Natural m/c - is this pain normal ?

[Jools1]

Hi

Going through my first m/c at 11.5 weeks (no idea when beanie died as never got to have a scan)

Loads of blood and large clots from around 13.30 yesterday - like a dripping tap

It tailed off this afternoon but has started up again today - bad AF - like pains yesterday have turned into quite nasty cramps that have had me hunting out the nurofen. Abdomen seems to be swollen and I can't bear even a dressing gown cord over it. The pain gets worse and worse till I pass a horribly large clot, then subsides till the next time.

Does this description of the pain peaking and subsiding sound normal(ish) ? I'm going to the EPU for a scan at 9.30 so would rather hold out than phone and perhaps be called in - DP doesn't drive so it would be a £30 taxi ride.

The feeling of stuff slithering out (sorry if TMI) feels so WRONG, it is making me retch

Just hoping it tails off soon

[whomovedmychocolate]

You need to go to the hospital - it sounds like it could be ectopic and it's dangerous. Normally a miscarriage hurts but not that much (IME anyway). Please go to the hospital - call an ambulance if you are losing enough blood to make you dizzy - seriously - do it now.

[TheBlonde]

Sorry you are going through this

With mine I had cramps similar to early labour pains - I took the voltorol and had a hot water bottle
The cramps came and went and I passed lots of clots
I didn't have any swelling - that sounds a bit worrying

Do not get a taxi, you don't want to worry about bleeding all over it
If you need help call your out of hours GP for advice or call an ambulance

[Jools1]

It is definitely not ectopic - don't think I'd have got to 11.5 weeks anyway !

I was examined in A&E yesterday and the bits are definitely coming from the right place

passed one big clot and the pain has gone again (as has the swelling), so will just keep a close eye for now

[VJay]

Hi jools, i went into hospital overnight with my last mc because I was bleeding so much, but yours does sound a lot worse, I don't want to panic you, but call the hospital and see what they say, you can call an ambulance if you need to. Take care xxx

[Jools1]

I had a really really bad bout of gastroenteritis last year - pain and slight swelling feels exactly like that did

[TheBlonde]

Did they scan you in A&E?

[Jools1]

Just internal exam as they apparently only operate a scanning service in the mornings !

Going in for scan at 9.30 and have just left a message for someone in the gynae emergency ward to call me back - all under control I hope.

[TheBlonde]

If you feel faint, call 999, ok

[VJay]

I hope they ring you back soon, you could always ring your docs out of hours, that's what I did, x

[whomovedmychocolate]

That's not really good enough - the hospital should have kept you there till you had a scan. Just because they can feel a mass in the pelvis doesn't mean the pregnancy is not ectopic. I'm so sorry you are going through this - mine were earlier and apart from the excessive bleeding were not so bad (mind you I did take diclofenac and go to bed for several days so maybe that's why).

But it does sound like you could have something else going on. If the gynae on call can't reassure you do insist on being seen. You should also insist on a scan in two weeks or so to check the uterus is empty (uterine infections are absolutely horrible!)

Sorry again

[whomovedmychocolate]

BTW you can take two ibuprofen with two paracetamol for the pain if that's all you have in the house. Don't take aspirin for obvious reasons though.

[ibblewob]

Hi Jools,

no advice, just lots of hugs and wishes that there's nothing more complicated going on. It sounds very different to mine, no stomach pain at all, just back ache, but I'm only 6 weeks so might be why.

Good luck x

[SparklyPseudonym]

Hi Jools,
I miscarried at 11.5 weeks in September and what you're saying brings it all back. I am so sorry you're having to go through this. For me, the pain was terrible. Even after taking codine I was in agony. I was taken to hospital by ambulance after losing a lot of blood. Please take care of yourself and contact the EPU if you're finding you can't cope with the pain. It's a terrible time and you should be made as comfortable as possible. I really hope things go as well as they can tomorrow. Lots of love x

[Jools1]

Thanks everyone. Sorry it brought it all back for you Sparkly

They phoned back last night and were happy to leave things as they were - the pain had stopped and bleeding seemed to subside overnight. I was just told to drink lots, go to bed and stay there as I was getting a little dizzy when I stood up

I thought I was coping quite well this morning till I realised that I had to walk past a parenting class and antenatal reception to the EPU - then saw a couple coming out of their dating scan with broad smiles and a piccy - the floodgates opened then

Scan confirmed there is only one teeny bit of lining left and a pg test was very very faint, so the worst is over.

Have been told to go to my GP and get signed off for next week. Am now worrying about telling work what has happened and wondering how that will affect me if they think I am trying for a baby.

[joyfuleyes]

Jools, I'm sorry that you've had such a hard time My first mc was at 15 weeks (baby died at 14+), the pain was worse than labour, morphine was the only thing that helped and the blood loss was so severe I was given an emergency ERPC & ended up in HDU for the day being transfused. I've know several people who've had losses at 10+ weeks who've had a really hard time, the medical profession don't do anyone any favours by down playing how painful, scary & dangerous it can be.

Please take care xx

[whomovedmychocolate]

Jools - you don't have to tell them anything - you can be signed off with any of the many euphenisms your GP can come up with but if you do decide to tell them you don't have to say anything more than 'found out I was pregnant but miscarried - don't want to talk about it'. Tell the HR dept and your line manager that's really all that need to know.

Glad you are feeling a bit better physically if not emotionally.

[SparklyPseudonym]

Jools - Just wanted you to know that I've been thinking of you lots. How is the bleeding now? Are you in less pain? How are you coping? Take lots of time to grieve. xxxx

[deanychip]

Ah hun this is awful and i can relate to every thing you say.I needed morphine for my last Mc in March. Also what felt like torential bleeding.
Sitting between 2 heavily pregnant woman while waiting for my final scan to check it was all gone tore my heart out.
Huge hugs to you my love. x

[Jools1]

Thanks Sparkly and DeanyChip

for some odd reason, I've only just spotted your posts

It now seems as if I was having a contraction or two on Wed night - then quite literally got the urge to push and it was the strangest feeling of wrongness pushing something large out of me The pain went almost completely after that though but I felt bruised inside the next day - had to hold my abdomen if I laughed, sneezed or went to the loo. This would have been my first baby, so all this is guesswork, but my my midwife seems to think this is what was happening and suggested that it confirms the baby must have only just died for me to feel something that large.

Bleeding had more or less tailed off till around 4am this morning when I woke up cramping, backache and passing small clots. Today though, very light again and no pain at all. I even managed to get dressed by 2.30 and wander up to Tescos for chocolate !

The mood swings are odd - Saturday was uncontrollable sobbing virtually all day, but I was fine when my parents came up to see me on Sunday, then cue the tears in the early hours again. DP is off sick today too, so we're both crashed on the sofa.

I was on holiday when this happened - in fact I keep thinking that this time last week, I was travelling home from a lovely long weekend in Cornwall - happy and looking forward to my scan the following day It seems a lifetime away now.

So, I will self-certificate and stay off sick tomorrow and Wed, then see how things are. If I don't get off the sofa soon, stop eating choc and get to the gym, I'm going to look like I'm 8 months gone

Just can't wait for the bleeding to stop so we can try again and have a baby before I'm 40.