QuestionHello,
I miscarried 3/10/09. I began lightly spotting and eventually began heavy bleeding. I felt a pop in my stomach and water trickled down my leg like my water broke. This was followed by massive blood clots.
I went in to the ER. They did an ultrasound which showed nothing. I continued to pass large clots followed by major cramping. However, I was about 15 weeks and I never passed the fetus. I never saw any sac or anything that resembled a baby. Today 3/21/09, I still experience light bleeding. Is that normal? Also, what happened to the fetus? Do I need to have a D & C done?
AnswerDear Alexis,
Did you ever see your OB doctor? It is possible with very large clots that bloody tissue may have been surrounding the fetus and you might have not seen it, but... because I am sure you have been watching - doubtful. Even though you were 15 weeks, it is hard to know when your baby actually stopped growing/developing. So, we cannot presume that you lost a 15 week fetus. It may have been much smaller than you would expect.
If you have not seen your OB/GYN since the ER visit, I would most definitely recommend that. You should always see your doctor after you think you have experienced a miscarriage. They will need to make sure that the uterus has completely emptied to avoid a risk of infection from any retained tissue. Also, if there was any Rh blood incompatibility, you will need to be treated for that to protect future pregnancies.
I can tell you how "normal" post-miscarriage bleeding tends to go... Most often after a miscarriage or D&C your bleeding will taper off to spotting within 7-10 days, and maybe random spotting will continue for another week. Your hCG will drop steadily, usually hitting zero during the end of the spotting, or about 10 days after the miscarriage or D&C. Some women find they have mild pregnancy symptoms, or little ovulation cramps. Many many women think they could be pregnant, because strange things are happening and their period is "late" (although almost every post-miscarriage period is late.) These symptoms are due to the body's attempts to regulate its hormones again. It may kick into gear right away, and you will get a new period in 4-5 weeks, or it may struggle a bit, and the period will not come for up to 8 weeks.
Less often, your bleeding tapers off quickly, but with some spotting. You think it is over. Perhaps a week or even two will pass, and you begin to wait for your period. Then suddenly, it begins again. Strong cramping, heavy bleeding, and pain. You hope it is just your period, but it is not. (You must not bleed at all for about 20 days for it to be a real period, otherwise you have not gone through the hormone chain properly.) Usually within a few days, it does stop, and you are just spotting again. Here is what usually has happened - some tissue was missed during your D&C or natural miscarriage. A bit of placenta clung to the wall of the uterus. It continued to draw a little blood, and the body continued to create very small amounts of pregnancy hormone. Eventually the body realized no baby was there and turned loose this last bit of tissue. The miscarriage process begins again. Only now will your levels drop to zero and a new cycle begin. You cannot expect a normal period any sooner than 4 weeks from this, and up to 7 weeks could still be normal. Your total wait time from original miscarriage to first period can creep up to 9-10 weeks and still be normal.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
