Confused about what's happening to my body after a miscarriage!

liser67 · December 2014

I apologize in advance for the long post, but I'm desperate for some kind of answers. I have been looking all over the internet hoping to find some women who have had a similar experience, but haven't had any luck. I'm going to lay out my story, and hopefully I can get some feedback, or even just let others who are in the same kind of situation as me, know that they are not alone.

My husband and I were over the moon to learn that we were expecting our first child. Just over a week after learning about the pregnancy, I miscarried (I was around 5 weeks). I started bleeding, and a few days later I was experiencing what felt like menstrual cramps. By that night I went to the ER because of the cramping, and passed a large clot, that the Dr. said was the baby. A few hours later, they did blood work and my hormones had dropped nearly in half from what they were a couple of days before. The Dr. said that I didn't need a D&C and that since we were so early in the pregnancy, my husband and I could start trying again as soon as we felt emotionally ready. We both really want to have a baby, so we are eager to start trying again.

I bled for about a week after the miscarriage, and then it stopped completely. Once the bleeding stopped, I starting using OPKs since we were going to start ttc again. At first I got a negative ovulation test, then a few days later, I got a positive one. I'm not sure if it was only positive because of left over hormones, or if it was a real positive (normally I don't ovulate when most women do. I have a regular cycle, but I ovulate shortly after my period, not 2 weeks before the next one). Anyway, after getting a positive OPK my husband and I dtd. A couple of days later I used the Clearblue Digital Advance OPK and got a smiley face. Again, I don't know if this is because of left over hormones, or if I was actually ovulating, but we dtd again, just in case. I've tried to find info online, and I keep getting mixed answers. Some people have said that it is not possible to ovulate this soon, but even more women have shared success stories of getting pregnant 1-3 weeks after a miscarriage. The day after getting the smiley face, I had some light cramping (the same kind of cramping I would get when I would ovulate), so I felt very hopeful. Anyone else have any experience with this?

It has now been a week since the bleeding stopped after the miscarriage (which puts me at 2 weeks post MC - 1 week of bleeding, 1 week of nothing). All of a sudden I noticed a bit of pink when I went to the washroom first thing in the morning. I did an OPK and it was negative again. I decided to try a HPT out of curiosity, and I got a faint positive. Again, not sure if this is because of left over hormones or an actual positive. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I have also come across posts where women have experienced positive HPTs a couple weeks after a miscarriage, and were in fact pregnant again. Again, does anyone have any experience with this? By the end of the day, the bleeding now seems to be like a normal period (I don't typically have a heavy flow- I could wear the same pad for 24 hrs and it won't be completely filled- FYI I don't wear the same pad for 24 hrs, I change frequently for hygienic purposes, just providing an example- sorry for TMI).

So I guess the whole point of this post is pretty much to vent, share my experience and hope for some feedback. I'm so frustrated because I don't know what's happening with my body right now. I know that it takes time to recover from a miscarriage, and every experience is different for every person, but this is just such a confusing time, and I can't find any answers or information anywhere. Am I experience a normal period now? Could I possible be pregnant? Do negative OPKs indicate that my hormones have gone back to normal? I was hoping that since the miscarriage happened so early, I would recover a lot quicker. I also hoped that my hormones would be back to normal, or close to by now, since they dropped so quickly in a matter of hours after losing the baby. Is there anyone else out there who has had a similar experience?

I know that only time will tell what is really going on, but in the meantime, it's extremely frustrating and confusing. Any advice? Personal experience?

Thanks

liser67 · December 2014

Thanks! I was hoping that I would have become pregnant right away like so many lucky women, but I really don't think that is in the cards for me. Now I'm hoping that this is my period so that we can move on from this and try again. But that's another thing that's confusing me. Everywhere I have looked for information is saying that it's not possible to have a regular period this soon after a miscarriage. But again, everyone is so different. I was hoping to maybe hear from other women who started their regular period 2 weeks after their miscarriage, but haven't had any luck with that either. Like I said, I guess I'm just going to have to be patient to find out what is really going on and just hope for the best. This is just such a confusing time.

flyoffeve · December 2014

I am so sorry for your loss. Did you dr not monitor your hcg to 0?

I think it is possible to o like that after mc. Your cycle is normal until it isn't and it can be very different after mc.

If it is more than spotting, you are either not done with the mc or it is your period. Talk to your dr.

Heads up: the mc board is not a good place to talk about bfp.

liser67 · December 2014

Obviously people are misunderstanding what I am saying. I'm looking for advice, or looking to hear about other people's experience after a miscarriage. Losing the baby was one of the hardest things I've had to go through, but what's even harder is the aftermath.

I don't know if I'm bleeding again because of the miscarriage, or if I'm experiencing my period now. I can't find any information anywhere, which is why I was trying to reach out. I would like to hear what other people went through. Did you have a similar experience? Did you stop bleeding for a while, then start again? This was my first pregnancy, so I have no idea what to expect.

I'm also not sure if my hormones are back in to normal, which is why I mentioned the positive and negative OPKs, and the faint positive I got on a HPT. I'm sorry if people are offended that I mentioned the positive HPT, but for those who have had a miscarriage know that a HPT will be positive until your hormones are back to normal. I'm just saying that I'm confused by it because I had thought that since I had negative OPKs and since my hormones dropped so quickly after losing the baby, my hormones were back to normal, but I'm still getting a faint positive (no offense). I can't believe I'm saying this, but it is frustrating to see a positive pregnancy test because I just want to get back to normal and try again. Of course I'm hopeful that the positive test means that I'm actually pregnant again, and it's not just left over hormones. I'm not going to pretend that I'm not hopeful because it might upset someone.

I'm sorry if anyone was offended, but I'm trying to heal too. I suffered a loss just like everyone else here, and I'm really struggling trying to figure out what is happening with my body now. Like I said in my second post, I really don't think I'm pregnant again, but I don't know if the bleeding I'm experiencing is my period or not. I didn't post this to get people's opinions on whether or not they think I'm pregnant. Of course it's something that I would like to know, but only time will tell.

I'm just curious to know if anyone else got their period this quickly, or if this is still the aftermath of the miscarriage? How long did others experience bleeding? Does a negative OPK mean that my hormones have gone back to normal?? My doctor did not want to continue monitoring my hcg to 0 because he said that he didn't think it would take me that long to drop back down since it was so early in the pregnancy, and since my hcg had already dropped quite a bit in a matter of hours.

ashleyann62215 · December 2014

So sorry for your loss! Hugs to you. I hope you find the support and any answer your search for. I think your best bet would be just to go to your doctor and get blood work done and see what your levels are. I had a D&C and haven't gotten a period yet and my surgery was 3 weeks ago tomorrow so my experience won't do you any good. Every body is different and everyone experiences things differently so maybe going to the doctor will put your mind at ease and give you some reassurance! Just my opinion though!

liser67 · December 2014

I am planning on visiting my doctor, unfortunately he is isn't available until later next week. I was looking for some information in the mean time, as I'm sure most of you know, waiting patiently and not worrying is really hard during times like these. Thank you for your answer. You are the first person that I have heard of that had gotten your period back right away. Everywhere I've looked for information says that you will not get your period again for at least 4-6 weeks, which is why I am so confused as to what is going on right now, and looking to hear from people who may have had a similar experience.

flyoffeve · December 2014

Waiting in limbo sucks. We have all been there. Only your dr can tell you what is going on. I echo what Joan said and that you should be able to at least talk to a nurse with a call back. I have no experience or true knowledge on OPKs, so I cannot speak to that.

My two mc were very different. The first was typical- one week heavy followed by one week spotting. The second one took 28 days of bleeding- one week heavy, three weeks spotting, and then heavy again where I passed the sac on day 28. With that mc I felt the mc process twice because the sac did not pass during the first week/process. I went in for blood draws every week until the number went to 2 (that number was shown two days after I passed the sac).

My number dropped significantly during week 2 of the mc. I probably would have continued to turn a positive hpt during week 3, since my number was in the high 20s (not sure though).

I got my period back 55 days after this mc.

Bottom line: Each mc is different from woman to woman and even mc to mc for the same woman. I am sorry you do not feel like we are answering. We are trying to support you, we just cannot know what is going on for you. I hope you find some answers soon. If you end up pg, please go to pgal.

liser67 · December 2014

I know that no one here can tell me what is going on with my situation. As I have learned throughout this entire process, pregnancies and miscarriage are so different from one person to the next (not all textbook like I thought it would be). It is however oddly comforting to hear from others with somewhat similar experiences. It makes me feel like I'm not alone, that I'm not the only one who has struggled with the confusion of dealing with a miscarriage. I have read a lot if success stories from people who were lucky enough to conceive again shortly after miscarriage, and I have come across a lot of forums of people discussing the actual loss of the baby, but I haven't found anything about the aftermath (bleeding, hormones, how long the process is, etc...). That's what I was hoping to get out of this, instead it looks like I've just upset people when I was just looking to connect with others who are going through the same thing. Like I said I can't see me doctor until later next week. Unfortunately I live in a very small northern Ontario community and we don't have doctors and nurses at our disposal. My only other option is to go to the ER instead of waiting for my doctor, but my impatience isn't an emergency.

Confused about what's happening to my body after a miscarriage!

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