I painfully miscarried naturally on Saturday (long)
LivingItUpInUP
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Ever since I found out that I would miscarry over a week ago, I've been googling and reading stories of what to expect, so I thought I'd share my story for those waiting to miscarry or struggling to decide whether to wait or get a d&c.
I found out through an ultrasound on Friday 10/21 that our baby stopped growing at 5 weeks 3 days. I'm confused right now as to whether I had a blighted ovum or not, because we could see a yolk sac on the ultrasound, and ultrasounds of blighted ovums that I've seen online did not look like what we saw. The tech and midwife did not use the term "blighted ovum." When I asked the midwife if that's what it was she said, "Well basically, yes." But I'm not so sure, but anyway, I had a sac measuring 5 weeks 3 days and no baby.
I was always leaning towards miscarrying naturally. The worries I had were how long it would take my body to do it and if I would get rid of everything on my own or if I would wind up needing a d&c anyway. (I guess I don't know the answer to this yet.)
I started spotting on Tuesday, at 8 weeks 6 days. I would only bleed after I emptied my bladder and I usually had clots. I had mild cramps during this time and this pattern of bleeding and cramping continued through Friday.
DH and I stayed up late on Friday watching t.v. and talking. I fell asleep watching t.v. around 2am, but woke up about a half hour later with intense cramps. The cramps got worse and worse and I was not comfortable anywhere but on the toilet crunched over pushing. If I layed down or sat down I was in so much pain. I was in pain on the toilet, but it was more manageable. Now I realize that I was in labor and my cervix was dilating. The intense cramping continued for another hour and a half. I emptied my bowls and felt like I was going to throw up too. I was hunched over sitting on the toilet with a trash can in front of my face. I kept saying, "I hate this so much."
A little after 3:30am, after I had just flushed the toilet I felt something fall out of my cervix and I said to MH in the bedroom, "I think I passed it." I turned to look and there was the sac. It was about a quarter to a half dollar size white sac with a black dot or something in it. It was hard to look at but I wanted to look at it. I asked MH if he wanted to see it and he said he did. He came in and looked at it from where he was standing and said, "Yeah, that's it." I said I felt weird just flushing it down the toilet but I didn't know what else to do. MH said yeah, but he thought that was best. Part of me would have liked to have buried the tissue and had some sort of memorial, but I think it would have been hard to get MH on board with it, and it scared me to get the sac out and look at it up close. MH left the bathroom and I got down next to the toilet and said, "I'm so sorry. I love you," and I flushed the toilet.
I got back on the toilet and some more really large clots fell out and I think that may have been the placenta. I was dripping blood like a faucet and I was worried that it was too much so I put on a pad so I could monitor how much I was bleeding and make sure it wasn't more than a pad an hour. I sat in bed and we tried to watch a t.v. show but I still was in a ton of pain and couldn't sit. I went back on the toilet and let some more clots fall out until my cramps became more manageable and then went to lay down in bed. I think I finally went to sleep around 6:00am.
The next day was more like what they tell you a miscarriage is like, a really painful, heavy period. Today (Sunday) has been better so far, but I still have much more painful cramps than I normally do during my period.
I am glad that my body took care of everything on it's own (at least I hope it got rid of everything). I don't know why doctors/midwives say that a miscarriage is just a bad period, because many stories I've read are similar experiences to mine where the woman goes into labor. I would still choose to do it this way than the d&c just because I have a lot fear with surgery and I hate going under general anesthesia, so this was the best option for me. I hope this story helps some people to know what to expect. Miscarriage is painful, emotionally and physically. 
Re: I painfully miscarried naturally on Saturday (long)
I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. I hope the physical pain is over now and you can focus on healing emotionally. I'm so glad you got to miscarry naturally like you wanted.
I had a similar experience the night before my D&C. I miscarried most everything the night before. It was incredibly painful and I really thought I couldn't make it. No one really understands unless they have been through it themselves. I'm glad your DH was there for you. I hope you can relax today and get some rest. Thinking of you. **Hugs**
Big hugs to you honey....!!
I had a D&C, but I had to take cytotec the morning before the procedure, and started experiencing the severe cramping/labor....I just remember crying in the bathroom and swearing that "The next time I go through this I am taking home a baby!". Doctors and midwives do us a disservice by saying that it is like a "heavy period", and I admire your courage in sharing your story.
i'm so sorry you had such a painful time. i hope that now that the waiting is over, you'll be able to find some closure and begin to heal.
your story sounds like a worse version of what i went through. i too had the sense i was going through a form of labor (only mine wasn't as painful, instead i was very dizzy and thought i was going to pass out/vomit). i wanted to yell at my doctor when i saw her a couple of days later for making me think that it would be just a normal period. it definitely wasn't. i could feel my cervix dilating and had urges to push and had pain coming in waves like i would imagine contractions would be like (only again, not nearly as painful as i would imagine actual contractions to be). i wish doctors would be more honest with us about the possibility of it being a lot more graphic than just a heavy period. i think it would help a lot of women prepare themselves.
Oh sweet girl!!! This is so sad, I'm so sorry. I actually was thinking about you yesterday when I didn't see you post at all. UGH.
I hope you are through the worst of it and can focus on healing now. Sending many T&P's.
I'm so sorry for your loss. *hugs*
I m/c naturally, too, and while my experience wasn't quite as bad as yours sounds, it was definitely way more painful than a period, even a bad period. And, I agree that, for me, I'm glad I did it that way over a d&c. The cost of the d&c is outrageous and I'm just glad my doctor gave me the choice to do it naturally and my body was able to handle it.
BFP #2 12-6-11 and 12-7-11; EDD 8-17-12. US 6w6d measuring 5w6d. Misoprostol Assisted m/c 1-16-12 at 9w3d.
<a href="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n56/katharine25/?action=view
I am so sorry you had this experience, but wanted to send ((hugs)) your way. My m/c mirrored yours and it is so reassuring to hear of someone's experience so similar to my own. I really wish I had a heads up on the pain/labour factor just to be more prepared, it is so down played by midwives and doctors which is a shame.
Thanks for being strong enough to share your story, you are in my T&P's. x
Big ((hugs)) to you! I am so sorry you had to go through this. You are so brave. Thank you for sharing your story. I am so sad that we are both a part of this community, but I am glad that you are here.
T&P's to you and YH. (I'll pray that everything has passed naturally for you.)
Married my love 6/11/11 | MMC 10/11/11 | Eliza Frances born 9/18/12 | Rhett Garland born 2/24/14
I am so sorry that this was so rough for you. I did not have the painful cramps but from what you describe it sounds like they were pretty bad.
The bleeding for me was the worst part and I know how hard it is to keep seeing all that blood in the toilet. I did find that it got better for me emotionally once the bleeding stopped because I wasn't crying every time I went to the bathroom. I hope that the physical pain is gone and you can now start moving forward emotionally since it's over.
BFP #1 ~ EDD 5.20.2012 ~ MC 10.1.2011
BFP #2 ~ EDD 11.15.2012 ~ CP 3.7.2012
BFP #3 ~ DS born 12.03.2012
FF Chart
Hugs to you my dear... I am so so sorry, but glad that the physical part of this is over for you now and you can begin your emotional healing.
My experience mirrored yours. I really do with doctors prepared us more for this experience...
T&P for you and DH as you carry on...
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham