QuestionHi Brenda. On Oct. 4 I had a d&c performed. I was 9 weeks along. On Nov. 5 I got my period and it lasted for 6 days. On Dec. 5, I went back in to have my HCG levels checked to make sure that they were back to neg. per dr. orders. They were back to neg. I have still not had my period this month. I took a preg. test last Fri 12-21 and again today, both came back neg. Is it normal not to have a period?? My husband and I want to start trying again in Jan., is it to soon? Thanks in advance for your help!
AnswerDear Hillary,
Sorry about the delay in answering - I am actually supposed to be on vacation from 12/21 through 1/6, but the system apparently did not set correctly. I happened to check in to make sure and saw there were 3-4 days worth of questions, so I will attempt some very brief answers while I have a house full of company pulling me in a thousand different directions!! :-)
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.
If your levels were zero or not very high, and you still only have light spotting or do not have a period at all, your doctor might order a shot of Provera or some other form of progesterone. This big dose can make your body think it is nearing the end of a cycle. When the dose is done, the sudden drop in progesterone should trick your body into thinking it is time for a period, and you will bleed. This period can be terribly heavy or light, but it counts. More than likely your doctor would do a quantitative blood pregnancy test (serum beta hCG) to make sure that another pregnancy has not occurred to cause the absence of periods, before attempting to "kick start" your cycle with medication.
Ideally, it is still a good idea to wait through at least two normal menstrual cycles before trying to conceive again. This allows your body to heal completely and those hormones to get regulated on their own again.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well and a Happy New Year.
Brenda
