Protracted natural miscarriage, any success stories?

[diyqueen]

I started miscarrying on the 14th dec and have been letting nature take its course, but the sac is still there and I'm wondering how likely things are to sort themselves out. Has anyone had a protracted natural miscarriage that's resolved itself in the end? I'm starting to resign myself to needing an erpc, but very nervous about possible effects on fertility as it takes us ages to conceive as it is and I already have scarring from a previous CS... I won't have medical management as I'm still breast feeding dd (21mo) and have been told I'd have stop for at least a week, think that would be the end of bf and can't face losing that too at the moment :-(. An erpc would also mean stopping bf for a couple of days I've been told as would need drugs to dilate my cervix as it's never dilated naturally due to elcs. That's going to be so hard as well :-(. Anyone got any similar experience/words of wisdom?

[Irishmammybread]

So sorry to hear about your miscarriage diyqueen it's such a devastating experience.
I've had three natural miscarriages this year,all progressed in different ways.
In March I started spotting at between 10/11 wks and was booked for a scan at the EPU 5 days later. The night before, I started to bleed heavily and the scan showed the sac was still there though the baby had gone. I was given the options of surgical or medical management but as I was bleeding heavily I was advised I could try natural management. It was about 2 days later that things became a lot more painful with contractions and I passed the placenta and sac. Bleeding settled a bit after that but when I had my next scan 2 weeks after the first I was told the miscarriage was still incomplete but at that point they wouldn't intervene. I had to go back for a further scan 2 weeks later to be told there was still some increased thickness in the uterus but that it probably would sort itself out with my next period, which it did.
We conceived the next cycle but I miscarried at 6 weeks, this was just like a heavy,more painful period than normal.
We didn't wait to try again and conceived straight away. Despite several early scans showing a good heart beat and growth we found out at 10 weeks that the baby had died at 8w6d.
Because our older DC had been so upset when I had the first mc we hadn't told them I was pregnant this time so I wanted to avoid going into hospital if I could. I was told I could wait to miscarry naturally and booked for a scan 2 weeks later. I didn't start until just before that scan date, had pains first for a few days and then suddenly started bleeding heavily. At my scan baby was still there but I opted to hang on and see if I could do it myself, like you I had some concerns too regarding the effect of intervention on any future fertility.(I'm 44 so I know my chances aren't great anyway!). It took another few days before placenta/sac came away, then more bleeding for a week or so and 2 more scans before they confirmed it was finished, so about 4 weeks from first bleeding, quite a protracted experience.
Lots of people have different experiences, a lot of people have very positive experience with erpc or medical tx and go on to conceive afterwards.
How many weeks were you?
If you needed to stop bf your little one could you express milk and discard it to keep your supply up so you could resume once the drugs were out of your system?
Good luck with whatever you decide.

[diyqueen]

Irishmammybread, thank you so much for taking time to reply and tell me your story, and I'm so sorry to hear what you've been through. I wish you so much luck, you must be due some. It's reassuring to know it can take time. I had a night of cramping at the beginning and thought that would have been when the sac went, but it's still hanging on in there though hcg levels coming down now. I was about 8 weeks but the pregnancy never really got started properly - there is no embryo to be seen, just a small sac. I will express if I need to, and we'll get through it, but will be heartbreaking as dd is quite clingy at the moment and breast feeding is her main comfort, it's something she does several times a day and it's going to be awful refusing and seeing her cry, she won't understand. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for my body sorting itself out though, wish it would get a move on. Thanks again, your reply means a lot.

[Bakingtins]

Diyqueen I'm sorry you are going through this - it taking so long must make it even more difficult. Just wanted to suggest you contact Wendy, the pharmacist at breastfeeding network as often doctors err on the side of caution with their "you can't breastfeed when xyz" and actually don't know much about it. She's very helpful, if you know the names of the drugs you'd have to take she can tell you how long they would be in your system for.

[diyqueen]

Thanks, it's good to know that I might not have to stop for si long if I have to have erpc. Any more positive stories of natural mc? Or am I being deluded in hoping my body will sort itself out in the end?

[diyqueen]

I think the sac came out this morning! Trying not to get too excited but I'm pretty sure, had more cramps overnight as well, then a sort of bag of pinkish beige ish skin filled with fluid came out in the shower this morning. Sorry if tmi, just wanted to share and not many people in rl will want the details... Have taken a photo in case the hospital want to see. Never thought I'd be so happy to see what could have become a new baby falling out into the shower, but it has been such a sh*tty few weeks...

[Bakingtins]

In a funny sort of way, that is good news. Hope that means it is all over for you and you don't have to worry about other options. Do you have an appt for a follow up scan?

[spiderlight]

Oh bless you. That does sound like the sac though, so hopefully the worst is over for you now. I started miscarrying on 10th December but didn't pass the sac until the evening of the 17th, so it can take a while.

[BlackholesAndRevelations]

Just read this and I passed my sac this afternoon. After sobbing like my heart was breaking, I now feel kind of closure on this; like I've grieved and can move on. I hope that's it for you too (hideous as that sounds). Take care xx

[diyqueen]

Spiderlight and blackholes, I'm so sorry for your losses too and thanks for your messages. I'm hoping the results of the latest blood test will show hcg levels still coming down well and that this will all be over soon. Best of luck to everyone for a happier next time.