Intro and Question

[aprilz81]

Hello all.  This is my first pregnancy and I didn't get my BFP until 22DPO following a BFN at 13 DPO and spotting from 8DPO-18DPO.  First beta was only 219 with a progesterone level of 5 (at 5 weeks 3 days based on ovulation) and my second showed only 164.  I was (am) so disappointed and nervous/scared about the actual process of miscarrying.

This was a Clomid cycle so I was monitored, and I had a transvaginal ultrasound the morning of my positive test and the RE didn't see anything on the ultrasound to indicate pregnancy so there was some concern for an ectopic.

I read through the experiences thread but I have a question about everyone's experience for how long the process took from the first spotting until the last and about how long the cramping/pain lasted for you.  I realize everyone is different but I just have no idea what to expect.

I just started spotting this afternoon and I don't have any cramping or pain yet.  I'm hopeful that since my betas were so low and nothing was visible on the ultrasound that this will be a physically quick and painless process.  I know the emotional process will be a lot different.

Also, this is potentially a stupid question, but why can't I wear a tampon?

I'm sorry that we all find ourselves here but I'm grateful for the support available to those of us who need it.

[singingsea]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I was five weeks three days when I found out I was going to miscarry. I started spotting this past Monday. Wednesday evening I actually miscarried. The cramps were pretty strong. I pretty much passed everything within an hour and then the cramps let up. I bled pretty heavily Thursday. Friday it started to lighten up. As of now I'm only spotting. Emotionally I was cried out by the time I actually miscarried. So I was pretty numb. I'm feeling a little better now. Went to a friend's wedding yesterday which cheered me up.

Hope this helps you.

[mosdub]

I am so sorry for your loss.

I had a D&C but was told no tampons due to risk of infection.

[aprilz81]

Thank you ****** and singingsea, that is the type of information I was looking for. I was given the news of the falling betas on Friday at 5 weeks 5 days.

The "good news" (not really but I hope you guys know what I mean) is that I'm not currently working and I don't start my new job until October 5th. I'm really hoping this is over with by then. But at least now I don't have to go into an office and pretend to be "normal".

I was pretty raw emotionally yesterday but for the most part I'm all cried out. I just want to move on.

[LadyNymeria]

I'm so sorry for your loss aprilz81.

For me I was told there was no longer a heartbeat at an ultrasound on 8w5d and that baby had stopped growing at 6w1d. I hadn't had any spotting or cramping yet and I just wanted it over with so my dr prescribed me misoprostol. I inserted the first dose Friday night 8/7 and the second the following morning because I was barely spotting and had zero cramping. After some light spotting over the weekend (still no cramps) my dr prescribed me 2 more rounds of misoprostol to try to push things along before starting to consider a D&C.

I started cramping and bleeding a bit during the afternoon Monday 8/10, but it wasn't as much as I was expecting so I inserted misoprostol round 3 that night. Same kind of thing Tuesday, cramping and some bleeding but not what I was expecting so I used round 4 Tuesday night. Finally on Wednesday the bleeding picked up a bit and I started passing clots. I cramped on and off Wednesday and more on Thursday when I finally passed what were obvious pieces of tissue. An ultrasound on Tuesday 8/18 confirmed I had passed the sac, most likely the day with the visible tissue.

I spotted for another week with no cramps then the bleeding stopped. My period showed up 2 weeks later, just over a month after the loss was identified during my ultrasound.

TL;DR - I bled off and on Saturday 8/8 through Friday 8/14 then spotted until Friday 8/21. Cramps weren't too bad, period-like for me and I only felt them a few days during the heaviest bleeding.

I am so sorry you're going through this. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have if you want more information about anything. Either tag me here or feel free to PM me at any time.

[LadyNymeria]

Sept 21, 2015 9:57:09 GMT -5 aprilz81 said:

Thank you ****** and singingsea, that is the type of information I was looking for. I was given the news of the falling betas on Friday at 5 weeks 5 days.

The "good news" (not really but I hope you guys know what I mean) is that I'm not currently working and I don't start my new job until October 5th. I'm really hoping this is over with by then. But at least now I don't have to go into an office and pretend to be "normal".

I was pretty raw emotionally yesterday but for the most part I'm all cried out. I just want to move on.

I'm glad you don't have to be at work through all this. I was at work when I passed the tissue I mentioned in my bigger reply and it wasn't easy emotionally. I would hope your body can get through this quickly so you can begin to heal before having to start your new job.

Emotionally it was much easier on me once I knew I had passed everything. And even better once my next period came. Just remember to be easy on yourself. Some days you will feel ok, some days will be rough. If you need to cry, let yourself cry. "Moving on" was all I wanted to do as well, so I hope things progress quickly and smoothly for you so you can resume TTC when you feel ready.

[aprilz81]

LadyNymeria,

***TMI ALERT***

It seems silly to post a TMI alert on a thread about miscarriage, but I thought I would play it safe.

I'm already starting to pass small clots, so I'm hopeful that I won't need any medication. I'm open to it if the doctor recommends it, I just want this done with.

[LadyNymeria]

Sept 21, 2015 11:24:04 GMT -5 aprilz81 said:

LadyNymeria,

***TMI ALERT***

It seems silly to post a TMI alert on a thread about miscarriage, but I thought I would play it safe.

I'm already starting to pass small clots, so I'm hopeful that I won't need any medication. I'm open to it if the doctor recommends it, I just want this done with.

I had been doing TMI alerts too in my loss thread, then realized they probably weren't necessary since we were all talking about similar things and gave up on them.

That's good you're starting to pass clots on your own; I'm hopeful for you that you won't need any medicinal assistance. I was just being seriously impatient since I felt like you do - I just wanted it done and over with ASAP.

One thing I will mention, and everyone will be different, is that I did not experience nearly as much bleeding or cramping as I thought I would. Since baby had only grown to 6w1d there just wasn't that much to pass yet, but I wish I had realized that ahead of time. I was so frustrated thinking my body wasn't doing enough to make things process. After the fact my dr mentioned that there wouldn't have been that much to pass, but I would have preferred that information at the beginning of the process.

[aprilz81]

Sept 21, 2015 11:33:27 GMT -5 LadyNymeria said:

Sept 21, 2015 11:24:04 GMT -5 aprilz81 said:

LadyNymeria,

***TMI ALERT***

It seems silly to post a TMI alert on a thread about miscarriage, but I thought I would play it safe.

I'm already starting to pass small clots, so I'm hopeful that I won't need any medication. I'm open to it if the doctor recommends it, I just want this done with.

I had been doing TMI alerts too in my loss thread, then realized they probably weren't necessary since we were all talking about similar things and gave up on them.

That's good you're starting to pass clots on your own; I'm hopeful for you that you won't need any medicinal assistance. I was just being seriously impatient since I felt like you do - I just wanted it done and over with ASAP.

One thing I will mention, and everyone will be different, is that I did not experience nearly as much bleeding or cramping as I thought I would. Since baby had only grown to 6w1d there just wasn't that much to pass yet, but I wish I had realized that ahead of time. I was so frustrated thinking my body wasn't doing enough to make things process. After the fact my dr mentioned that there wouldn't have been that much to pass, but I would have preferred that information at the beginning of the process.

That is helpful information about the bleeding.  With all the spotting I had early, low progesterone and betas dropping as soon as we found out I'm going to assume that I won't have much bleeding either in the grand scheme of things.  The RE said it might even be a chemical pregnancy but I was two weeks late so I'm not sure that qualifies.  Regardless there couldn't have been that much development.

Thank you all for your support and sharing your experiences with me.  It has helped a lot.

[hoopoe]

aprilz81, I'm so sorry for your loss.

If ~200 was the peak of your betas, I wouldn't expect you to bleed for very long. However, keep in mind this will be an individual experience. Every one of my miscarriages has been different - but they have roughly correlated to how high my betas were.

Your doctor may want to follow your betas to zero, if, so you would be able to see the progression of the process.

Again, so sorry for your loss. I know it sucks. ((HUGS))

[aprilz81]

hoopoe, I was able to talk to the nurse today and they are going to track my betas back to zero. I go in tomorrow morning and after that it will be weekly until they aren't necessary anymore.

[LadyNymeria]

Sept 21, 2015 16:26:54 GMT -5 aprilz81 said:

hoopoe, I was able to talk to the nurse today and they are going to track my betas back to zero. I go in tomorrow morning and after that it will be weekly until they aren't necessary anymore.

I'm currently in the process of tracking to zero and personally I have found it helpful because it let me know that things were happening the way they should be. A bit frustrating when they didn't drop as much as I wanted them too, but still nice to actually see them dropping.

[hoopoe]

Sept 21, 2015 16:26:54 GMT -5 aprilz81 said:

hoopoe, I was able to talk to the nurse today and they are going to track my betas back to zero. I go in tomorrow morning and after that it will be weekly until they aren't necessary anymore.

That's good, aprilz81.  Just realize the betas might not drop as fast as you think - I often felt my body and betas were totally out of sync.  For my last loss, it took more than 2 months for my betas to get <5 - but I had a D&C and my betas were over 20,000.

ETA - by out of sync, I mean that I didn't feel pregnant anymore, but my betas were very much still suggesting pregnancy.  Just wanted to clarify that.

[peaseblossom55]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I was induced for l&d so my experience was different. They never did a beta tracking for me. I got a stark white negative on a HPT about 1 1/2 weeks ago though.

[aprilz81]

Sept 22, 2015 18:49:18 GMT -5 peaseblossom55 said:

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I was induced for l&d so my experience was different. They never did a beta tracking for me. I got a stark white negative on a HPT about 1 1/2 weeks ago though.

I saw your post over on TK.  I'm sorry for your loss.


My betas are down to 69 (my highest was 219 a week ago).  The doctor wants me to come back on Friday morning which is earlier than the original plan of weekly tests.  I assume that because it is dropping fairly quickly he thinks it might be down to zero by then.

[peaseblossom55]

Sept 22, 2015 19:23:41 GMT -5 aprilz81 said:

Sept 22, 2015 18:49:18 GMT -5 peaseblossom55 said:

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I was induced for l&d so my experience was different. They never did a beta tracking for me. I got a stark white negative on a HPT about 1 1/2 weeks ago though.

I saw your post over on TK.  I'm sorry for your loss.


My betas are down to 69 (my highest was 219 a week ago).  The doctor wants me to come back on Friday morning which is earlier than the original plan of weekly tests.  I assume that because it is dropping fairly quickly he thinks it might be down to zero by then.

That's good.  I'm glad your RE is letting you try again so soon too.

[vballbaby]

Huge hugs aprilz81. I was lurking today since I just realized today was my EDD and saw you here. It is heartbreaking and I'm sorry you have to go through this at all.