How long could it take to m/c?

isadora · 05-24-2006, 12:09 AM

Hi ladies,

I recently found out that I am getting ready to have my second m/c. I had an ultrasound done at 7 weeks and no heartbeat was seen. The ultrasound was repeated a week later and there still wasn's a heartbeat and the baby couldn't really be seen anymore, where as the week before it was measuring right where it should for as far along as I was but with no heartbeat. I had apparently just lot the heartbeat a day or two before the ultrasound.

My Dr gave me the options of waiting, drugs to induce the m/c, or a D&C. Last m/c back in December, I took the drugs which didn't work for me and had to have a D&C. This time around I opted to wait and see if it would happen naturally on it own.

It has now been 3 weeks since my first ultrasound and I have not have any spotting/bleeding and only had some mild cramps a week ago but nothing since. My bbs are still bigger than they normally are, they seem to continue to get more and more veiny looking, and are still a little sensitive/sore. I've also continued to have IBS like stomach stuff since about 5wks. I'm fine with waiting..but should I continue to wait? How long could this take to happen naturally? It's been 3 weeks. I've considered taking Cytotec this weekend to make it happen, but I was really hoping it would happen naturally this time.

Anyone experience a long wait like this??

Tia38 · 05-24-2006, 04:58 PM

Very sorry for your losses.

I had a natural m/c last Dec. It took a while to get going (but my betas were still slowly rising), and then lasted almost 2 weeks. In hindsight I was glad to have waited it out, but if I ever m/c again I would be very tempted to move things along more quickly.

Have they looked at your betas? Perhaps that would be one way to see if something is likely to happen soon?

Not to give you false hope, but I often recommend www misdiagnosedmiscarriage com to women who are (or may be going to) m/c. It has good info before during and after m/c.

There is no right or wrong answer on this one.

I hope someone else can answer your question better,
-Tia

isadora · 05-24-2006, 05:05 PM

Thanks Tia...I am hoping that I will m/c on my own as I am having a little cramping right now but it's very mild..scale of 1-10 10 being the worst...my cramping right now is only a 1. I have not had my betas checked lately but at 19 DPO my level was over 5000. I work in an RE's office so I may just for my benefit have my blood drawn in a little while to see what my progesterone level is doing to see if it has dropped any. It was over 40 last time I had it checked.

I have been to the site that you recommended and it has been informative and helpful. Unfortunately though, since I have had 2 ultrasound one at 7wks and one at 8wks and no heartbeat was seen, there isn't much hope.

How long did it take for you to m/c on your own after finding out the baby was no longer growing?

Tia38 · 05-24-2006, 05:16 PM

In my case my betas were never doubling, so they told me from the beginning that I would m/c. At u/s at 5.5 weeks RE said "nothing there, not possible to have a viable pg" but sent me to another specialist (higher resolution machine?) to have another u/s to rule out ectopic.

That was less than 12 hours later, and the second place saw a sac consistent with 5.5 week pg. So now they said could be viable. A week later original place saw the yolk sac, but not much structure, but said still possible (although not likely). At that point they encouraged the waiting (rather than stepping in). I started bleeding before I could go back for 3rd u/s. At least they had stopped taking betas at that point.

I thought I passed the sac the first day, but it didn't actually happen until later. But once it did happen it all ended 2-3 days later, and my betas zeroed quickly. Depending on when/how you count m/c (is it the first day of bleeding? the day the sac passes? the last day of bleeding?) I was 7.5-8.5 weeks along.

Probably more than you wanted to know, and not as relevant for your case. Sorry. And you may not have much hope, but I know (first hand) that the limbo is horrible.

If it's been 3 weeks has your RE said anything? Perhaps given them a quick call and see if there's antyhing you can check?

Thinking of you,
-Tia

isadora · 05-24-2006, 05:52 PM

Actually, I work for my RE so all I have to do is walk down the hall to talk to him. lol. I've actually talked to him a few times and he's going to write a prescription today for Cytotec. I'll probably take that over the weekend.

Tia38 · 05-24-2006, 07:01 PM

Hugs.

I knew you worked for an RE. I didn't realize you work for YOUR own RE! :-)

More hugs,
-Tia

Pamela · 05-24-2006, 09:30 PM

Bleh. It took about 2 weeks from my US with no HB to the time I started bleeding then I lost the baby about 3 days after i started bleeding.
No d and c and no drugs.
I hope the cytotech works for you.
((HUGS))

VivC · 05-25-2006, 12:41 AM

((Isadora)). I'm sorry this is dragging out. That can make it so much worse!

Viv

isadora · 05-31-2006, 12:08 AM

Hi ladies..just wanted to post an update. I ended up taking 3 200mg cytotec tablets(vaginally) on Friday night around 11:30p. By 1:30a, I was cramping and in a lot of pain..I took a Darvocet but it did nothing for the pain and the pain got worse throughout the night..so I didn't get much sleep. I was cramping and my back was hurting also. After that I started taking 2 Darvocets every 4-6 hours and that helped a little but still not much. I started bleeding about 4 hours after the cramping started but didn't actually start passing small clots until Sunday afternoon(about 36 hours after after I started cramping). Monday was more of the same..still in lots of pain and passing larger clots more frequently. I think I passed some tissue this morning(Tuesday) but I'm not sure that I passed everything. I'm feeling soo much better today and haven't been on the pain meds much at all today. Still bleeding and passing clots and feeling a lot of tenderness in my lower abdominal area, but getting better! :-) My Dr called to check on me today and yesterday to see how I was doing. He will do an ultrasound on me in a couple of days to see if everything has passed. Hopefully I'll be feeling even better tomorrow.

Tia38 · 05-31-2006, 12:51 PM

Isadora -- I am very sorry for your loss. This is physically and emotionally a very hard time. I'lll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope it all goes quickly (and hope that does not sound callous).

In addition to u/s it might be good if they would also check betas. With any luck yours will drop very quickly.

Hugs,
-Tia

isadora · 05-31-2006, 09:43 PM

Tia..thanks! I am doing much better today. I'm not in nearly as much pain as I had been in. Still bleeding and passing clots though..5 days after the cramping started. I'll definitely be checking my betas. Since I work in a lab, I can pretty much check it whenever I want to. I never realized being a lab tech would have so many perks until I started working as one. lol!

Emotinally and physically I am doing much better.

Tia38 · 05-31-2006, 11:01 PM

Very glad to hear it. I know the limbo and waiting is horrible and can feel like an eternity. I guess I didn't realize how bad it was until I started feeling better.

Glad you're feeling better!
-Tia

PS. Nice perk (lab tech) -- but you don't draw your own blood, do ya? (Joke)

isadora · 05-31-2006, 11:36 PM

yes, the being in limbo waiting for it to happen is horrible along with all the physical pain that occurs once the m/c starts. Mine has dragged out over a period of days instead of passing the tissue within a few hours. The one thing that might have been tissue didn't pass until 3 days after I started the m/c. I'm glad that it's almost over.

PS No, I don't draw my own blood but I can perform the test. LOL!