Questions about Miscarriages

[kirsty adams]

Hi im Kirsty and just yesterday i suffered a miscarriage. Its the first time i have ever had a mc. I have a few questions and am wondering if someone who has been through a mc can help me? Firstly how long after a mc do u bleed? i am bleeding quite heavily. Secondly what is a curette and what does it entail? thirdly when is it safe to start TTC after suffering a mc? Please help!

[Aphrael]

Firstly, I'm so sorry

I started bleeding a little bit and when we discovered my baby had died the Dr said if I had any heavy bleeding to go to Emergency. I started bleeding that night and visited ER and they had me in for a D & C that night.

A D & C or Curette is where they open your cervix and insert something that sucks the lining of the uterus out. You are placed under a general and this only takes about 15 mins. Afterwards when all the effects have worn off the drugs you can go home (some do have overnight stays tho, I didn't and went home about 11pm). Its generally not painful, you may be a bit tender after the D & C tho.

I was advised to wait 2 cycles before starting again as it takes a while before your hormones will go back to normal.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Beck

[Lisa]

Hi Kirsty,
I am so sorry to hear about your loss.
I suffered a miscarriage last year, and from memory, I bled for a week. It was quite clotty and heavy for the first 2 days or so. I didn't need to have a curette as it was a complete miscarriage. However, I did have a D&C (dilatation and curettage) a year before.

This is the information I have found;

Dilatation and curettage
A dilatation and curettage (D&C) is an operation performed on women to scrape away the womb lining. The cervix (neck) of the uterus (womb) is dilated using an instrument called a dilator. The endometrium (lining of the womb) is then lightly scraped off using a curette.

Apparently it is safe to start TTC after 1 proper cycle... though most Dr's say to wait 3.
Hope this helps.

[kirsty adams]

Hi Beck,

Thanks so much for your help! i think i might just head to the hospital then and get checked out. Its good to be able to find out these things from women who have been through the same thing as me. Once again thanks

Kirsty xx

[kirsty adams]

Thanks so much Lisa for your help! im just going to head to the hopsital now and see what the doctor says. Its only been like a full day since i started bleeding so im not sure if they will be able to do much, but its better to get the heavy bleeding checked than to leave it and end up sick!

im glad that i have people like you who can offer their support and advice.

Kirsty xx

[danielle1985]

Hi Kirsty,
Firstly, Im sorry to hear this is happening to you, and Id like to let you know that your not alone, and all the girls on this forum are so lovely, its a great place to get support through this.

I hope your visit to the hospital helps a bit - I had a mc on the 31st July, and I think getting help from the doctors is great, it'll settle your mind a little, and it helps to know what to expect!

As for your questions:
How long do you bleed? I still am, but only lightly. Mindyou I lost A LOT of blood when it happened. I think the rule of thumb is that if your soaking through a pad more than once an hour, or if you start to get dizzy or feverish, go to the emergency room because you may lose too much blood. They may not be able to do much, but they can give you an IV with saline to get your blood pressure back up, and they can give you oxygen to get rid of the dizziness. Mostly they can give you support!

Whats a Curette? I didnt end up needing a Curette, but the doctor explained it to me because I was meant to have one - they give you anesthetic, so youll be asleep for the procedure, then they dilate your cervix, and use a tool that has a vacuum on it to suck everything out. Theres risks, but there low and mostly associated with the anesthetic.

When is it safe to start ttc? My doctor said 3 cycles, but I think the main point is giving your body and your emotions time to heal. If that takes longer than 3 cycles, then thats okay too. Its a big thing for your body to go through, and so naturally itll need time to heal.

Remember that if you need to talk, were all here for you.
Goodluck with everything
Danielle

[satya]

I think it depends how far along you were as to when you can TTC. If your loss was an early one you can probably TTC as soon as you are ready (except if your doctor has advised you otherwise). Doctors often only tell you to wait so they can date the next pregnancy easily should you fall pregnant before having a period. I never waited to TTC after a m/c and it didn't cause any issues (it always took a few months to conceive) but made me feel a whole lot better.

[Lisa]

they give you anesthetic, so youll be asleep for the procedure, then they dilate your cervix, and use a tool that has a vacuum on it to suck everything out. Theres risks, but there low and mostly associated with the anesthetic.

If you are worried about the risks associated with anesthetic, as I was, you can request an epidural. I was given a light sedative that helped me sleep, and an epidural for my D&C as I had an intense fear of anesthetic after birthing Noah.

[kirsty adams]

Hi there,

I would like to say thankyou to all the wonderful people that responded to my thread. All the information from your experiences has helped me tremendously and i feel i am able to cope with this alot better now. You are all wonderful and i wiah you all the best for your futures.

Just to let you all know i went to the hospital yesterday (sunday) and they said my temperature was a lil high, but they didnt think i needed to have a curette as the bleeding was starting to ease. I had an appointment with my doctor this morning and he said to let nature take its course and if the bleeding has not supsided or the cramping reduced i will meet with a gynocologist, and see if a curette is required. I think this was the best option as i was only 3-5 weeks. So i will see where it leads.

My partner and i have decided to wait at least a couple of cycles before TTC again as i would like to give my body time to heal. They also suggested i start taking a multivitamin such as elevit? has anyone been taking this or have any suggestions on what is the best to take? id love to hear from you.

anyway i want to thank you all again for your support and the hugs!

Kirsty xxx

[Aphrael]

Glad to hear your doing well Kirsty, I know its a hard time for you.

I hope you dont need a D&C and all's well there, I was 9 weeks for #1 and 12 for #2 so my situation was a tad different.

I hope when you and your partner start TTC'ing again you're in there for a short time!

Cheers,

Beck

[satya]

I think doctors must get paid to recommend Elevit as they all recommend it. I took Cenovis Pregnancy & Breastfeeding formula. It has lots of vitamins & minerals including folic acid & fish oil which are very important throughout pregnancy. With my last pregnancy I only took them from 4 weeks on as I'd not been actively TTCing when I conceived but I delivered a healthy bub.

[Rozzie27]

Hi Kirsty,

I don't have any advice on miscarriages as mine was a late loss, but I'd like to add that I think elevit is a rip-off, it's expensive and doesn't have iodine or fish oil in it. I found FEFOL pregnancy and breastfeeding capsules good and they're about half the price of blackmores and elevit, and only once a day.

I hope you feel better soon and wishing you a speedy conception when you do feel ready.

Love Rozzie