[iguana265]

I wanted to share my experience of having a miscarriage at home to help others decide whether they want a D&C (or curette as they call it in Australia) or not and if they opt not to, to know what to expect and how to minimize their suffering. I have had two miscarriages at home - one after only about a month pregnant which was more like a bad period and this one. Warning: this will be somewhat graphic. I was 10.5 weeks pregnant from my last period when I started bleeding with light cramps. The following day I had an ultrasound showing the baby had no heartbeat and was about the size of an 8.5 week baby (which means my baby probably died one or two weeks before, as they say the baby starts shrinking after death). I went home to have my miscarriage. That same day when the cramps started getting worse, I took ibuprophen and as they got even worse, I took a more heavy duty pain killer called Digesic that I had left over from a surgery. I was okay with the pain – it was only like a bad period with all that in me. I passed what I thought might be the amniotic sac but now that I’ve seen one, I realize it wasn’t that at all. It was a most minor chunk of tissue that sort of looked circular. You will pass many random chunks of bloody, unidentifiable tissue. The next day, I had hardly any bleeding and didn’t pass anything large, so I naively thought it was all over. This cycle happened again in the following two days – one day of worse cramping (this time I just took ibuprophen) and passing chunks, one day of nothing. Mind you that when I was preparing to pass a large chunk, I often had profuse bleeding (more than the recommended 1 pad in an hour) but it only went on until the chunk had passed within an hour or two and then it slowed. So then yesterday I started having cramps and naively thought I could handle them without pain killers. So I waited to take the ibuprophen. What a mistake. By the time I took something, I was going through what would be about the equivalent of early labor pains. However, they progressed into what I guess would be like active labor pains (I had a Caesarian so I don’t know what those feel like). I took two different types of pain killers left over from a surgery, but those didn’t take effect soon enough and I was writhing around on the bed in horrible pain. It was like going through labor but it was almost constant – no contraction and relief. Just constant contractions I’d say. And no one by my side to comfort me and tell me what was going on. I endured this pain for about 1½ hours from the start of the real bad stuff until I told my husband I could take it no more and we should go to the hospital. But as we were in the car the pain eased off and as I ran into the hospital I felt myself pass the largest chunk of all. So dripping in blood I went to the bathroom to see I had passed what was unmistakably the foetus. Up until then I hadn’t seen anything that was identifiable – it was all just like bits of liver – but this had an umbilical cord attached and was a thickish clear sac with a baby inside. Since it had been going on for a week, I had already grieved it, so I wanted to save it, have a closer look and bury it. But obviously for someone who hasn’t yet grieved or who is easily grossed out, this would be very hard to see. The cramps then stopped totally by the time I saw a doctor, who said I narrowly missed having to have a D&C. I was very relieved about that having just gone through two surgeries under general anesthesia and not wanting to do it again. However, if I had to do it all over again, I would either get a D&C if it was this far along or get a prescription for heavy duty pain killers and take them at the first hint of cramps as you never know what’s coming, especially if you haven’t passed the foetus. Hope this helps someone to make a more educated decision. If I had been able to find this kind of information on the internet when I looked I would have been spared a lot of pain.

[jenedens6102]

Thank you for sharing your story. I apologize for your loss.

[CandM]

I'm so sorry for your experience. Thank you for sharing.

[chantalTTC]

Thank you very much for sharing - so sorry you've been through so much.

All our best...

[mihlya]

Thank you for sharring your story, I am so sorry for your loss.

Mihlya

[Kellileanne]

Thank you for sharing your story. My biggest fear is miscarriage (best friend has had 2) and you have just prepared me for if it would happen to me.

I am sorry for your loss but please know you have helped atleast one person understand what happens during a miscarriage.

Again, Thank You.

[miskuluri]

Iguana you have done all us women a great favor by putting up this post. I am right now passing lumps of tissue and lots of blood and was desparate to know if this was OK. Couldnt find much on the internet, until i found your post. You are n angel. Thank you, from the deepest part of my heart for this superbly written, much needed article. Good luck with your future pregnancies, and keep posting.

[DatLocoLatino]

I just joined to say that my girlfriend and I found this very helpful because we went through this tonight and didnt really know what was going on. So thank you all.

Additionally, I wanted to add that this lasted about an hour and a half. And yes, she claimed it was comparable labor pains, but not quite as bad. She laid on the floor balled up for a while, and as it subsided, was able to sit. As it progressed, she found herself running back & forth to the bathroom almost immediately, and then it tapered off and she seems fine now.

So thanks again all. This is an important thing youve done here and Im surprised that I didnt really find anything else on the net that was as detailed.

Oh, one last thing, we didnt go to the ER, but Ill keep you all in the know if anything else comes up.

[Meliny]

I'm so sorry for your loss and even sorrier that you had to endure so much pain. I, too, had a natural miscarriage and they're definitely not for the faint of heart. I admire your stamina, your courage and, most of all, your sharing. You're a warrior. All my love to you and your DH.

[imagiccat]

I know it's a few years later, but I'm glad to have found this in all its details, because in a few days I'm probably going to have to choose between a natural miscarriage and a D&C.

[thesecondtime]

I wanted to say thank you for sharing this back in 2006. It is Nov 09 now and I was just sent home to have my miscarriage. This is my first experience and my last - I hope. I have been freaked out about what to expect and I am a "need to know" type of person - so your post really helps! I'm 6 weeks so I hope things will be like a really bad period. Thank you again.

[BritanniaT]

Thank you for writing this. I was on week 12 when i learned there was no heart beat, but the fetus was about 8.5-9.5. I was so shocked and did not know what would be right for me. I had a DNC and reading your experience that was probably the right thing for me.

If anyone was curious about a DNC Compared to this, my experience was much easier in comparison. I never had before surgery so I was nervous. I don't remember being prepped on the table (though I was awake for awhile apparently!) I just suddenly was woken up by a nurse in the recovery and had some cramping. Later that night I had some heavy bleeding but nothing that made me concerned, but the cramps hurt more then a few Advil could handle. My stomach swelled up too but that went away real fast. The next day I feel much better and have light menstrual bleeding but I still feel the need to rest.