Blighted Ovum Advice Please!

AllyTaggs76 · September 2015

Hi all. I'm supposed to be 9 weeks today with my baby but was diagnosed for the last 3 days with a blighted ovum. I'm very sad and feeling extremely emotional. I go back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound to confirm everything again. The midwife yesterday made me aware of some options I will have coming up...natural miscarriage, taking some medicine to make me miscarry (which she said is painful) or have a d & c. I know nothing really of any of these. Please share your thoughts and experiance to help me decide what to do. I'm lost and not in a normal state of mind

rachrobertson · September 2015

Sorry for your loss. I didn't have a blighted ovum but I opted for a d&c for my mmc. I just wanted the physical part to be over so I could move on processing my emotions. There are risks with the d&c as there are with the pill to induce miscarriage. With a d&c you run a risk (though extremely small) of developing ascherman's syndrome. This is where scar tissue develops on your uterus making future implantation a problem. My doctor said after just one d&c that is highly unlikely, but not impossible. Also, you can have issues with anesthesia since they do give you general anesthesia so you don't remember the procedure. Or they could damage your uterus and cause immediate complications for you during the procedure. These are all possibilities, but again, very unlikely. I had my d&c and was only crampy that day with some spotting. I sat with a heat pad on my stomach and only needed ibuprofen for pain management. I took a week off of work, more to compose myself, not so much for physical reasons. Physically, had I rested for 2-3 consecutive days, I probably could have returned to work and been fine (I work at the bedside in a hospital so I do lots of walking, lifting people, and work 12 hour days). If you work in an office setting with lots of sitting, you may be able to go back the next day. Now for the pill option, I am not so familiar with this because it was not the safer option for me. I do know it us not intended originally to be used to induce miscarriage and any studies to do so, have only been studied for 7 weeks and under losses (according to my doctor). Also, depending on how your body responds, you may end up in the hospital due to hemorrhaging or because not all of the tissue passes and you would then need a d&c anyway. Also, I have read some women never respond to the pill, so have to wait for it to happen naturally or do the d&c. I had two days between when we found out baby's heart had stopped and our follow up conformation appointment and to decide what we were going to do. So, in that time, I googled all of my options and went with any questions to my doctor to make up my mind. We were 10 weeks when our baby passed, so I had an increased risk of hemorrhaging since there was more to pass, which is the final thing that made my decision. It is a sucky decision to have to make and I would take this two weeks to think it over, so in the end, you can feel like you made the best informed decision for your family. Also, the same week I had my loss, a woman I work with also was diagnosed with a blighted ovum at 9 weeks and opted for the d&c as well. Hers was uncomplicated as well. Sorry for the long post, but I have become pretty passionate about not staying in the dark with our loss and want others to feel comfortable with their decision and helping others who may someday be in their shoes.

Edited because my phone sucks at autocorrect and I have fat fingers.

AllyTaggs76 · September 2015

Thank you SO much @rachrobertson. That was very informative and helpful. What does "mmc" stand for? Sorry I'm new to all of this. I'm afraid of surgery and not sure with my fiancé who just started a new job, who would watch my daughter. We just moved also. I found out 2 days before we moved that I was pregnant. I'm also afraid of random bleeding and pain and not sure of how bad that would be. I will definitely be doing some research thank you again for sharing ♡

rachrobertson · September 2015

A mmc is a missed miscarriage. We had a healthy 9 week ultrasound and had a heartbeat. I went back a month later for a normal checkup and they couldn't find a heartbeat and baby had stopped growing around 10 weeks. I had no symptoms of a miscarriage. I understand your hesitance to not have the procedure if you don't know that you have someone to keep your daughter. I was lucky that my mom was able to keep my daughter for a few days while I rested and my husband took time off of work as well. Are you a stay at home mom? If you don't have family close, but you have a babysitter, you may want to send your daughter there after you have the procedure or the day you take the pill, if you choose one of those. Obviously letting things happen naturally, you couldn't arrange until last minute for your daughter's care. From what others gave said with the pill or natural loss, I am not sure you would want your daughter there. When I passed my tissue the following week, I had contractions for two hours until I had passed everything. People who naturally miscarry have said they have bad contractions until they pass the sac, then it lightens up. Something to consider when deciding what to do. Pregnancy loss and the decisions that come with it suck.

AllyTaggs76 · September 2015

Thank you again @rachrobertson. Although confirming my worst fears it's helping me decide. There doesn't really seem to be a "good option." My daughter is 2 btw so this is really hard.

jlinke926 · September 2015

I am so sorry for your loss! I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum 2 weeks ago. That was my 3rd miscarriage. The first one was last year and I opted for the D&C. It wasn't horrible but the dr didn't get all of the tissue so they had to do it a second time. My second miscarriage was a chemical pregnancy so it happened naturally. With the third one, I didn't want to go the D&C route, I wanted to do it naturally. I waited just over a week and nothing was happening on its own. I just couldn't stand to wait anymore and wanted to start moving forward. I took the miso pills on Thursday night and passed everything by Friday morning. The pain was not as bad as I thought it would be, just heavy period cramps. Motrin helped a lot. You need to do what's best for you but I wouldn't let the "it's painful" comment steer you away from the pill. Good luck!

AllyTaggs76 · September 2015

Thank you @jlinke926 I am so sorry to hear of your losses as well

would you say the D & C was more stressful & painful than the pill or going natural? Since you've done all 3 you afe the most informed to ask. I need the least painful or quichest recovery since I am a stay at home mom to a 2 yr old. I'm so stressed

I still have 2 weeks before anything happens.

Newlywed_Amanda · September 2015

I'm sorry for your loss. I also had a mmc and a blighted ovum diagnosed at 10 weeks but measuring 7 weeks. I had a few days of spotting and back pain and went in and confirmed by u/s and bloodwork. My doctor also gave me some options. It was a Friday and I went home to think about it and hoped for a natural mc. I was told he would want to d&c if it didn't happen in a week due to increased risks. I had the option of another u/s. He told me pros and cons to all. He didn't offer the medication and after reading about it on here I asked the nurse about it but she told me he didn't prescribe the medication for mc. Everyone is different so the choice is up to you. I also had a very difficult time deciding. I was very nervous about the procedure and cost as I have a high deductible. For me it was a very emotional weekend "waiting" to mc. Nothing was happening and I was ready to get some closure. I also was out of work on leave and was trying not to miss too much time. I scheduled the d&c for the following Tuesday. I was very anxious and emotional, crying at the hospital but everyone was very nice and supportive. I'm now 5 days post d&c and feel physically normal. I took the rest of the week off from work. I also have 2 children and the day of plan to have someone watch your child and also someone to be with you. I was put completely out so I could not drive for 24 hours and was pretty tired and groggy the first day. I had prescription pain meds I took the first 24 hours. I had some very mild cramping and back pain the first 2 days and bled for about 3 days. Similar to a period. I have had light spotting for 2 days. All in all I feel I made the right decision. My doctor literally gave me no restrictions except for no sex for a week. I see him in 2 weeks for follow up. Hope this helps you some. I know reading other people's stories helped me. Hugs to you.

jlinke926 · September 2015

AllyTaggs76 said:
Thank you @jlinke926 I am so sorry to hear of your losses as well would you say the D & C was more stressful & painful than the pill or going natural? Since you've done all 3 you afe the most informed to ask. I need the least painful or quichest recovery since I am a stay at home mom to a 2 yr old. I'm so stressed I still have 2 weeks before anything happens.

For me, the D&C was more stressful but not because of it being painful, it was more of the cost issue (I have a high deductible) and the fact that I had to have it repeated the same week. As far as quick recovery, all 3 are pretty similar. Either way you go, you will want to take it easy the day of, but other than that I went about my normal routine after all 3 scenarios. Had bleeding and cramping after all 3 but nothing that kept me out of commission. Good luck to you.

ash413 · September 2015

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AllyTaggs76 said:
Thank you @jlinke926 I am so sorry to hear of your losses as well would you say the D & C was more stressful & painful than the pill or going natural? Since you've done all 3 you afe the most informed to ask. I need the least painful or quichest recovery since I am a stay at home mom to a 2 yr old. I'm so stressed I still have 2 weeks before anything happens.

I had a mmc October of last year, and Mc naturally. I started spotting about 5 days after the u/s confirming the pregnancy was not viable.
That evening I had intense cramping, with significant bleeding. Honestly, you would probably not be able to take care of your LO during this. The cramping was every few min, gradually worsening for about 5 hours. I could feel when the tissue actually passed, and the cramping ceased almost immediately. I just had period like bleeding about a week, and minor cramping. The next day I was physically fine, and able to go about my normal activities.

sjecc09 · September 2015

I had a blighted ovum at 8.5 weeks in April. I had a week to consider my options, but I opted for a D&C to "move on" as soon as possible. Because of the type of work I do, waiting was not a great option for me and I am happy with my decision to have the procedure done. My doctor said that from her experience, waiting to MC can be the worst part. Physically, it wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. As the other women advised, I'd make sure to have another adult around to help with your little one and to help keep an eye on you. The whole ordeal is very emotional, so make sure to give yourself time to heal emotionally as well as physically! I was able to return to work the day after my D&C with little discomfort. I took some Advil to help with the cramps, and made sure to stay hydrated, which helps! So sorry to hear about your loss. Best of luck as you move forward with your decision and future pregnancy!

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