**PLEASE DESCRIBE Your Early Miscarriage **

It seems that one of the scariest things about a first early m/c is the uncertainty of it all. I thought it might be helpful to others if we can describe what our early (1st trimester) m/c was like.

At what stage did you discover the pregnancy was not viable?

Had you been spotting/cramping prior to that?

[edited to add] Did you still have any/all pregnancy symptoms?

Did you have a D&C immediately? What were your reasons (to help others trying to decide)?

Did you wait for a natural m/c? How long did you have to wait before bleeding began? What was the bleeding like? Like a period? Heavier? Was it obvious to you when you passed tissue? Was there any clotting? Was the amount of blood at any time frightening to you? If you tried to pass everything naturally, was it successful, or did you end up having a D&C anyway due to residual tissue, etc.?

How long did you bleed total (for natural or d&c) including spotting before and after?

How long until you physically felt yourself again?

Please also provide any information that you feel might be helpful to someone facing this for the first time.[f]

My story (kind of long but might provide useful details):

I began spotting pink at exactly 7 weeks. I called my NMW and came in for a beta, which was 10,000. Went in again in 2 more days and it was 15,000. Not horrible, but not great either. She did a pelvic exam and my uterus showed normal growth for a 7 week pg. I still had some pg signs -- *** tenderness and some nausea -- (the bloating had gone down though). I felt optimistic. (I opted not to have an u/s).

Spotting continued throughout the week, getting slowly but steadily more red in nature. At 8 weeks, it turned to full-on blood. I began to notice very faint dull cramping. I went into the ER for an u/s. At this point beta was 24,000. My ultrasound showed no fetal pole, no cardiac activity, just a perfectly round sac and a yoke. It was what one would expect of a 5.5 week pregnancy. That and given my beta numbers, they tried to comfort me by telling me that perhaps my dates were off, because I appeared to be a typical 5.5 week pg. Because of the beauty of charting, I ended up being the one to tell them that the pg was gone because I was absolutely certain of being 8 weeks. Still, they officially sent me home with a "probable" miscarriage. The radiologist who read my u/s said that I could expect what was like a "heavy period".

That whole week, I had extreme discomfort in my abdominal area – it hurt to bend over and twist. Not cramping, but just dull pain. I also felt very weak physically. At the end of the week, I had what was like the "heavy period" that was explained to me – for like 2 days, I had heavy af-like bleeding, some dark and thick. That basically went away and I thought (and told everyone!!) that the worst part was over.

At 9 weeks, (to the day), I got horrible cramps all of a sudden, like worst af cramps. I couldn't lay in the bed, because it was too "soft" (in my head), so I lay on the floor with a blanket and woke up at 5:45 to the feeling of blood gushing, like I had to run to the toilet [sorry if this is TMI, but these are the details I desperately wanted]. I felt this slippery "glob" fall out of me, with lots of blood. It was dark in the bathroom, so I didn't look closely, but I assume this was the sac. It was so scary because I had been told that I would just have a heavy period, and I had already had that, so this was a surprise! Immediately, I remembered the ladies from this board who had said, "when you pass the sac, you'll know".

Well, the next night, I had the same exact cramps and lots of passage of tissue and blood. I called the dr. and he said that it sounded like my cervix was "starting and stopping" (hence the episode the night before and now this one). He told that me if I was uncomfortable with the amount of blood to go the ER. How can I know what I'm uncomfortable with if this is my first time??? I was filling a pad every hour for several hours, but this was in addition to what I was passing while I was on the toilet, which was a lot, so that left me confused. I decided that if it continued I would go in. It eventually tapered off and I decided to go in to have another u/s first thing in the morning. At this point, I could barely walk because of the extreme distress I was in. The roller coaster ride over the past 3 weeks, the uncertainty, the fear, the blood/clots. My u/s showed a "conglomeration" of stuff still in my uterus and I had a beta of 10,000 (I'm sure partly still left over from what had just passed). Because no one could tell me when this last amount would pass, now or in 2 weeks, I opted to have a D&C, even though I had wanted to avoid surgery, because I was just too weak to take it anymore.

I am on day 5 after my D&C and now just spotting pink. This is the first day that I feel semi-normal (and the first day I didn't take any pain meds).

I hope this helps someone get thru their ordeal. Thanks for letting me rattle on.

Thanks for starting this thread. This is a great idea and I hope it eventually gets turned into a FAQ. We needed a place to tell our stories and share what we have learned.

At what stage did you discover the pregnancy was not viable?
I realized it was not viable at 8 wks, when I began cramping and spotting. I was not scheduled for my first prenatal visit until 9 wks, so I effectively diagnosed myself. I had not had pg symptoms or uterine growth since 5 wks, so when the spotting started it all suddenly made sense to me.

Did you have a D&C immediately? What were your reasons (to help others trying to decide)?
I never even considered a D&C. To me, that is something that I would do only if complications arose. I see m/c as a normal biological process and I chose to give my body a chance to do what it needed to do.

Did you wait for a natural m/c? How long did you have to wait before bleeding began? What was the bleeding like? Like a period? Heavier? Was it obvious to you when you passed tissue? Was there any clotting? Was the amount of blood at any time frightening to you? If you tried to pass everything naturally, was it successful, or did you end up having a D&C anyway due to residual tissue, etc.?

My natural m/c was very much like a long period, with the exception of the day I passed the tissue. Day 1, I spotted and recognized that I was beginning to m/c, Day 2 I bled at about medium flow, Day 3 I passed the tissue and bled heavily, Day 4-11 I bled at medium flow, gradually decreasing to light and spotting.

The day I passed the tissue was very much like a mini-birth for me. After dinner, I felt the urge to be alone and took up residence in the bathroom. I ran myself a warm bath while I sipped some red raspberry leaf tea (promotes toning of the uterus), and also used some gentle nipple stimulation (my DS had recently weaned and I knew my body was still producing a fair amount of oxytocin). In the tub I began clotting and having rythmic cramping that reminded me a lot of my early labor with my DS. I used deep cleansing breaths that I had learned natural childbirth class to calm me and relax my pelvic floor muscles. I bore down whenever I felt the urge to and I simply assumed whatever position my body was telling me it needed to be in at the time. Basically, my body was in control in a semi-primal way and I was just along for the ride. Over the next three hours, I moved back and forth between the toilet and the tub, just following whatever internal urges I had. After I passed the fourth lump of tissue, I felt "done" and I cleaned myself up and re-joined my family. I passed very small clots for another two days, but other than that, my m/c was complete.

How long did you bleed total (for natural or d&c) including spotting before and after?
Total bleeding was 11 days, 3 days of which was spotting.

How long until you physically felt yourself again?
It may sound strange, but I felt like myself immediately after the tissue passed. I had a rush of endorphins, much like what happens after a live birth. For 3 weeks prior to the m/c, I had felt very ill, bloated and had a very grey look to my skin as my body was recognizing that the pregnancy was not viable and was preparing to reject it. After the tissue passed, it was like a cloud lifted hormonally. I felt light as a feather, my abdomen was no longer bloated and painful to the touch, and I felt like I had a new lease on life. Emotionally, though I was disappointed and sad about the loss of the pregnancy, the m/c was overall a positive thing for me -- caring for myself in a gentle way at home helped heal a lot of issues I had with DS's highly medicalized birth and it affirmed my trust in my body's capacity to do what it is designed to do.

Please also provide any information that you feel might be helpful to someone facing this for the first time.

If you choose to wait for a natural m/c, you might want to consider getting a home blood-pressure cuff and taking readings from time to time. The body recognizes the non-viable tissue as something "toxic" and if it takes a while for it to reject it, it can lead to high blood pressure. Mine got a bit on the high side and if I am ever in this situation again, I will monitor myself and seek medical attention if it reaches a dangerous level.

If you already have given birth to a child, take heart -- I found the physical discomfort of m/c to be an absolute cakewalk compared to labor.

It was empowering to me to learn the medical definition of hemorrhaging. I had a lot less fear because I knew exactly what to watch for and I didn't worry from minute to minute about whether I should go to the hospital. Hemorrhaging is: soaking more than a pad an hour for more than 3 hours.

I began drinking red raspberry leaf tea as soon as I recognized the pregnancy was not viable. I truly feel that it helped to hasten the m/c process so that I passed all the tissue in a short amount of time.

[Deleted at user request]

gentle bump

Excellent topic![tu]

I have to admit, in hindsight, I knew this pg was doomed from the beginning. I started spotting tiny spots of dark red at about 7 weeks. It happened twice, once for no reason and once after intercourse. I wasn't too concerned, I called my MW and she said just to take it easy and call for more bleeding/cramping. At 10w3d I had my first MW appointment. She couldn't find the HB but said it was probably too early. My belly had definately grown (I show very early with my pregnancies) but now I realize it had stopped at about 8-9 weeks. I still remember the point of not being able to sleep on my tummy with both sons, and it was about 10 weeks. I was still sleeping on my tummy and it really bothered me but I didn't say anything.
DH and I drove to Montana for Thanksgiving. I started spotting more. I asked DH if there was hospital near his grandmother's house. Toward the end of the drive I started feeling faint cramping. I thought, that's it. I'm going to lose my this baby. I tried to tell myself I was just being paranoid.
The next few days went by without incident. When we returned home I had to work the next night. After I had gotten report from the day nurses I went to the bathroom and there it was...bright red blood. Enough on my panty liner to cause my breathing to stop. I told my charge RN that I had to go...another wonderful nurse came in and took my place, and I drove home to get DH so we could go to the ER.
I should have been 11w4d at this point. We waited for the US nervously. The MD couldn't see anything with the abdominal transducer--so I got the lovely vaginal US. I looked at the screen...DH and I searched and searched and we knew but we didn't say anything. We could see our baby alright...perfectly, in fact. What was missing was the heartbeat.
DH knows I'm a very natural person. I had planned a homebirth for this baby. The best thing he said to me that night was "Let's go home, I want to get you out of here."
I went back in 2 days later, had another US. This time I made the MD print a picture for me. He asked what I wanted--a natural m/c, a d&c, or I could have cytotec. I opted for the cytotec because he told me it could take up to 4 weeks for it to happen naturally. I didn't want the agonizing wait. He put the cytotec next to my cervix at about 0930. By that afternoon I was in labor. That's exactly how I will describe it. The pain was so intense I called for a prescription. I started a heavy flow. I just laid on the couch all day half drugged, occasionally getting up to the bathroom after feeling a large clot slide out of me. I had a hot pack glued to my abdomen.
At 1930 that night I went to the bathroom after feeling another large gush of blood. As soon as I sat down I felt a huge mass fall into my vagina. I grabbed some tp and caught it as it slid out. All I could do was stare. In my hand I held a perfectly oval purple water balloon. It was about the size of a goose egg. I could feel the blood gushing still but then it stopped (while I was still on the toilet). The cramping stopped immediately. I had given birth. I held that precious sac in my hand, not knowing what to do with it. I eventually buried it with a pretty houseplant that sits in a sunny spot in my livingroom.
The bleeding afterward was like a heavy period. I still passed occasional pieces of gray tissue and clots. I went in for an US the next day where the MD pronounced my uterus "empty."
My bleeding tapered off a few days later and then I spotted for about a week. My pregnancy symptoms were gone almost immediately, although they never were strong to begin with.
I started to feel normal again the moment I passed my baby. It was such a sad relief to be done. I still cry every other day and I still yearn for that baby...but I can function and I can work--I went back to work a week later.
Sorry that was so long but it feels good to tell the story of my baby[f]
[hug] to all who have to post here
Bente

I agree - excellent topic!!

Mine is a bit of a weird one!

The cycle before last I got a very faint + on the pg test at 13DPO. [af] arrived the next day and so I didn't think anything of it. It was a very heavy [af] with lots of clots and it was also very painful. I went along as usual and started using OPKs on CD12 of the next cycle. I kept getting + after + day after day and also started spotting. I don't know what made me do it but I took a HPT the second line came up immediately (although it was lighter than the control line). We were due to fly out on holiday that day but went to the Dr that morning. He made me take a beta HCG blood test and the result came back at 105 (low but a positive all the same). I continued to spot for another couple of days and then it stopped. I went along as normal (my temp chart showed that I 'd but only 10 days later I started spotting again and [af] arrived at 11DPO (4 days earlier than usual). That was 12 days ago and I only just stopped spotting this morning. I thought [af] was never going to leave. I had a repeat beta HCG taken yesterday and it was 5 so it has dropped. My GP definitely thinks that it was a m/c (not sure at what stage I was at though) and thinks that's why my [af] was so strange this cycle.

For those who are reading this, I am sorry for your loss. I hope that the information is this thread provides some help during this difficult time.

At what stage did you discover the pregnancy was not viable?

My situation was a bit complicated...
I received my positive beta on December 3, which was 14 days past transfer (IVF cycle).

Second beta December 10 (21 DPT), all looking good.

First u/s December 17 (28 DPT). I was 6 weeks and 3 days, but sac measured a few days behind at 6 weeks. We saw the gest. sac, and some fetal tissue, but no cardiac motion. My numbers were all rising, so I was told to return 4 days later for another u/s.

December 21 (7 weeks), u/s showed fetal pole, and the sac was growing. My numbers were all still rising, so I was told to stay on all meds, and to return the following week for another u/s.

December 28th (8 weeks 1 day), u/s showed fetal pole, but still no cardiac motion. Measuring behind, at just 6 weeks. All numbers still rising, so told to stay on all meds, and to return following week.

January 3rd (8 weeks, 6 days), u/s showed minimal growth, and still no cardiac motion. My beta had dropped, so the RE finally said that the pregnancy was not viable.

Did you have a D&C immediately? What were your reasons (to help others trying to decide)?
I had a D&C the following day (9 weeks). Since this was a first pregnancy for me, I did not think that I could m/c naturally. The RE recommended a D&C, and I took that advice. My OB's office scheduled it for the next day (they said that they wanted to do it before I possibly started bleeding on my own). For me, it was the right thing to do. I was told that the m/c could take weeks (because my levels were so high), and that it would be more than "just a heavy AF". After three IVF's (all within 11 months), I jsut felt that trying to go through the m/c naturally was more than I could endure mentally. I also did not know when it would occur, and the thoughts of it happening while I was at work was more than I could imagine.

Had you been spotting/cramping prior to that?Prior to the procedure, I did not have any bleeding, spotting or cramping. However, I was on PIO and estrogen so that was probably why I did not have any spotting.

How long did you bleed total (for natural or d&c) including spotting before and after? I did not have any spotting or discomfort following the D&C. I thought if I was going to, it would happen right away. 3 days following the D&C, I had really strong cramping, (worse than AF type), and within the hour, I had very heavy bleeding. I did not expect it, and it surprised me. The bleeding lasted a few hours, and then I just had spotting.

How long until you physically felt yourself again?I am still waiting. Considering that my D&C was just 6 days ago, I expect that it will take some time to feel like myself. I am having some headaches, which I think are caused by my estrogen level dropping. I think that the bleeding happened when my progesterone level finally fell.I had some pressure type discomfort once the bleeding stopped, and the only time I really felt it was when I used the bathroom. I am still weepy, and it just hits me out of the blue.

HTH!

I had a mc at 4wks 3d. It happened very fast. I started spotting brown on Monday and real bleeding began on Tuesday. It was about the same amount of bleeding as a normal AF maybe slightly leavier and with more clots/tissue. It was not physically painful for me.

I am currently mc-ing and am 9wks 2d today. The was not detected on the us last week and the pregnancy looked as though it had ended at the 6 wk mark. I have been spotting for a week. The spotting started as brown, turned red after a few days and then increased in amount after a few days. It is still less than a normal AF. I would have to say that for me, naturally m/cing at this stage SUCKS. I wish that I would have had a D&C right away. In the future, I would not do this again. I have spent a week waiting to pass my dead baby. Yuck. I have spent a week withdrawing from everything which is loving and alive in my life. Perhaps this is normal - but it is the worst.

Kelli

[Deleted by Admins]

bump

[hug] to everyone for their loss..
I had a very different experience from everyone. My pregnancy was seemingly going along ok. I started to have morning sickness at 6 weeks on the dot. It quickely turned into an all day sickness to the point that I really couldn't keep anything down. I finally was put on Zofran and that helped some what. I ended up losing 20 pounds in 8 weeks. I went in for my first appointment at 10weeks and we heard the and thought everything was fine except for the all day sickness. My doctor wasn't overly concerned at that point since I could keep some stuff down. When I went in for my second appointment at 14 weeks there was no . I went for an u/s right away and the baby measured at only 11wks. I decided to have a d/c because I was really having a hard time with the fact the baby had been gone for 3 weeks and I couldn't handle waiting for it to happen. I went in for bloodwork the day after the ultrasound and my hcg levels were as high as if it were still a viable pregnancy. My doctor didn't think I would m/c on my own due to these levels.
I had my d/c two days after the u/s and I felt better physically that I had in 8wks. Being that sick for so long was very draining. I actually had lunch a few hours after returing home from the hospital and it continued from there. I really only bled heavily for a few days and within about a week I was done. I actually ended up going in to the doctor every two weeks because my levels didn't down and by the time they were at 0 I developed cysts on both ovaries. I was finally prescribed Provera and had my first cycle on 11-30-04 since I had the d/c on 8-11-04. I guess for me I didn't really feel back to normal until [af] came back. I resumed charting to see if I would be able to on my own and am finally back on track with cycle #2 coming to an end.

I guess I found out grieve in whatever what you need to. About a month after the d/c it really sunk in about what had happened and I had a mini-breakdown. That one night did me better than the many before it.
About a month ago I took out the u/s pics of my and put one in a frame and placed it on my coffee table. That was very comforting to me as well.

At what stage did you discover the pregnancy was not viable?
My m/c occurred at just over 8 wks along, but the baby only measured at 6 wks of development, so I was told the baby probably died 2 weeks earlier.

Did you have a D&C immediately? What were your reasons (to help others trying to decide)?
I had care providers who did not pressure me to do anything one way or the other. They gave me the info I needed and I made an educated decision to go without a D&C. I trusted my body was created for this and it would know what to do. I made sure I knew the signs to look for that would tell me I needed medical intervention.

I began spotting on a Friday and it continued over the weekend. On Monday I had a u/s that confirmed there was no heartbeat and it was in fact a m/c in process. I consulted my care providers to find out what I should do & expect next. I wanted to avoid a D&C if possible so I decided to let my body handle things.

To help the process along & stimulate my body naturally I had an acupuncture treatment on Tuesday afternoon. As I was driving home after the treament my cramping got notably worse and continued to strengthen into the evening. I knew I was going to pass the baby that night and I did around 9:30pm.

How long did you have to wait before bleeding began?
Because I didn't have any early ultrasounds I didn't have to wait for the bleeding to start. I didn't know I was possibly having a miscarriage until I started spotting.

What was the bleeding like?
Initial spotting was bright red in color and began about 4 days before the full miscarriage. The heavier miscarriage bleeding started immediately after I had the acupuncture treatment. It was like a heavy period with a lot of clotting.

Was the amount of blood at any time frightening to you? Absolutely not. The experience was physically painful and emotionally traumatic but I was at no time frightened about the process. I credit this to the fact that I had good care providers and I educated myself on what to expect.

Was it obvious to you when you passed tissue?
Yes and I'll describe here. Skip this if you don't want to read TMI.
I felt the urge to "push" (By that I mean it felt like I had to pass gas) and when I pushed, the first part of the placenta came out. It was very dark in color and looked like half of a small deflated balloon. Almost immediately after that the baby came out, still in the amniotic sac; the sac was grey/clear in color and I could just barely make out the pinkish form of the fetus inside and the black spots of its eyes. After that the other half of the placenta passed. By the next day I had passed the remainder of tissue and larger clots.

If you tried to pass everything naturally, was it successful, or did you end up having a D&C anyway due to residual tissue, etc.?
My body successfully passed everything naturally and I did not need a D&C for any residual tissue.

How long did you bleed total (for natural or d&c) including spotting before and after?
From the first sign of spotting to the last, total of 3 weeks. I only had 5 days of heavy period bleeding, including the day of the miscarriage. The rest was all light spotting whenever I used the bathroom.

How long until you physically felt yourself again?
Physically, by about a week after the miscarriage I felt pretty normal. My very next cycle was back to normal. Of course, emotionally it took me several months to heal and I'm just now able to talk about it without crying.

PLEASE NOTE
I credit the process being quicker for me to the fact that I chose not to have any early ultrasounds, not even to hear the heartbeat. If I had, this whole process would have had another two weeks added into it. Instead of being tortured, miserable and upset for those two weeks waiting for the bleeding to start, I was still getting to enjoy being pregnant. Yes it was ignorance, but it was blissful while it lasted. I wouldn't trade that for anything. While my baby was inside me, heart beating or not, I was pregnant.

Also, the choice to have a D&C or not is a very personal one and certainly there are times when it is necessary. But I would discourage anyone from having a D&C simply out of fear or not knowing what to expect. Fear is only present in the absence of knowledge.

Because I decided to "try it" naturally first, I was able to experience my body working on its own the way it was created to. Even though I didn't know what to do, my body did. So in a way that was one positive thing I got out of it.

Anyhow, [hug] to all who have experienced this kind of loss.

Daisyjane, I noticed your is close to when I lost my third this year. [hug] to you. There is never a good time of year for a loss, but I had 2 of my 3 on or just after New Year's and hope not to have that experience again during a time of celebration like New Year's.

Pregnancy not viable: With m/c 1 & 2, I began cramping and bleeding. None of my 3 PG have gone past 6 weeks. 3rd m/c--my PG symptoms disappeared, my HPT's got lighter as days went by, and I had an impossibly low beta for a 6 week pregnancy once I was able to get into the doctor. I had 1 episode of spotting, followed by 2 days of waiting to see if my body would miscarry naturally.

D&C: Not necessary due to early nature of loss, the m/c taking place on its own, and betas going down.

m/c itself (TMI warning): Heavier than a period, some clots, some tissue including the sac during my 2nd and 3rd m/c. Maybe I was not so far along that it was noticeable with my 1st m/c? I had not expected to pass the sac intact so it freaked me out. Bleeding continued at the most 2 weeks.

Physically feeling myself: About a month(give or take); varied a bit with each m/c. By this I mean a variety of things like energy level, sleep, appetite, ovulating again, skin, etc.

Other stuff: Remember that our bodies and emotions are trying to reset things to normal. If you need more time than someone else needs, that's okay. If you need less time, don't be harsh on yourself because you are doing better than others seem to think you should. Also as a couple it's important to talk. All things being equal, men and women often channel grief differently. As a woman who has to go through this, you will experience this loss differently than even the most supportive man. Don't forget to talk--or your efforts to work through the grief and move forward might be misunderstood by each other.

This is a great post. I wish I had known about this site when I had my first m/c.

At what stage did you discover the pregnancy was not viable?

The first m/c I found out around 8 weeks that the pregnancy had ended around 5 weeks. The second time I thought I was 12 weeks and found out I was only 6 weeks.

Had you been spotting/cramping prior to that? Yes

Did you have a D&C immediately? What were your reasons (to help others trying to decide)?

I did not have a D&C immediately I tried to pass everything myself. The first time I waited two weeks, the second time a week. I only had the D&Cs b/c I had to...the first time I probbly would have died from blood loss and the second time I was in too much pain. PLUS, I find the D&c makes the whole experience go by faster and helps the healing process to begin faster, rather than wait a week or two for your body to clean itself out.

Did you wait for a natural m/c? How long did you have to wait before bleeding began? What was the bleeding like? Like a period? Heavier? Was it obvious to you when you passed tissue? Was there any clotting? Was the amount of blood at any time frightening to you? If you tried to pass everything naturally, was it successful, or did you end up having a D&C anyway due to residual tissue, etc.?

The bleeding started out really light, just spotting and gradually got heavier and heavier as the weeks passed. I did pass tissue and clots. The first m/c I hemmoraged with which is why I had a d&c b/c I lost a lot of blood, almost enough to need a blood transfusion. The second time I felt like I was in labor for a whole week and couldnt take the pain anymore...I had to be wheeled to the upstairs of the hospital b/c I was in so much pain that I couldnt walk.

How long did you bleed total (for natural or d&c) including spotting before and after?

A total of probably 3-4 weeks each time.

How long until you physically felt yourself again?

Probably a week. It is harder emotionally to heal than it is to physically heal.

My m/c story is different from the others. It was a one day deal and there was never any blood flow just a lot of pain and spotting [:'(]

It happened this past Friday (Jan 21) and I was 5w4d. Mine was strange pg from the start in that I'm not even sure when I ed. At any rate I started feeling very pg right away .. bloated, headaches, all day m/s, and eventually bb's sore sore it hurt to move some days. I was scheduled to have my first prenatal app't and u/s on what would have been 6wks. I had continued to temp and on the Thurs noticed that my temp had dropped .2 degrees. I was also having some very mild cramps but didn't think anything of it since I knew temps tend to fluxuate and cramps could be anything. Fri morning I had some brownish staining and again that afternoon (both after bms) but all without pain of any kind. Things changed that evening when the stains turned pink and then red and picked up to spotting. I called the OB and she said that unless I started to bleed(flow) or the pain increased and become extreme that there was no need to worry. I could have gone into the ER but there was nothing that could have been none that night and the soonest I could have an u/s would be the next morning. Well to make a long and extremely painful story short I started having those very pains as I talked to her and within an hour I was doubled up crying and more than a little panicked on the bed ... poor DH was wonderfull and strong tho his pain was evident by his prowling. I spent about 2hrs going back and forth to the toilet .. even tried a bath but that almost made it worse ... with my spotting only picking up if/when I pushed. At about 11:20pm I felt the need to push like others described and at 11:30 I passed what I thought was just a lg clot until I picked it up and saw white and what we thought at the time was the fetus with a little spine and handpads
I called the OB again and she said that there was a 50/50 chance that it was an early m/c. Since my app't was Monday morning she told me to lay low until then and to come in if anything else happened. Well nothing happened beyond little twingy/mild cramps and the spots turning brown again and all but going away. When we went in the u/s showed my uterus as empty with the left over fluid streaks from a complete m/c. The OB also said it was a natural and complete early m/c and all doubt left when she saw the tissue. Anyways physically I am still seeing some pg signs but they are fading daily but the staining is gone and I am facing daily bouts of anger and crying jags. I am also avoiding people (esp pg women and babies) but am working on keeping myself from becoming bitter and a recluse

On the positive side the m/c proved that I can get pg .. I have PCOS and it was starting to look like I wouldn't be able to get without IVF. The OB said that they suggest taking a month off before ttc again but we want to start trying again this cycle as it took almost 6yrs to achieve this pg [fc] We have an RE app't scheduled for Feb but are hoping a miracle comes our way before then.

I hope this helps someone somehow [f]
[bd][bd][pr][pr] to all of us.

At what stage did you discover the pregnancy was not viable?
Didn't really realize it till I was passing LARGE quantities of blood at home.

Did you have a D&C immediately? What were your reasons (to help others trying to decide)?
I went to ER due to the amounts of blood. Docs could not stop/control bleeding. There was no choice.

How long did you have to wait before bleeding began?
I had started spotting on Sunday morning (each day spotting a little more) by Wednesday I was bleeding very heavy at home.

What was the bleeding like?
Spotting at first. Wednesday morning.. 3 tolietbowls full at home in 15 minutes. ER room 3 more in 10 minutes. Examining room-2 more in 10 minutes.

Was the amount of blood at any time frightening to you? YES

Was it obvious to you when you passed tissue?
Yes. The smell. I will never forget it. Not to mention the feeling of it leaving my body.

If you tried to pass everything naturally, was it successful, or did you end up having a D&C anyway due to residual tissue, etc.?
I had D/C to stop bleeding and although fetus had passed, the placenta was intact and still attached to uterus wall.

How long did you bleed total (for natural or d&c) including spotting before and after? Did bleed or spot till 3 weeks after.

I m/c the day before my first ob appt. I never had sono or anything.

This is very fresh in my mind as it was very recent and sudden.

At what stage did you discover the pregnancy was not viable?

We didn't - until I ended up in the ER in terrible pain. I still had all my pg symptoms until the cramping pain took over all my concentration.

Had you been spotting/cramping prior to that?

Not as single spot until the day I miscarried.

Did you have a D&C immediately? What were your reasons (to help others trying to decide)?

It happened so fast there was no need for a D&C.

Did you wait for a natural m/c? How long did you have to wait before bleeding began? What was the bleeding like? Like a period? Heavier? Was it obvious to you when you passed tissue? Was there any clotting? Was the amount of blood at any time frightening to you? If you tried to pass everything naturally, was it successful, or did you end up having a D&C anyway due to residual tissue, etc.?

Pink/brown spotting started Monday am. No cramping until some mild cramping (similar to that I'd been getting off and on the whole pg) lunchtime. Bleeding was a little heavier but it was still light. Cramping was uncomfortable by about 3pm so I went home from work. Bleeding was heavier and red by 5pm and the cramping was getting painful. We left for the ER at about 6pm and I was given morphine at about 7:30 and something to stop me throwing up (the pain). I was also the same colour as my grey streak apparently by this point and shaking like a leaf. As I was giving a urine sample into a pan I passed a large mass of tissue and the sac & embryo (sac was cherry tomato sized) followed a few mins later. The bleeding really kicked in then but it was never frightening. I was transferred to the maternity hospital then and my cervix was found to be closed. M/C complete. I spent the night in hospital and came home the following morning.

How long did you bleed total (for natural or d&c) including spotting before and after?

Still bleeding - spotting started Monday am and it is now Wednesday pm.

How long until you physically felt yourself again?

I'll let you know. I felt pretty good on the Morphine but I feel like a wet dishrag right now. I'm a mess emotionally.

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