Thanks for reminding me to be prepared. I really need to get more pads, etc. I don't usually use them and I'm about through the last of post-partum leftovers. I've been putting off getting more. Good idea about putting it all in one place.

mamamiles

i started with very very light brown spotting for 2 weeks, not even enough to fill a liner if i had kept the same one for a week, then had my first docs appt on 4/20. the day after it was a "light flow" of bright red, next day got heavy and i passed most of the tissue. sunday still heavy flow, monday was bad for me. i called in a prescription for pain meds in the morning, and by the time they were ready to pick up that afternoon i had begun having the worst pains. had to call my DH home from work to get them for me. i passed baby on weds and since then it's been very light and sporadic spotting. as for the pain, i had a couple of hours monday that i couldn't even move and i actually threw up from it. the meds made it much more managable. i would suggest having something stronger than OTC stuff just in case. i didn't think i'd need it then BAM they just happened. not sure what the pain wold have been for thursday or friday, i was taking the meds just in case. i've now had no physical pains for a few days and i actually have most of my energy back. 

mamamiles

and i'm so sorry you're going through this... hopefully you don't have to stick around, but if you do,  these ladies have been great for advice and support