Does anyone have reassuring knowledge about chances of MMC?

[Laura27]

I'm currently 10+4 (hopefully!) but since day 1 I've had an almost irrational view that the pregnancy is not going to continue. I think it's down to being almost completely symptom-less, although I know that it's not unusual to have no symptoms. I had a reassurance scan at 7+4 which showed a little bean with a strong heartbeat, and I've had no bleeding between now and then to make me think that anything is wrong, but I can't shake the fear that I'm going to be at my 12 week scan in 2 weeks and see that the baby hasn't developed

I feel like I keep writing the same post in different ways, but I really need some reassuring experiences, the sonographer said that chances of loss were so slim after seeing the heartbeat but my brain just won't accept it! I want to enjoy this pregnancy and have waited so long to be in the 1st tri but now I'm here I can't wait for it to end!

 

[His Princess]

I share the same fears as you do and a lot of my anxiety stems from the fact that I actually had a mmc in April last year.

I also had a scan at 7+4 and everything looked perfect but I still can't shake the fear that something is going to go wrong again. With that being said, once a heartbeat is seen (it wasn't in my previous pregnancy), then your chances of a mc are greatly reduced.

I also haven't had as many typical pregnancy symptoms this time around by I keep trying to tell myself that symptoms don't necessarily indicate a healthy pregnancy. I had lots of symptoms last time around, even after the baby had stopped developing, so symptoms really aren't everything.

I have my scan next Thursday so I'll be willing the time away for both of us x

Edited to add that your chance of a mmc is pretty low anyway- I believe it's around 1% of all pregnancies x

 

[pgfairy]

I felt the same way until my scan on Monday if that makes you feel any better, and even since then I can't stop myself checking when I wipe and worrying at every little twinge.

Statistics are scary. However I can tell you that I found (because I'm a freak and insane) that the chances go down by half after you see the heartbeat and by 9 weeks reduce to 1/34th of the risk you have at conception.

The actual number? After 9 weeks 99.5% of all women have successful outcomes.

Those numbers are from a study of 700 women over 2 years in a hospital in Australia.

Does that help?

 

[Laura27]

Thanks pgfairy, that's reassuring!! I wonder what the stats are on chances of a miscarriage without knowing i.e. no bleeding. I know I'm just being paranoid and it's not like me at all to get crazy like this about something, I just need to reconcile it mentally before I head for the 12 week scan otherwise i'll be a blubbering mess in the waiting room and probably refuse to have it done hehe!

 

[pgfairy]

I had those too but I can't find them right this second, I had them on my home computer and I'm at work.

Basically the same story in a study of >5000 women. Chances of a MMC were actually lowest if you hadn't had any bleeding at all and were about the same as the figures above and didn't increase by that much if you had had minor spotting or even moderate spotting. Major spotting increased the risk which I guess isn't a surprise. I can dig it out for you tonight to confirm.

Edit; just as a point of interest I looked all this up two days before my 12 week scan because I was FREAKING OUT so I get how you're feeling completely *hugs*

 

[His Princess]

Thanks pgfairy, that's reassuring!! I wonder what the stats are on chances of a miscarriage without knowing i.e. no bleeding. I know I'm just being paranoid and it's not like me at all to get crazy like this about something, I just need to reconcile it mentally before I head for the 12 week scan otherwise i'll be a blubbering mess in the waiting room and probably refuse to have it done hehe!

I mentioned this is my post above. MMC only occur in around 1% of all pregnancies x

 

[Laura27]

Thank you! Those are reassuring numbers! I feel like a mad woman, it seems whenever I'm not supposed to be bleeding I'm checking to see if I am and when I'm supposed to be bleeding (pre-pregnancy with PCOS) I was always checking to see if I wasn't!! My SIL had a MMC with no indication a few years ago which I don't think is helping my crazy state of mind

STOP IT WOMAN!! RELAX!!

 

[Leafy]

I had a MMC a few years ago. Never saw a heartbeat so the fact that you have is obviously very reassuring. I then had a successful pregnancy and have a beautiful little girl but doesnt stop the anxiety of MMC this time round either, even though they say the chances are slim to begin with. xx

 

[Laura27]

Thanks His Princess, hopefully I'm not in that 1%!

 

[His Princess]

I'm sure you won't be Laura, the chances of it happening a small. I completely understand why you're worrying though. MMC is such a scary thought but I'm sure all will be fine x

 

[wonders10]

I was the 1%, saw a heartbeat too, and still had a mmc. Although I did have brown spotting that continued to get heavier, literally zero symptoms - I felt amazing, and just a nagging feeling that something was off.

This time around, I am obviously terrified of it happening again, but I made it past the time the last baby went to sleep and I've seen the heartbeat twice. And even though I don't have tons of symptoms, I feel off pretty much every day. Sometimes its my boobs, sometimes I get nauseous, always tired lol, but nothing so bad that I'm bed-ridden or can't work. I just feel different.

I had never even heard of a mmc until I came to these boards. And I'm going to venture to say that the majority of people posting on these boards are doing so because something went wrong or they want support for all those fun pregnancy symptoms that make us feel like crap. I never read posts where women say they feel amazing and glowing and never better, so I think you audience is a little skewed making it seem like mmc are much more common than they are. I even asked my dr after mine if it was rare after seeing a heartbeat and she agreed it was.

I'd say try to stay calm and relax and assume that if you don't have any obvious signs of bad news, there is nothing to worry about

 

[laura109]

I cant tell you 100% that nothing will go wrong, but im pretty confident it wont at this point. also I was the same as you about 25 weeks ago. the morning of my scan was the longest morning. I was convinced it would be a missed mc. I was so sure it was going to go wrong. I got to my appointment and sat waiting full of nerves. when I was called in i just wanted to see that heartbeat. i laid back on the bed and the traninee said is this your first scan... i said yes.... she said how exciting.... i remember thinking how comes she is saying that before she knows its ok...

anyway gel was put on my tummy. it was about 5 seconds later she said you have one baby in there. i looked at the screen and this mini whole person was laid there fingers in its mouth asleep. heart beating away.

i wished i had not worried so much.

anyway i am having a little girl in 5 weeks. she is healthy.

all i can tell you is that it is sooooo rare for a mmc to occur. until you start feeling them move, you will feel paranoid or worried. but its so unlikely. you will get through the next couple of weeks and it will be ok. the 1st trimester is horrible. the second is great. you get a bump, they start moving, you start buying. the 3rd is uncomfy but you feel them all the time. itl be ok.. welcome to motherhood xxx

 

[pgfairy]

STOP IT WOMAN!! RELAX!!

I bet if we did a poll a very large percentage of women on this forum would agree that this was their mantra for the first trimester.

 

[Laura27]

Thanks for all of your input ladies, you're making me feel so much better. I'm going to try not to clock watch for the next couple of weeks!