Miscarriage/Loss General Discussion #1

[Owl]

Hi Kerry, my blood test results are going to take 6 weeks! can't wait (literally). But yesterday i got a phone call about my pap smear being abnormal, long story short, i've had irregular pap smears before and been treated twice, now i've had 2 irregular pap smears that i have to deal with before ttc. Great. Good thing is that I have an early appontment for that.

Yeah, about how long to wait, I dont think they really know, it's seems like just a matter of opinion really. But when i stop and think that in the space of 3 years i've had 4 pregnancies and the last one was twins, and my age, i realise that my body has been through quite a bit. Keep your chin up and have some soothing honey and lemon.
Elena

[Owl]

PS what does AF stand for
Elena

[Trillian]

AF stands for 'Aunt Flo' - your period.

[cheekyfrog]

Thanks, Sherie, for getting back to Elena for me re: AF - I've been in Singleton most of today for the NSW Tidy Towns Awards. Beckom (and Ardlethan and Temora) picked up a few awards but the big gong went to Leeton.
Six weeks is a long wait for the results, Elena, and I'm sorry to hear that you've had an irregular pap smear. I had one of those about six years ago and had to have a large loop excision; I found it very worrying at the time.
Has anyone else had AF arrive less than 2 weeks after m/c bleeding has stopped? I really wasn't expecting AF to appear so swiftly (CD16 from start of m/c ). Should I go back to my doctor?
Time for Vicks vaporub and bed!

[Owl]

Hi Kerry and Sherie thanks for the af explanation, I've never heard of her, I always new uncle charlie but Aunt flo makes much more sense.
Kerry I had the same crampy feelings that you were describing the other day and also thought that i was ovulating but maybe its af too. About the loop excision you had, what does your doc say about that and pregnancy
Cheers Elena

[cheekyfrog]

Hi Elena. After the large loop excision, I think I had a follow up colposcopy and everything was shown to be healthy. I've had pap smears annually and they've not come back showing anything abnormal. I've been told by a couple of doctors since then that my cervix looks healthy. The current doctor I'm seeing also knows that I had an abnormal pap smear in the past and the large loop excision and she knows that I'm trying to get pregnant. She didn't say that it would affect my chances of sucessfully getting pregnant. I had lots of blood tests when I first told her that I was planning to try to conceive and everything came back clear. She said that if I didn't fall pregnant within three months of trying (and she suggested that I chart my temperatures in the morning using an ovulation thermometer and that I look at one of the sites on the internet to do with charting temperatures for conception) that I should look for a fertility specialist. This was because I am 38. I got a BFP (big fat positive on a pregnancy test) on my fourth cycle of trying to conceive . But I miscarried on October 15 when I would have been 6w4d . Rates of early pregnancy failure are one in five for women under 35 and one in three for 38 year olds. The obstetrician I'd arranged to care for me has suggested that as soon as I get my next BFP to make an appointment to see her. This is so that they can keep track of my hCG levels, etc from early on.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps answer your question, Elena. If you ever want to chat on msn, my msn name is in my user profile (just click on my belly belly name).

[cheekyfrog]

I've scouted through threads on Belly Belly and looked on the Internet with little success so far to find out whether AF arriving 16 days after m/c is within the normal range of when to expect the first period.
Can anyone help? I first began spotting on October 15 and heavy bleed and cramping started that night, cramps lasted for a few days, bleeding tapered off over the following five days. Cramping started again on October 30, spotting on November 1 and what I think is AF arrived on November 2.

[Inanna]

Hi Kerry,
I am sorry for your loss. I believe it's a little early to be having your period. I see though that your care provider feels certain that your miscarriage was complete so I tend to think it is perhaps just more loss from your miscarriage. It isn't abnormal to bleed for up to 21 days post miscarriage. Sometimes it can seem like it's all over and then it comes back again for a few days. This too is normal.

If you are concerned I would consult your doctor. Drink plenty of water to help flush out your system. Take it nice and easy. Your body has been through an awful lot and it needs to be rested as much as possible.

Please don't worry too much about the stats for women over 35. Stats are not our friend a lot of the time. It is statistically accurate that miscarriages are more common after 35 but each individual woman has her own path. Tell your body that it is healthy and strong, surround yourself with support and truly believe that you will hold that baby in your arms.

Have you thought of seeking out a chinese medicine specialist? This can be helpful in conjunction with your medical doctor. It may not be comfortable for you but if it is I can say that personally I have only wonderful stories from mine.

Take care Kerry big big :hugs: to you in this diffiuclt time.

[Bun]

Hi Kerry, Owl and everybody else. I hope everyone is going ok.

Kerry - I don't know about when AF is supposed to show up again, although I have heard all sorts of things. No sign of mine coming back yet. When I went off the pill at the beginning of the year it took 4 months to get it back again and from then was having long cycles, so I am half expecting to go back to that again which would be a real pain and make ttc difficult.

Owl - that is a long wait for test results. I hope the time goes fast.

I had an abnormal result on my last pap smear too. My dr wasn't concerned and said it was the least serious abnormal result and to have another one in 6 months. Well six months later I was pregnant, and my dr said not to worry about getting another one. Anyway, now I suppose I should, but I need to find a new dr as the clinic I usually go to stuffed up and handled things pretty badly so I am never going back there again. I am now worried about it but will think about it when I get back from holidays.

I went to a wedding on the weekend and I have never seen so many babies and pregnant women in my life, seriously. I would have been annoucing my pregnany on the weekend. Life sucks sometimes, and I am having a shocking day at work. I just feel like crawling into a hole and never coming out.

I hope you guys are doing better than me.

Bun

[cheekyfrog]

Thanks, Deb, for answering my SOS. What you say makes much more sense to me. I did think it was strange, although the cramping was like AF and the bleed was similar to normal AF. Pleased though that this second bleed now seems to have finished and I think I have a couple of days left with this cold I have and then I'll be feeling much better. I will think about seeing a Chinese medical specialist, too - all advice is gratefully accepted, especially yours. And... I'd like to send you an all enveloping hug - I am so very sorry for your loss, Deb. I was in tears when I saw that your precious baby had died, I couldn't believe it was true, and moved to tears again and again when I read Eggbert's story. Hugs to you and your family.

[Inanna]

Thanks Kerry for your kind thoughts.
I am glad it has stopped now. Let's hope that things get back into the swing of it soon.

[Lind]

Hi girls, hope its ok if I pop in here and ask a question..
I'm pretty sure i had a m/c on sunday night, i started spotting and started to bleed overnight.. bled yesterday and had a blood test that showed a drop in HCG. Had an u/s today and it didn't show much at all really, nothing significant in my uterus. Now I have stopped bleeding (for now). How long did you bleed for during your m/c?? Mine was early, 5wks 1 day technically tomorrow my period is only 2 weeks overdue. When do you plan on TTC again? DH is very keen to get going ASAP as long as we have the Ok from the Dr.

Thanks in advance.
xx

[Owl]

Hi Lind,
Nice of you to pop in! Sorry for your loss, I've had 3 different scenarios, the first time was early like you and i had a very heavy and quite painful bleed but normal duration i.e. 5-6 days, next time was a bit further along and extremely painful bleeding, the 3rd time i iscarried at 9 weeks and i had a "missed miscarriage" so i needed a d&c to remove "the product" as they put it, the bleeding was really light but lasted about 10 days, in fact i've just had my 1st period since then and it's really heavy - almost as if i'm making up for the lack of bleeding from last month. So you see, i don't think that it's ever the same. My doctor told me to wait 3- 6 months ideally, but no harm in trying earlier she said. Anyway good luck and hope you're feeling well.
Elena

[Lind]

Thanks Elena,
As each day passes I'm feeling better and more ready to move on and start ttc again. I only knew i was pregnant for exactly 1 week so it was short and sweet.

Hope you are all doing ok.

lind xx

[Kyls]

Hi Everyone,
Sad to hear about everyone's troubles. I had a miscarrage about 18 months ago. I was only 4 weeks pregnant when it happen and had only just found out that i was pregnant 3 days before. My husband and i were so happy as we had been trying for over a year to fall pregnant. I will never forget that day I cried all that night and for three days after and i will always wonder why it happened and what that baby would have been like, what sex it would have been and what we would have named it. I still think about it everyday and even though i have a beautiful baby boy now that time in my life will never be forgotten. My best wishes go out to everyone.

[Rose1]

Hi everyone,
I'm new here so if i'm doing this wrong sorry

firstly i wanted to pass on my heartfelt sorrow for each and everyone of you. I know what you're all going through
I miscarried 4 weeks ago at 9 weeks... This was our first pregnancy and we were absolutely over the moon even though the pregnancy wasn't planned. The worse thing was we got so excited we told family, friends, work ... everyone... 4 weeks after finding out the good news i had a slight cramping and noticed a bit of spotting. I totally panicked and my husband rushed me to emergency.. they said they couldn't do anything but to come back the day after for an Ultrasound... did so and we were asked if there was anyway that i mistook how far along I was supposed to be....right then i knew that baby was gone... apparently foetus was at 7 weeks... no Heartbeat...

doctors advised since it was my first pregnancy that a curette wasn't a good idea.. so let everything happen naturally... was the worst pain i think i've ever experience in my life... a week later sac and foetus passed through... i felt like someone pulled my heart from my chest...

am still finding it really hard to come to terms with and haven't yet had my period and don't know how long im supposed to wait for this to happen... i'm keen to start trying to conceive again.

People just don't seem to understand what i'm going through.

heartbroken

[janeo]

Rose im so sorry for your lose i to miscarriage 4 weeks ago i was 11 weeks along but my baby became an angel at 8 weeks.... Im also finding it very hard to move on i have good days and bad ones and have trouble going to sleep but we have to take each day as it comes.. We had also told everyone at 10 weeks and it all seemed so fake that when i was telling everyone i wasnt pg anymore... Although i had a curette it was my first pg too... Im going to start ttc straight away we had been trying for 7 mths when we fell pg so we really would like to have try again for that special baby.... All the girls in here are fantastic and very supportive...

[tink07]

Hello everyone

I am new here and just want to say that I am so sorry for each of your losses. Its nice to know that there are other women who do actually understand what you are going through.

I hope you dont mind if i share my story? I had a miscarriage 5 weeks ago - it was our first try and we were so excited to find out we were pregnant. We found out late at 7 weeks as a previous test at 5 weeks came back negative. We were so excited and then the next day I started to spot. I was so excited to be pregnant but so scared that I was bleeding. We decided to tell our parents and siblings as we wanted their support around us - they were so excited. A couple of days later I started to get stomach pains and the spotting got heavier so we went to hospital. I had an a/s and they said that there was no baby in the womb. It had only been 5 days since we found out and we were devastated. My husband said the thing that made him the saddest was he was so excited at the chance of maybe seeing a heartbeat. Its been five weeks and just feel so empty. We are going to wait for a period and then start trying again straight away - we are both so anxious to be able to get pregnant again and I am scared I will m/c again.

Thank you for listening xxx