Is it better to MC naturally or have D&C?

[Clairebear]

Hi Girls,

Just found out yesterday that my pregnancy is not to be...was 7 weeks.
Gosh,this is all so hard to take!
Clinic has offered me the choice of waiting for nature to take it's course and MC or have a D&C.They have told me it's gonna be pretty heavy and pretty painful naturally....I normally suffer badly with periods and am really scared now of what's to come. Also still having MS.....is that normal??? I am so overwhelmed by all this.
:hugs: to all of you who have to endure this heartache.

Claire.

[mumanddadof5]

very sorry for your loss :-(
I had a d&c after I lost my bub I was not offered to wait for a natural m/c but if I had the choice I would have still had the d&c I think the pain but also the not knowing when it would happen would get to me like counting down the mins, hours, days
sorry I know not good advice just what I would do
take care

[anney]

Hi Claire,
I am so sorry to see this news. difficult enough to have to use IVF and donor eggs without having to endure this. Last year when I miscarried at 10 weeks, I chose not to have a D&C. For me, the whole process of going into hospital and having a day procedure when I am already fragile emotionally is just too difficult. I would rather it happen in the privacy of my own home. IYKWIM. But I also think the waiting for it to happen is very difficult. My doctor offered me a drug to make it happen (ie. to cause contractions) and that was good as I could control when it happened, also got some strong pain killers and it was really jsut a bit worse than bad period pain, but only lasted a couple of hours. Perhaps you could ask them about that drug.
I had m/s still for about a week after I miscarried, until all the HCG was out of my system.

[chris]

Hi Claire
Sending lots of hugs I am soo sorry to hear your news.
I was given the choice also. I wanted a D&C (to get it over with) but nature had other ideas about the situation. As after organising everything for the D&C to be done the next day I arrived home that afternoon and I started to miscarry naturally in the bathroom. It was the most painfull thing that has happened to me ever. I went to hospital and lost the baby in the emergancy room. It was incompleat so I had to have a D&C anyway.

After my experience I would recomend a D&C. Its less pain plus I hated knowing I had a dead baby inside of me.
As for the M/S its your hormones that are still hanging around. Even when my hormones were supposed to be normal I got breast milk on my EDD (what the????)
The best advice is "Look after you!"

Take care
Chris

[butterfly_warrior]

Claire, I was at 8 weeks and 5 days when we found out that our IVF baby had passed away. I was offered a D&C, or to go home and wait it out. I personally could not stand the thought of my dead baby being inside of me, so my FS did a D&C for me that night. The morning after the D&C I still had morning sickness when I woke up, but the following day all pregnancy symptoms had pretty much gone. It seemed to me that the D&C actually helped bring hormones down a bit faster. My baby had probably been dead for around a week, but my body held on and my symptoms kept getting stronger as though everything was ok.

I'm comfortable with the decision I made... although, some days I think the pain and process of miscarrying naturally would have been a fitting way to say goodbye to our baby. At the time I couldn't even contemplate it, though.

It's a difficult decision to make, and my heart goes out to you.

BW

[westy]

Hi Claire,
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss sweetie.

I miscarried at 10w4d and i too was given the option to let nature take it's course & MC or have a D&C later that afternoon (when i could be fitted in). I chose to have the D&C that afternoon for a few reasons #1- i just could not bring myself to leave the hospital knowing i was carrying my baby that had passed away. #2- i didn't want the risk of having a natural MC and then having to have a D&C anyway if everything didn't come away during the natural MC which i was told could happen. #3 - at the time i felt this was the best choice for me ,i did ask for a ultrasound prior to being taken into have the D&C just to make sure it wasn't a mistake(i was hoping it was but it wasn't).


Take care sweetie, we are thinking of you.

[Ellie]

I'm so sorry for your loss.
I have unfortunately been through both...I found the D&C much easier physically...my last pregnancy I m/c naturally while in the shower and it was horrible...I guess it's different for everyone but I never want to go through that again...I found the d&c much 'kinder' all round. My thoughts are with you xxx

[nellsbells]

Hi clairbear so sorry for your loss. I found out my baby had died at 11wks 1day, the dr's didn't think I would be able to m/c naturally. I wanted a d&C that day but unfortunately they could not fit me in. It was a friday, and I was told to come back monday for a d&C. Initially I was ok with this as I had no pain or heavy bleeding. Of course that all started the friday night. Sunday night/monday morning, I was in horrendous pain and ended up naturally m/c at home, i would not recommend this to anyone. The terrible pain but also having to look at my baby in the toilet will be with me forever. I went to the hospital in the early hours of the morning, and ended up having to have a d&C monday afternoon. I was so physically drained from blood loss and no sleep since friday, that actually after the d&C I felt so much better. My initial reasons for wanting the d&C was the sooner it happened the sooner I could get my body back in order to attempt to conceive again. Of course the decision is a personal one, but I don't think there is a right or wrong answer.
Good luck, my thoughts are with you.

[Rumpleteaser]

My bub had probably died 1 week before U/S, I waited another week before having D & C as I did not know how long my body might retain my bub. I also read that the longer it takes for your body to expel the m/c the more difficult it becomes, which can lead to complications.

[smiley10P]

Hi clairebair, so sorry to hear that your baby has died. It is so sad that this has to happen to anyone.
I have had a natural miscarrigae at almost 11 weeks, I have also had a D&C (while undergoing treatment for infertility) In my opinion the natural M/C was very gentle process and much easier on my body. To be honest it was no worse than a period. I actually got to see my baby which was very healing to know that it was indeed a baby not just tissue/blood. You may not get his option if you have a D/C but then you may not see anything it varies so much. We were able to dispose of the little body as we wanted to again very healing and personally much nicer to m/c in the privacy of your own home. I found out on the friday afternoon that our baby was no longer with us and m/c naturally that evening just before midnight.
I suffered no complications afterwards and my periods returned 28 days later.
Now when I had the d/c I was in a hell of a lot of pain complicated by the fact that the hospital left gas inside my abdomen and I had refered pain in the shoulder tip like someone was burning me with an iron.
A d/c is surgery and comes with the usual complications associated with this, sometimes the surgoen may scrape the lining of your womb to deeply and this is why sometimes it may take longer for you to get a period after a d/c. You may not be thinking about trying to concieve at the moment but if you did it could be frustrating waiting for a normal cycle to return if you did (does that make sense)
it is a such a variable thing really it will be difficult either way, really you have no way of knowing going on other peoples experience. Think about what would comfort you. And keep talking about how you are feeling to people who "get it".
It is a long hard road and it begins with the baby leaving your body.
Take care and go gently on yourself
Luv smiley

[Clairebear]

Hi Girls,

Thankyou all so very much for your replys...it really is interesting to hear all the different points of view.Well pretty much as soon as I had finished typing my post the cramps started. Last fri to be exact,I immediately started taking nurofen and took it every 4 hours after for that entire day I just wasn't taking any chances. I still had cramps,but my bleeding was by no means heavy. Since then I have had cramping on and off and bleeding on and off,together with clots and brown blood (so sorry if TMI!!). It's now tues and to be honest I really have only had spotting for the past 2 days.I have another scan and BT 2moro to make sure it's all going ok and I am just praying that after everything I won't have to have a D&C.Something deep down is telling me though that I will....i just don't feel that this is over yet!

Anyway girls,will let you know how I go.Thanks again so much for all the advice.
Hugs,
Claire

[chris]

Hi Claire
It sounds like it is not over if your only spotting. It might be better to have D&C and get it over with. I miscarried naturally and I don't advise it at all. It was in that much pain I passed out/blacked out at one stage and I lost alot of blood. Then after going through it all I had to have a D&C anyway.

Take care
Chris

[~*Niadalla*~]

Hi there, Just wondering how you are going claire?
I was sad to hear about your loss
I had a natural m/c at home... it was painful, but didnt last too long.
I was too upset to go to the hospy and have an u/s to check that everything had come away. It must have as I have now got a beautiful 11 week old bubba
I hope all is going well.
Nicky

[Stans]

I am so sorry for your loss. I understand what you are going through (as do many other women on the forum) . Even though it sounds like the decision was made for you I thought I'd put in my experience and maybe it will help the next women looking for advice on the topic.

I have had 3 miscarriages, all without D&C. 1st MC was diagnosed on ultrasound & was told by registrar at public hospital that D&C was not recommended. I then waited 4 weeks before I started bleeding (very painful), then bleed for 5 weeks. 2nd MC was at only 6 weeks and it happen at home. 3rd was 11 weeks and happened at home - incredibly painful!!! Given the recurrent MCs I was referred to specialist and on hysteroscopy found to have retained calcified "products of conception" over 5 wweks sice I thought the MC was all over. I can't help but wonder what would happen had I not had the hysteroscopy and what damage this might have done to me ever carry through a pregnancy???

Anyway, given my experience, I will be going for a D&C should I ever experience another MC, & hell, I hope I don't.