Questions (siggy warning)

lisaren · May 2014

Sorry I'm on mobile and cannot edit my siggy yet.

We just found out Tuesday that our baby has a cystic hygroma. It's all around her body. Her abdomen is also swelling.
We will be tx Tuesday, as the prognosis is not good. We have a daughter that is medically fragile and in hospice, so we do not want another child to go through any pain or suffering.
Has anyone had laminaria placed before?? I have to go Monday to have them placed and what I'm reading on line scares me.
Is a D&E similar to a D&C??

If this is not the correct place for these questions I apologize. I'm just feeling very sad and broken.

Thank you kindly.

ikrystal · May 2014

I'm so sorry to hear about your baby as well as your daughter. I wish I had some kind of advice for you, but I do not. I just wanted to give you ((hugs)) and tell you I'm thinking about you and your little ones.

MCH77 · May 2014

*siggy watning*

First, I'm so sorry you are going through this. Is there any chance for good news at your appointment? ((Hugs))

I lost my son at 24w and had a D&E with laminaria placement. I'm not going to lie... The laminaria was extremely uncomfortable/painful. They gave me some strong pain killers to help deal with them while I had them in. I wish I had been even more drugged. The D&E was actually a relief, because when I woke they were gone. Overall the procedure was easy and painless after the surgery. I was able to get around the next day, slowly, but got around.

shandorfml2 · May 2014

I am so sorry for both your girlsnn.(((hugs)))

nohalo21 · May 2014

I don't have any advice. Just want to say I'm sorry for you have to go through this. Thinking of you.

stefuge · May 2014

I don't have any advice but wanted to say I am so sorry for your loss.

lrichmond86 · May 2014

I had a d&c with my second loss. The rods weren't bad for me... the emotional pain was far worse, but I also felt this way during labor and delivery with our first loss.

Something that I was warned of on this board (and I'm glad that I was) is that it is possible that there will be protesters at the location that the d&c will be done because these medical facilities often also perform abortions. There were protestors at mine and it was very upsetting. I'll be thinking of you as you go through this process. Much love to you and your family.

lisaren · May 2014

Thank you everyone for your responses. You are all amazing women.
I feel so broken and so scared.

Hugs and love to all xoxo

jess123456 · May 2014

Hi Lisa. Big hugs to you. I do have experience with this. They used them to help induction when we had our daughter. When they inserted them I felt a bit dizzy (I am prone to that though and always have been) and had to lie down for a while before feeling better. A heating pad helped a ton because it causes a ton of cramping and was quite unpleasant for me so if you don't have one I would highly suggest one. They gave me pain medication too but I didn't want to take it because I thought I could tough it out.

Thinking of you.

lisaren · May 2014

Does it affect the baby? That's my fear

VyD81 · May 2014

I don't have any experience but wanted to say I'm sorry you are going through this. Hugs.

bunnybun4 · May 2014

I am so sorry you are going through this on top of going thru having your daughter in hospice. I can not imagine.

While the laminaria insertion was extremely uncomfortable and the worst part of the whole d&e...I really wouldn't classify it as being that bad. It was more uncomfortable than painful. My clinic gave me a xanax a few hours before as well (maybe you could ask for that if it isn't offered)

I'm not an expert at all but i don't think it affects the baby at all...I think it just dialates your cervix so that it will be ready for the d&e.

I am so sorry you are going through this. ((hugs))

bunnybun4 · May 2014

also your question about a d&e compared to a d&c...

I've had both...honestly the laminaria insertion was the only difference...maybe a little more bleeding after the d&e but not anything crazy. HTH!

kflynn81 · May 2014

I'm so sorry that you're facing this experience ... We were supposed to have a D&E for Jack and was given both the laminaria sticks and misoprostol , although long story short I wound up delivering instead. Having them inserted wasn't pleasant but having them removed and reinserted was awful I won't lie. Hopefully they can insert them and take them out during your D&E , that's what they intended to do for me. ((Hugs)) thinking of you next week this board is a great support hope we can provide some virtual comfort during this time for you.

LundleBean · May 2014

I had laminaria placement in preparation for a D&E. The placement did hurt for me, but I am usually pretty sensitive to being poked around there. OB said he would put in 2 or 3 and ended up doing 2. I was not uncomfortable afterwards. I had more cramps from the Misoprostol, but that wasn't bad either.

The laminaria fell out the next morning, and OB said that it was fine.

My understanding is a D&E is a more extensive D&C.

So sorry you are going through this.

ETA: wasn't done typing