Blighted Ovum - D&C! Scared!!!!!

[calvinzoey]

I'm 11 1/2 weeks, only half a week until the safer second trimester. I started spotting a couple days ago after a few days of just feeling "differt" (I felt normal, like I did before pregnancy. No symptoms but barely sore boobs).

When I started bleeding, I immediately went to the doctor and he put me on bed rest for 1 week and had me schedule an ultrasound (he doesn't do it in office). I got the ultrasound the next day, which was yesterday morning. She didn't show me the screen at all, so I knew something was wrong. She felt very awkward while doing it. I called the doctor that afternoon and they said I can go in the next day for me results. I begged to get them over the phone and they wouldn't. That made me worry more. I had the father call, and he got me in to the doctor right away. The doctor looked at the results and sighed. Then he started to explain the worst news ever. The ultrasound tech never found a baby. There is a lot of tissue in there, probably a placenta that caused my symptoms. He said my body probably absorbed the baby. Either than, or there is a small baby among the tissue with no heart beat... definitely not a 11 week fetus.

He said the best thing to do is a D&C, and schedule that for Thursday (tomorrow). I'm terribly upset about losing a child I thought I was carrying for 11 weeks. I feel cheated! It's a strange feeling. I cry once an hour at least, even in public.

Big my biggest concern, because I can grieve later, is the procedure. I'm so terrified. I'm nearly on the verge of a panic attack! I think I'm more scared of the anesthesia. I've read you can do it with just a spinal or local anesthesia and an IV sedative, rather than general anesthesia. That calms me a bit, but I'm worried they won't do it like that... and even if they do, I'm worried about that too!! I've never had anything like this before! No surgery, no hospitals, nothing. I'm a healthy 25 year old with a very minimal health history. But I'm terrified of the experience.

If you had an experience with a D&C, I'd love to hear your story. If you have words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them. Anything you can tell me will probably calm me and make me feel better. 24 hours from this post, and I have to be at this hospital.
________________________________________________________________________________



After the procedure:

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update! The procedure was amazing. I was out so fast, despite how nervous I was. I'm terrified of medication, including Tylenol, so you imagine how scared I was of the strong stuff.

I would suggest this method to ANYONE and EVERYONE. I went from being anywhere between 5-10 on the pain scale, to being a 0-1 with hardly any bleeding. I will open another thread so maybe fearful people can calm down a bit. It's time for me to emotionally recover, so physically I feel great (super tired and dizzy).

Again, thanks to everyone who posted in response! I appreciate it!

 

[calvinzoey]

Sorry for some of the typos. I hardly slept and I'm a nervous, depressed wreck.

 

[jodiejodie]

I'm so sorry for your loss!!! I suffered a blighted ovum in 2009 as well. I opted to miscarry naturally because I was to scares for a D&C. The doc told me he'd give me a week to see what my body did before he'd recommend a D&C. I was lucky and it all came out on its own so I have no advice on the D&C but I hear they aren't horrible. Your hormone levels will also drop faster after a D&C also. I had to wait 4 months for my levels to dro back down to zero. Good luck!!

 

[Topanga053]

First, I'm so sorry for your loss. I had a blighted ovum last year that was diagnosed at 9 weeks. I hate when doctor's wait until 12+ weeks to do the first ultrasound for this very reason. You think you're in the safe zone (or almost there) and then you find out something like this. I think it makes the loss that much harder to handle when you've had so much time to get excited about the pregnancy, only to have it unexpectedly taken away from you. I'm so sorry.

There are other ways to manage a BO besides a D&C, which your doctor probably should have discussed with you.

Natural miscarriage: You can choose to wait for your body to finish the miscarriage naturally. With a BO, often the placenta has continued producing HCG, so your body hasn't "figured out" that there's a problem yet. Eventually, that will happen and you will naturally miscarry. Some women prefer this because it's natural, although in some cases, it can take quite awhile (a couple of weeks or more) for your body to figure it out and start the miscarriage. If you're already spotting though, I would be surprised if it took too long.. it sounds like your body is already starting the process. If the miscarriage doesn't happen naturally after a little while, sometimes medical management is necessary to prevent an infection.

Medicine: There are pills that you can take either orally or vaginally (Misoprostel, etc) that will cause contractions to start the miscarriage. There are minimal side effects and the pills allow you to choose when you have the miscarriage. I chose to do it this way because I travel for work and did not want to be alone in the middle of nowhere when I started miscarrying. Most of the time the pills are effective, but there is always a chance that they will not cause a complete miscarriage. In my case, I still had a little bit of placenta remaining, so I had to take a second dose and still ultimately had to have a D&C. That has happened to some other women, but it appears to be statistically rare. If I remember correctly, they are usually 99% effective.

D&C: Then, of course, there's the D&C. The advantage to the D&C is you can be under anethesia and the entire process is usually over more quickly than a natural or medically induced miscarriage, which can take days or weeks, depending on the woman. Additionally, the D&C with general anesthesia is probably the least painful way to have the miscarriage. Both the natural and pill routes can be painful and involve a lot of bleeding (calling it a heavy period doesn't begin to do it justice). However, in addition to the risks of general anesthesia, the D&C itself can--in very rare cases--have serious complications, like any other surgery. If the surgeon scrapes too much, it can cause scarring in the uterus, which--in extreme cases--can possibly lead to difficulty getting pregnant or infertility and might require additional treatment. That is incredibly rare and apparently only happens in about 1% of cases and is more likely to happen when a woman has had multiple D&Cs.

As far as whether to have general anethesia or a localized anesthetic, I had a local anesthetic when I had mine (we had been waiting for hours and we would have to wait longer to be transferred to a different part of the hospital if I wanted the general anesthesia and I just wanted to have it over with). Personally, I would absolutely NEVER have a D&C with only local anesthesia again. It's a personal choice and everyone has different pain tolerances, but it was the most painful experience of my life. Even the sedatives hurt and although they dull the pain, I could feel every single step of the process (my organs being moved out of the way, the scraping, etc). It was excrutiating.

Personally, if I could do it all over again, I would still try the pills first because I prefer to avoid surgery when possible, but if I did have the D&C, I would absolutely have general anesthesia.

I'm not at all trying to scare you-- I just wanted to lay out all of the pros and cons clearly, so you can make an informed decision about what you think is best for you! I'm so sorry you have to make this choice-- it's an awful, heartbreaking thing to have to do and there are no "good" choices. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers today and tomorrow. No matter what you choose, it will be over soon and you can focus on your emotional recovery.

 

[calvinzoey]

Thanks for the support and the information. It really helps to hear other people's stories. I think I'm going to opt to go forward with the D&C, maybe with general anesthesia. I'm terrified, but at this point I want it over with.

My job is very exhausting and I'm on my feet 7-8 hours a day, super busy. I don't go back to work until next week Tuesday, so maybe with the D&C I'll be a lot better by then. My entire work knows I'm pregnant - I told them to avoid work hazards... heavy lifting and exposure to toxins happens frequently at my work.. them knowing I'm pregnant gave me an excuse to avoid the dangers.

I don't think I'll fully start emotionally recovering from this until after the evidence of pregnancy is gone. I'll let you know how it goes, because I have also heard it's not as bad as people expect.

Wish me the best of luck! By this time tomorrow I should be done with the procedure, awake, and recovering.

 

[LPF]

Firstly, so sorry for your loss. I've just been through the exact same thing. Just before 12 weeks started bleeding and it was a blighted ovum MC. I was (and still am) devastated, not just for loss but I feel so cheated that I've spent 7 weeks sick as a dog, putting on weight, making plans etc, for nothing. If I'd had a scan at 6 weeks etc. I would of saved myself a lot of heartache.

They told me to miscarry naturally as it had already started. I had no idea what to expect except a heavier period. 2 days later I haemorrhaged so badly for 4 hours, I collapsed, was admitted via ambulance, collapsed another 2 times, and became so anaemic the consultant had to remove what was desperately trying to come out by hand at the bedside with no pain relief. Most hideous experience of my whole life. I needed a blood transfusion and am still quite anaemic 3 weeks later.

Not trying to scare you, but if I knew then what was to come, I would of begged for a D&C.

Good luck, I'm sure everything will go fine and you can get on with processing everything that has happened xx

 

[boodley]

Hey - I had a D&C with my first missed miscarriage. Emotionally, it was a difficult process for me, but physically it was not. In my hospital, all these procedures are done under general anaesthetic as a day procedure.

I had to take misoprostol a few hours before going in, to soften my cervix for the procedure. I had to fast from the night before, and drink no fluids from 8am.

When we got to the hospital, staff were so lovely and understanding. The nurse checked us in and went through our information, then the anaesthetist came around to ask some more questions and discuss the procedure.

We didn't have to wait too long before being called down to theatre. I found this bit hard, because my husband had to leave me at the doors and I suddenly felt very alone, but again the staff were wonderful. I got very upset on the trolley waiting for the anaesthetic to kick in, and a lovely nurse held and squeezed my hand til I fell asleep. Next thing I knew, I was coming around in the recovery room. I felt fine very quickly after. They brought me back to my bed, and brought me tea and toast shortly after. I didn't feel groggy or unwell at all. I had some bleeding, a small bit of sensation rather than pain, and otherwise was fine. They kept us there until I was able to walk around and had passed urine without a problem, then we were allowed home. All in all, I'd say we were in and out in four hours.

I bled lightly for a few days afterwards, but had no real pain or discomfort. All going well, you should be fine for going back to work.

After the d&c, I have had a different 'sensation' on the right side of my uterus at a certain point in my cycle, which worried me a little. But I've had it checked out and have been told it's fine, and I got pregnant again though that one hasn't worked out either, but getting there is a good sign.

I can understand how you feel about wanting things to be over. I was the same that first time. You are dealing with so much already, coming to terms with everything, that it's hard to also then decide to wait for it to happen of it's own accord. And from my second miscarriage, believe me - that can take time! All the procedures have risks associated, and all at approximately the same percentages.

And again, good luck tomorrow

Bx

 

[calvinzoey]

12 hours and counting before I have to be at the hospital. I'm terrified!!!! But trying to stay calm as I think this is the best choice for me. I've heard stories from people I know and online that having the D&C was easier than doing it naturally... And from a lot of stories, it seems a bit safer.

But, that doesn't help my nerves too much. But thank you all for responding and being so nice and helpful. It really makes me feel much better when I read these stories. I think my biggest fear is general anesthesia, which I found out today is the only was they do it in this hospital. I'm scared I won't wake up.

But to be positive I am going to concentrate on the after. I will wake up and feel relief, and probably sadness from the loss of my child...or should I say my "blighted ovum"? I will respond on here for sure once I feel up to it to let you all know I made it through, and to let any other scared want-to-be mommy how it was.

 

[calvinzoey]

LPF: Your story makes me really want to get the D&C!! I went from spotting to bleeding today, and I'm now having cramps. So it's a good thing tomorrow is the day, I guess. thanks

 

[calvinzoey]

Hey - I had a D&C with my first missed miscarriage. Emotionally, it was a difficult process for me, but physically it was not. In my hospital, all these procedures are done under general anaesthetic as a day procedure.

I had to take misoprostol a few hours before going in, to soften my cervix for the procedure. I had to fast from the night before, and drink no fluids from 8am.

When we got to the hospital, staff were so lovely and understanding. The nurse checked us in and went through our information, then the anaesthetist came around to ask some more questions and discuss the procedure.

We didn't have to wait too long before being called down to theatre. I found this bit hard, because my husband had to leave me at the doors and I suddenly felt very alone, but again the staff were wonderful. I got very upset on the trolley waiting for the anaesthetic to kick in, and a lovely nurse held and squeezed my hand til I fell asleep. Next thing I knew, I was coming around in the recovery room. I felt fine very quickly after. They brought me back to my bed, and brought me tea and toast shortly after. I didn't feel groggy or unwell at all. I had some bleeding, a small bit of sensation rather than pain, and otherwise was fine. They kept us there until I was able to walk around and had passed urine without a problem, then we were allowed home. All in all, I'd say we were in and out in four hours.

I bled lightly for a few days afterwards, but had no real pain or discomfort. All going well, you should be fine for going back to work.

After the d&c, I have had a different 'sensation' on the right side of my uterus at a certain point in my cycle, which worried me a little. But I've had it checked out and have been told it's fine, and I got pregnant again though that one hasn't worked out either, but getting there is a good sign.

I can understand how you feel about wanting things to be over. I was the same that first time. You are dealing with so much already, coming to terms with everything, that it's hard to also then decide to wait for it to happen of it's own accord. And from my second miscarriage, believe me - that can take time! All the procedures have risks associated, and all at approximately the same percentages.

And again, good luck tomorrow

Bx

Thanks for the detailed story!!! I like knowing what to expect, even if its scary. I was told I have to do general anesthesia, but you made it through and so did thousands of other scared women. Thanks.

 

[AerisandAlex]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Honestly, I went through EXACTLY the same thing in 2006... at 11 weeks, my doctor did an ultrasound and even told me the exact same thing, that my body had absorbed the baby and they needed to do a D&E (almost exactly the same as a D&C) I was broken inside, I was embarrassed... I didn't even bleed, I didn't believe it myself because I felt like I had no sign of that happening... but honestly if they're seeing tissue, it's most likely a miscarriage and not a blighted ovum (not trying to be insensitive at all, please don't think I am)... I've had both myself, a miscarriage just this passed year and the blighted ovum in 2006.. the blighted ovum scared me because they found NOTHING, just an empty gestational sac... I would have been more at peace with the procedure if they'd of found some remaining tissue, but there was nothing...

the procedure to me, was also scary, but that's only because it was my first surgery EVER, I'd never had to go for surgery any other time in my life, and I cried the whole way back into the surgery room... but to be honest, it was quick, they put in an IV an I went right to sleep peacefully, no troubles at all, I just felt exhausted, I had a strange dream that it was the night before my actual surgery, like I was reliving it and when I woke up, it took me a little bit to realize what had happened, but honestly, the after effects were amazingly not there... I mean, I told my family I was going to go to school and work that day but I was urged by the doctor to take the day off... even though I felt fine! It just felt like I'd walk out of the doctor's office, no pain, no nausea, the only thing I felt afterwards was the part of my hand that the IV was in... but that's my experience with it...

I'm so sorry again , but don't be scared, it's a very quick and surpisingly simple procedure....

 

[CJJM54]

I'm sorry hun. I just suffered a blighted ovum in May (found out at 8 weeks) and because I was so scared of a d&c I opted for the medicinal method and have regretted it ever since. I ended up having to take it twice (the 1st time did nothing) and even then I had tissue left behind and had to have the dr manually remove it with an in office procedure and I'm STILL waiting for my hcg levels to drop (now at a 24 so almost there!) If I had to do it over again I'd opt for the d&c and I hope everything goes very smoothly with yours and that you go on to have a healthy baby in the future!

 

[calvinzoey]

I'm sorry hun. I just suffered a blighted ovum in May (found out at 8 weeks) and because I was so scared of a d&c I opted for the medicinal method and have regretted it ever since. I ended up having to take it twice (the 1st time did nothing) and even then I had tissue left behind and had to have the dr manually remove it with an in office procedure and I'm STILL waiting for my hcg levels to drop (now at a 24 so almost there!) If I had to do it over again I'd opt for the d&c and I hope everything goes very smoothly with yours and that you go on to have a healthy baby in the future!

God forbid this happen again to you or me, but if it does, please do the D&C! I was miscarrying on my own, starting last night (the night before my D&C). It was the most traumatic and painful experience ever.

I was terrified, but looking back on it, it was very silly to be. I'm very glad I went through with it and would choose it any day over natural or medication.

Hopefully we both find our bundle of joy in the near future.

 

[calvinzoey]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Honestly, I went through EXACTLY the same thing in 2006... at 11 weeks, my doctor did an ultrasound and even told me the exact same thing, that my body had absorbed the baby and they needed to do a D&E (almost exactly the same as a D&C) I was broken inside, I was embarrassed... I didn't even bleed, I didn't believe it myself because I felt like I had no sign of that happening... but honestly if they're seeing tissue, it's most likely a miscarriage and not a blighted ovum (not trying to be insensitive at all, please don't think I am)... I've had both myself, a miscarriage just this passed year and the blighted ovum in 2006.. the blighted ovum scared me because they found NOTHING, just an empty gestational sac... I would have been more at peace with the procedure if they'd of found some remaining tissue, but there was nothing...

the procedure to me, was also scary, but that's only because it was my first surgery EVER, I'd never had to go for surgery any other time in my life, and I cried the whole way back into the surgery room... but to be honest, it was quick, they put in an IV an I went right to sleep peacefully, no troubles at all, I just felt exhausted, I had a strange dream that it was the night before my actual surgery, like I was reliving it and when I woke up, it took me a little bit to realize what had happened, but honestly, the after effects were amazingly not there... I mean, I told my family I was going to go to school and work that day but I was urged by the doctor to take the day off... even though I felt fine! It just felt like I'd walk out of the doctor's office, no pain, no nausea, the only thing I felt afterwards was the part of my hand that the IV was in... but that's my experience with it...

I'm so sorry again , but don't be scared, it's a very quick and surprisingly simple procedure....

Just made it through! I didn't have any dreams. I was so nervous, but I couldn't cry. Which is weird for me. Anyhow, I just remember strange pieces... like transferring to OR bed and then having my arms strapped down. I also remember the doctor putting a mask of and saying, "This is just oxygen, I'll be giving you something else very soon", and the I was out.

I really would do it again if it came to it.

 

[CJJM54]

I'm sorry hun. I just suffered a blighted ovum in May (found out at 8 weeks) and because I was so scared of a d&c I opted for the medicinal method and have regretted it ever since. I ended up having to take it twice (the 1st time did nothing) and even then I had tissue left behind and had to have the dr manually remove it with an in office procedure and I'm STILL waiting for my hcg levels to drop (now at a 24 so almost there!) If I had to do it over again I'd opt for the d&c and I hope everything goes very smoothly with yours and that you go on to have a healthy baby in the future!

God forbid this happen again to you or me, but if it does, please do the D&C! I was miscarrying on my own, starting last night (the night before my D&C). It was the most traumatic and painful experience ever.

I was terrified, but looking back on it, it was very silly to be. I'm very glad I went through with it and would choose it any day over natural or medication.

Hopefully we both find our bundle of joy in the near future.

I agree, if this does god forbid happen again, I will definitely opt for the d&c. Glad to hear everything went well for you!

 

[justhoping]

so people dont wig out...they dont scrape the uterus anymore so you dont scar and or cause problems from a d&c like they did 20 yrs ago...
the procedure is safe and doesnt cause infertility problems...20 yrs ago maybe 1 percent did but not even that anymore as there is NO SCRAPING

i hope this calms some down...

 

[Topanga053]

so people dont wig out...they dont scrape the uterus anymore so you dont scar and or cause problems from a d&c like they did 20 yrs ago...
the procedure is safe and doesnt cause infertility problems...20 yrs ago maybe 1 percent did but not even that anymore as there is NO SCRAPING

i hope this calms some down...

I don't think that's correct. I specifically asked the ER doctor about the risk of scarring post-op and she said that the risk is still at about 1%, which is also what I've read in more current medical literature.