# What to expect after D&C??



## AlwaysPraying

As some of you know I'm scheduled for a D&C at 14.5 weeks on tuesday due to a fatal chromosome issue with baby. 

I'm devastated, yes. 

I want to ask, for those who have gone through this some questions if that's ok.

- hormonally, what can I expect afterwards? How long till hormones get back to normal. Will it feel like PMS hormones or different?

- will there be severe cramping? does that happen right away after the procedure? how long will that last?

- how long did the bleeding last? was it severe, with clotting?

- should I ask for codeine or a strong pain killer for after?

- how long will I be in bed for? how long until I can physically get back to my life, running, jogging, etc?

- how long until my bloated belly will go down and other pregnancy symptoms go away? When will my appetite go back to pre pregnancy, bloating, bad skin, all of that go back to pre pregnancy? 

- my boobs never grew but were always sore, when will that let up? Will the get engorged at 14 weeks?

- emotionally, I know it never goes away and I'll never be the same, but how long until you weren't at the worst? When did it seem like things may have a chance of getting better. (I feel like I'm going to be horrified and devastated forever. Part of me thinks I owe life long guilt to my baby). When it gets better emotionally, is it possible to feel "good" about it? I'm scared of living with a heavy weight on my body, like bearing a cross, I already feel like I weigh an extra 200 lbs. Will the sun shine again?

- will this affect or change my cycles in the future?

- is it normal to worry about future fertility with this procedure. Everyone says it's safe, but anytime you "mess with" that area it adds a risk, I think.

Thanks for any responses, so much. I think being prepared will help so much. Mon is a holiday here so I won't get a consult with the nurse until the day of, so I'm kind of freaking out about all my questions.


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## babytots

hi hun i've copied and your questions and put my reply in bold for you

- hormonally, what can I expect afterwards? How long till hormones get back to normal. Will it feel like PMS hormones or different?

*for me hormonally i felt very weepy afterwards but i think after a week or so that started to lift and my hormones settled down and i started to feel myseld again*

- will there be severe cramping? does that happen right away after the procedure? how long will that last?

*i had no cramping afterwards i was given painkillers before the procedure and they kicked in when i had woken even when they had worn off i felt no pain my stomach did feel tender though. everyone is different so it might be the same it might be different for you*

- how long did the bleeding last? was it severe, with clotting?

*my bleeding lasted for 8 days i did have a few clots but nothing to worry about as they were small and its usually caused by a build up of blood when sitting down *

- should I ask for codeine or a strong pain killer for after? 

*if you feel you need it then yes do ask they can't refuse to give you painkillers if you are in pain *

- how long will I be in bed for? how long until I can physically get back to my life, running, jogging, etc?

*i was in the hospital for about 2-3 hours after and tried to rest as much as i could but physically i was back to my daily routine after a week. it all depends on how you are feeling and how quickly your body takes to recover *

- how long until my bloated belly will go down and other pregnancy symptoms go away? When will my appetite go back to pre pregnancy, bloating, bad skin, all of that go back to pre pregnancy?

*i'd say after a week or so or when the bleeding stops. i had sickness for a couple of days and then it faded my appetite came back after that but symptoms didnt really go away properly til after i stopped bleeding.*

- my boobs never grew but were always sore, when will that let up? Will the get engorged at 14 weeks?

*they might do they might not. mine never did. but with jessica they were reallypainful and 4 weeks on i still leak milk. though was told they dont give tablets to stop it for women under 20 or 24 weeks. but if your milk does come through dont hesitate to ask your doc (i wish i had done) *

- emotionally, I know it never goes away and I'll never be the same, but how long until you weren't at the worst? When did it seem like things may have a chance of getting better. (I feel like I'm going to be horrified and devastated forever. Part of me thinks I owe life long guilt to my baby). When it gets better emotionally, is it possible to feel "good" about it? I'm scared of living with a heavy weight on my body, like bearing a cross, I already feel like I weigh an extra 200 lbs. Will the sun shine again?

*yes the sun will shine again maybe not in the same way it did before but it will. for me emotionally it got easier when my partner agreed to start ttc again. for 2 months i was living with a black cloud over me grieiving for yet another baby but with ttc to focus on it slowly lifted and i stopped hurting as much*

- will this affect or change my cycles in the future? *in the long run no i dont think it will affect your cycles if you had regular ones previous to your pregnancy. mine were quite long before my losses but after them they got shorter *

- is it normal to worry about future fertility with this procedure. Everyone says it's safe, but anytime you "mess with" that area it adds a risk, I think.

*yes its normal to worry there is a slight risk it can affect your womb i.e perforate it (very minimal chance this will happen though) but this heals on its own and shouldnt affect fertility or any pregnancys in the future *

hope this helps you hunni any more questions dont be afraid to ask. i was so scared when i had mine and wish i had asked more questions but i didnt as i was in such a daze! from finding out my babys heart had stopped to the actual procedure was only 3 days and i didnt get chance to let it sink in. x


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## jessica2509

Hi,

I hope you don't mind, but i've gone through your questions one by one - sorry to have written an essay!

The first time i had a d&c i got my period came back four weeks later. It was really light and lasted only a couple of days. 

I had quite sore pain straight after waking up. The first time i had a d&c they gave me quite a strong codamol tablet and took the pain away instantly. The second time i was given cocodamol, which didn't take the pain away totally, but the pain isn't that awful. 

The bleeding lasted about a week. I'm pretty sure there's not meant to be any clots as they remove all the tissue inside. Don't be shocked that when you go to the toilet for the first couple of times the water looks red. I'm guessing it's just because you've been through the procedure and is normal. After that the bleeding was really light and nothing like a period. 

The hospital gave me cocodamol to take home. 

I stayed in bed the next couple of days, but partly it was because the anaestic made my legs a bit wobbly. I went back to the gym too early the first time as i started to bleed again after doing aerobics class. The second time i waited two weeks and i was fine. They say you can start back at the gym as soon as you feel ready to. 

I think your body will go back to normal once your hormone levels go back to 0-5. ie. normal. Mine have taken 7 weeks to get back to normal as my levels were very high. - don't ask, long story, but they would have told you if your levels were high by now so am guessing they're normal. 

My boobs stopped hurting pretty soon after d&c. 

After my first miscarriage i felt like someone in my family had died, so i know how you feel emotionally. I actually in a weird way started to feel less drained after the d&c as i think that was a large weight off my mind. I got pregnant after one period so i think that definitely helped me come to terms with it, but i lost it after 6 weeks. Only thing keeping me going now is the thought of trying again in a couple of months. 

Don't know about future cycles. Mine were normal again after 4 weeks after d&c, but then got pregnant and am still waiting for period to come back. 

In answer to your last question, i got pregnant after first period came back. You are actually more fertile after a miscarriage, no idea why. But i was told that it has just been really bad luck and shouldn't have anything to do with future fertiltiy. They don't go near your ovaries and only are taking out left over tissue to put it bluntly. 

I hope i've helped as i know they were exactly the same things i wanted to know, but the drs don't seem to tell you any of it. Seems to be on a need to know basis!

x


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## Jessa

I'm sorry to hear about your upcoming D&C. I had a D&C at approximately 14 weeks (we found out at 17 weeks) in February. I've answered your questions below as it happened for me. Others might have had different experiences though.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - hormonally, what can I expect afterwards? How long till hormones get back to normal. Will it feel like PMS hormones or different?

Here I am, over three months later, and my hormones still aren't back to normal. I've got an appointment on Friday with my doctor to talk about the next step in trying to figure out why I'm having anovulatory cycles. Some people on here have gotten pregnant again right away though, so not everyone has a hormone imbalance like I do.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - will there be severe cramping? does that happen right away after the procedure? how long will that last?

I didn't have very big cramps. Nothing worse than regular AF cramps.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - how long did the bleeding last? was it severe, with clotting?

I had light bleeding for about 2 weeks, but sporadically near the end of that time. My period returned about 4 1/2 weeks afterwards.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - should I ask for codeine or a strong pain killer for after?

I didn't need a strong painkiller. Extra strength Tylenol did the trick for me. A heating pad felt really good on my back as well.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - how long will I be in bed for? how long until I can physically get back to my life, running, jogging, etc?

I stayed in bed for a day or two, but I think that was more due to being tired from the whole experience than because I had to due to the pain. It took me about two weeks before I felt like myself again, physically.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - how long until my bloated belly will go down and other pregnancy symptoms go away? When will my appetite go back to pre pregnancy, bloating, bad skin, all of that go back to pre pregnancy?

My belly went down almost immediately. It did take a few days for the "hard" feeling to go away when I pressed on my lower stomach where my uterus was. Not painful at all though.

My body hasn't gone back to normal, like it was before pregnancy, but like I said above, I think it's probably due to the hormonal imbalance.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - my boobs never grew but were always sore, when will that let up? Will the get engorged at 14 weeks?

About 5 days after my D&C, my milk came in. No one had told me that it might, so I was completely surprised. Don't express any because then it will take longer for it to dry up. You'll need to buy some breast pads to soak up any leakage until it dries up. For me, it took a little over a week to fully dry up, but the worst of it was over in about 3 days.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - emotionally, I know it never goes away and I'll never be the same, but how long until you weren't at the worst? When did it seem like things may have a chance of getting better. (I feel like I'm going to be horrified and devastated forever. Part of me thinks I owe life long guilt to my baby). When it gets better emotionally, is it possible to feel "good" about it? I'm scared of living with a heavy weight on my body, like bearing a cross, I already feel like I weigh an extra 200 lbs. Will the sun shine again?

It took me about four weeks before I felt "good" again (good being a relative term, I suppose). Having said that, I experienced a setback in my grief process about a month ago. That prompted me to start seeing a counsellor to help me get things in perspective. Don't feel like you're a failure if you need help to work through your feelings. It's sometimes a really good thing to talk to someone else about it -- someone who isn't directly affected by your sadness as well.

The sun WILL shine again! Eventually, you won't think about it everyday and you won't cry every time you see another baby or pregnant woman. I promise that it does get easier. You'll never forget, and the experience you're having right now will eventually make you a stronger person, but you will move on. I promise.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - will this affect or change my cycles in the future?

Can't answer that since mine haven't returned to normal. I believe that once my hormones are figured out, my cycles should go back to normal, but I'm not sure.



AlwaysPraying said:


> - is it normal to worry about future fertility with this procedure. Everyone says it's safe, but anytime you "mess with" that area it adds a risk, I think.

It's natural to worry about future fertility, but remember that -unfortunately- there are a lot of woman who go through this procedure and they most often are just fine. The procedure will be over before you know it.



AlwaysPraying said:


> Thanks for any responses, so much. I think being prepared will help so much. Mon is a holiday here so I won't get a consult with the nurse until the day of, so I'm kind of freaking out about all my questions.

You're welcome. I'll be thinking about you. The physical part of this procedure will be over quickly, but the emotional journey is just beginning. Like I said above, I promise it gets easier. Take one day at a time, and don't be afraid to cry and grieve. If you need to talk, PM me.


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## Jessa

I guess we all had the same idea in posting an essay. You've got a lot to read through, but many great answers and lots of support.


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## RobenR

- hormonally, what can I expect afterwards? How long till hormones get back to normal. Will it feel like PMS hormones or different?

-*Hormonally, you will crash. They will drop quickly and rapidly. I had to go on PPD medication because I was unable to handle it. *

- will there be severe cramping? does that happen right away after the procedure? how long will that last?

_*I had cramps for about three days after. *_

- how long did the bleeding last? was it severe, with clotting?

_*I bled for 14 days straight. The first week was the worst and the first three days were when clots were passed. *_

- should I ask for codeine or a strong pain killer for after?

_*I only took the strongest ibuprofen that I could get my hands on. It's all I really needed and also helps with bleeding.*_

- how long will I be in bed for? how long until I can physically get back to my life, running, jogging, etc?

_*I rested for one day and threw myself back into a regular routine. I went back to work 5 days after our loss and hit the gym also 5 days after the loss and did hardcore cardio and strength building.*_

- how long until my bloated belly will go down and other pregnancy symptoms go away? When will my appetite go back to pre pregnancy, bloating, bad skin, all of that go back to pre pregnancy? 

_*I got my appetite back pretty much right away.*_

- my boobs never grew but were always sore, when will that let up? Will the get engorged at 14 weeks?

_*I was 18w 5d and my milk came in two days after the procedure and hurt like hell for a week until it dried up. It was my most painful reminder of what I had lost. *_

- emotionally, I know it never goes away and I'll never be the same, but how long until you weren't at the worst? When did it seem like things may have a chance of getting better. (I feel like I'm going to be horrified and devastated forever. Part of me thinks I owe life long guilt to my baby). When it gets better emotionally, is it possible to feel "good" about it? I'm scared of living with a heavy weight on my body, like bearing a cross, I already feel like I weigh an extra 200 lbs. Will the sun shine again?

_*It's been three and a half months since we lost our little girl and I spent the first month crying every day. We did a memorial for her, we had her blessed, we remembered her and then moved on. It was easier for my husband to than for me, and even now, months later I still think of her. I still pray for her and miss her every day, but the tears dried up and the hurt became easier to bear. It was not my fault. IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. It is the hardest thing to remind yourself of, but it is true. Nothing you ate, thought, said or did has caused this. I have to remind myself of that when I go off on a pity party.*_

- will this affect or change my cycles in the future?

_*My cycle came three weeks after the procedure and was very heavy. *_

- is it normal to worry about future fertility with this procedure. Everyone says it's safe, but anytime you "mess with" that area it adds a risk, I think.

_*Our fertility wasn't compromised, but to be safe I had myself and DH eating a very fertility friendly diet and excercising to make our bodies better for next time, so that we might, in some way, avoid another chromosomal problem*_

Sorry to have written an essay, but like the other women on here, the more info the better and you have lots of great advice.

Stay strong!


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## Las78

Hi Hun

hormonally, what can I expect afterwards? How long till hormones get back to normal. Will it feel like PMS hormones or different?

Day 3 after a birth tends to be the day when the blues set in as your hormones decline rapidly at this point I guess, with my m/c the grief at first topped by the blues and my hormones being all over the place meant I was very tearful, in a world of my own, acting on autopilot and just wanted to be completely alone. Everyone deals differently though hun. When I started talking, about day 4 it helped deal with the emotions. This is where, hun, we we will always be here - to listen and to grieve with you.
I would say my hormones were all over the place for a while, I still act out of charachter now and to be honest, having just had my first AF now is the first time I can truly say I feel a little more like myself.

- will there be severe cramping? does that happen right away after the procedure? how long will that last?

I had no cramping. I have had about 6/7 D&C's now and only cramped once and then it was just for the day and painkillers did help.

- how long did the bleeding last? was it severe, with clotting?

I bled for 15 days after, at first it was very heavy but gradually reduced to just spotting and then it would be a day of nothing and started again lightly.

- should I ask for codeine or a strong pain killer for after?

I would definately ask for pain relief if you need it. Otherwise Ibruprofen or similar should help

- how long will I be in bed for? how long until I can physically get back to my life, running, jogging, etc?

You are not meant to drive or do anything physical for at least 48hrs. I spent the following 2 days doing absolutely nothing.

- how long until my bloated belly will go down and other pregnancy symptoms go away? When will my appetite go back to pre pregnancy, bloating, bad skin, all of that go back to pre pregnancy? 

My belly and boobs took about 4 days to go down. My pregnancy symptoms ie hunger, sickness, tiredness went immediately. Bad skin about 3 weeks for me but I guess that is all hormone related aswell. Bloated, I always get this feeling just before AF, I have had it on and off for the past 3 months and only now AF has started has it eased.

- my boobs never grew but were always sore, when will that let up? Will the get engorged at 14 weeks?

They may do hun, mine didn't. I have heard some ladies have had their milk come in. I've heard wearing a tight bra and cabbage leaves are good ways to relieve the pain. Do not express.

- emotionally, I know it never goes away and I'll never be the same, but how long until you weren't at the worst? When did it seem like things may have a chance of getting better. (I feel like I'm going to be horrified and devastated forever. Part of me thinks I owe life long guilt to my baby). When it gets better emotionally, is it possible to feel "good" about it? I'm scared of living with a heavy weight on my body, like bearing a cross, I already feel like I weigh an extra 200 lbs. Will the sun shine again?

Hun. It was a good two weeks for me, I was in a mess until I went back to work. Having that distraction gave me some time not to think but the minute I was away from it all I did was think about baby. Every week I think about how far gone I would be and you never forget but it does get easier as time goes on. The sun will shine again hun although at first you don't think it ever will. I felt very guilty at first as all I wanted was to try again asap and I couldn't let myself be happy as I felt guilty for doing so. I did do a lot of things to honour baby which helped.

- will this affect or change my cycles in the future?

I've heard it can but have not had any experience of this as yet.

- is it normal to worry about future fertility with this procedure. Everyone says it's safe, but anytime you "mess with" that area it adds a risk, I think.

Hun, there is always a risk and they do tell you this at the time. There are a few ladies on here that have experienced problems afterwards however many who haven't. Personally as I said I have had several D&C's and had no trouble except a slight infection this time round however cleared with antibiotics. I think the main thing is just to be extra hygienic and just keep an eye out for any odd symptoms, you know you can always ask us if there's anything you are not sure about.

It is likely the hospital will give you a lot of information about what to expect afterwards.

I hope that has helped answer your questions. Try not to worry too much hun, I know that is so much easier said than done. I will be thinking of you on Tuesday and as always PM me anytime.

Take good care of yourself hun :hugs:


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## AlwaysPraying

I LOVE the essays! Thank you! 

It's just so hard to imagine ever physically getting back to normal. I guess it's because for 14 weeks I've been on my butt, with extreme tiredness, and no bleeding (obviously due to pregnancy). I find it hard to imagine that one could go to the gym after a couple days, it seems so unimaginable to me! It's wonderful, but hard to wrap my head around. The procedure seems so violent and invasive as well, I'm surprised there's not more cramping and bleeding, I thought there would be. 

My periods were wonky before pregnancy, so I don't know what to expect after, that makes me kind of nervous. And for the cramping and bleeding, I've had severe cramping AND bleeding during a normal period, so I thought that something like this would only be that much worse. 

I can't imagine trying again soon. Physically, we haven't been having sex because I've been so achy the whole 14 weeks, it just never a comfortable thought. I know we don't have to rush it, but the time will come when we will want to start trying again, and that's another story for another day. 

I'm so scared of a complication only because we've been hit with one rare thing after another. They "say" that complications are rare, well, hello?? I'm already having a 1 in every 4,000 pregnancy here. 

Thank you all for your responses, hopefully there are more to come. I'm sorry for those who are having trouble after, I hope we can all move on physically and emotionally from this and be stronger women as well. I'm already dealing with a therapist who's been great. With the genetics counseling they inter work emotions with the physical issues of the baby, which is nice.


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## AlwaysPraying

Oh, another question.

Because I'm still pregnant and baby is still growing (so very sick but alive, sob sob, tear tear). Will that make the recovery or procedure any different? I know a lot of ladies either had babies with no heartbeat (no less sad or severe), or ladies who had the D&C after delivering baby to get the placenta out. 

Or are all D&C's the "same". Do you know what I'm asking?


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## babytots

hi hun nope they are all the same sweetheart its the same procedure they do each time (or so i think it is). x


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## Jessa

AlwaysPraying said:


> Oh, another question.
> 
> Because I'm still pregnant and baby is still growing (so very sick but alive, sob sob, tear tear). Will that make the recovery or procedure any different? I know a lot of ladies either had babies with no heartbeat (no less sad or severe), or ladies who had the D&C after delivering baby to get the placenta out.
> 
> Or are all D&C's the "same". Do you know what I'm asking?

I'm not sure, but I would assume it would be the same. Perhaps it's a question you could ask. 

I'm glad you feel a bit more comfortable with the many answers to your questions. Knowledge is power, and will have hopefully given you a better idea of what to expect.

I'm glad to hear that you're seeing a counsellor. I'm finding that very helpful on the emotional side of things for myself. 

We'll all be here whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, more advice, or encouragement when you start trying again. Hang in there!


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## AlwaysPraying

Is it normal to feel so anxious about the procedure itself?

I feel all panicky thinking about it. I've never had anything like this done before, never really had any type of surgery, just simple dental work, so I'm a little freaked out.


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## Las78

It is normal hun.

I always find any type of hospital stay scary and I was always panicky before my D&C's. I used to ask for something to calm me down before going into theatre and that did help as it was more the sight of theatre that scared me.

You will be ok hun, I promise the procedure itself is not so bad, just focus on counting to 10 when they give you the anasthetic, you probably won't get to 3, I don't think I've ever got past 3.

Try not to worry yourself too much, it will be ok hun, it's only natural how scared you're going to feel but you will get through this.


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## AlwaysPraying

Thanks I appreciate the support. Part of me is freaked out of the medication as well. Loosing control, loosing my ability to think clearly. It scares me.


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## tinadecember

Hey hun, i had a d&c almost 6 weeks ago after a mmc at 8 weeks.. i know every woman reacts differently but here are my answers to your questions

*- hormonally, what can I expect afterwards? How long till hormones get back to normal. Will it feel like PMS hormones or different?*
I was back to normal almost straight away.. as soon as your HCG starts to drop you will probably start to feel back to normal hormonally.

*- will there be severe cramping? does that happen right away after the procedure? how long will that last?*
The cramping may start when the pain relief that you are given during surgery wares off. i didnt have hardly any cramping tbh the cramping i didn have was similar to very mild period pains though some women can be known to have terrible pain afterwards.

*- how long did the bleeding last? was it severe, with clotting?*
The bleeding was quite heavy on the actual day of the d&c i was a bit scared when i went to the loo because there was quite a lot of blood but each day gets better and the bleeding had stopped after about 8 days.

*- should I ask for codeine or a strong pain killer for after?*
The doctor at the hospital asked if i had painkillers at home but as i didnt he gave me codeine and paracetamol but i hardly used them.

*- how long will I be in bed for? how long until I can physically get back to my life, running, jogging, etc?*
I was signed off work for 2 weeks though i didnt think i needed 2 weeks off. You arent lay in bed and not able to move. you can move around but the doctors suggest to take things easy as your body has been through a lot and needs to heal.so i wouldnt go jogging for a couple of weeks just to be sure

*- how long until my bloated belly will go down and other pregnancy symptoms go away? When will my appetite go back to pre pregnancy, bloating, bad skin, all of that go back to pre pregnancy? *
My pregnancy symptoms had already gone before i had the d&c but i think they will start to go when your HCG levels fall.

*- my boobs never grew but were always sore, when will that let up? Will the get engorged at 14 weeks?*
My boobs stayed sore initially for a few days after the d&c but just suddenly went back to pre-pregnancy mode. i expect it was because my levels started to fall.

*- will this affect or change my cycles in the future?*
It has been nearly 6 weeks and im still waiting for my first AF after the procedure. I dont feel like im going to come on either. my normal cycles are 28-29 days so im worrying a bit going to book in with the doctor if still no show by the end of the week.

*- is it normal to worry about future fertility with this procedure. Everyone says it's safe, but anytime you "mess with" that area it adds a risk, I think.
*
Of course its normal.. they tell you that it will not add to how fertile you are in the future but yeah its normal to worry.

Good luck! and if you need any more info ill try to help you out just pm me xxx


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