Saline Ultrasound after a miscarriage???

jmhtmh · 05-16-2006, 12:06 AM

Hi Ladies,

I just learned that I am going to miscarry. I beleive that I was no more than 2-3 weeks pregnant. MY RE said after AF comes that she'd like to do a saline ultrasound to make sure everything looks o.k. Is this common after an early miscarriage? What is the procedure like? Is it very painful? Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

lwasilco13 · 05-16-2006, 12:10 AM

I don't know if it is common after a miscarry, but as far as being painful, I had a little cramping and was kinda tired but other than that not too bad

enits · 05-16-2006, 03:37 AM

First of all, I'm sorry that you're going through a miscarriage. If you need someone to talk to, please FEEL FREE to email me.

I had something similar done during one of my injectable/IUI treatments. It was done during the first mid-cycle ultrasound. I had some concerns about some adhesions/Asherman's Syndrome following a miscarriage/D&C so my RE wanted to allay my fears by doing a saline/contrast ultrasound. It didn't hurt but it was quite messy (water will get all over your bottom afterwards!). The nurse gave me some advil prior to the ultrasound.

05-18-2006, 03:17 AM

Hi, Sorry to hear of your loss.
Im actually having a sonohystogram (saline ultrasound) tomorrow morning.
My miscarriage was in Feb. My RE said she is ordering one because I have a septum in my uterus.
She said that this ultrasound is even better then normal because of the saline. Its also done by a GYN rather then a Tech. They are able to see for any abnormalities or anything that may have caused a miscarriage.

jmhtmh · 05-18-2006, 12:38 PM

Thanks Ladies.

Jane, good luck tomorrow. Let me know how it goes and what to expect if you don't mind sharing. My AF came two days ago, right after they told me that my betas dropped to 17 this past Mon. I am going in again next Mon. Once it is confirmed that my betas are at 0 (which hopefully they should be by Mon.) and once AF is done they are gonna schedule my saline sonogram. At first I was reluctant, but I guess it probably is a good idea to get it done.

LaurAnnHere · 05-18-2006, 12:41 PM

Jane - thinking of you this morning.

05-19-2006, 04:42 AM

Oh girls!!! Its very yucky and embarassing. I've just got back (its midday here in Melbourne).

The GYN doing the exam was a really lovely American lady. She also had a med student with her. Because of the PCOS she asked do you mind if I show the med student your ovaries. He He He. Felt like a freak in a circus show. "Look how many there are. Lets try to count them. See how enlarged?".

But I didn't really mind because if it helps people get educated on polycystic ovaries...then I'm all for it. Plus she was cracking jokes which helped.

The test - firstly they do a normal internal exam. Then the saline bit after. They had a little trouble finding my cervix to insert the catheter (sp?). So in the end there is the GYN, the med student & the nurse all *down there* trying to find my cervix.

Its not painful just uncomfortable & it feels weird. Then you get mild cramping and you leak a little (you will need a pad afterwards).

Good news is - my uterus is 'almost' normal. It is heart-shaped - like a normal uterus but with an indentation. But there is no separation of the uterus, so a baby could implant anywhere & it not be a problem. So I won't need surgery and it wasn't why I miscarried. GYN said its a bicornulate shaped uterus?

Unfortunately I will not be trying for children, at least in the short term. A week & 1/2 ago my husband & I experienced a trauma which I won't go into but it's resulted in us both needing some therapy. But maybe in the future & at least now I know everything is fairly normal.

Now I've hijacked your thread *sorry*. Hopefully the info above does help you though, remember its painless but embarassing & if you can force yourself to relax its more comfortable. Deep breaths and telling yourself its all okay.

Also the most difficult bit for me was being in the waiting room with pregnant women waiting for their ultrasounds & then coming out with smiles and pictures, so be prepared for that & maybe take a book or something.

Good Luck.

jmhtmh · 05-19-2006, 01:46 PM

Thank you for sharing Jane. At least I know what to expect now! If the worst part of it is the embarrassment then I think I will be fine. I am sure that you are glad to have undergone the procedure to get reassurance that your uterus is in good shape! I will hopefully get the same results.

My RE is going to be doing my ultrasound, so there will probably not be too many noticeably pregnant ladies (if any) in the waiting area. I could see how that could get to you.

I am sorry to hear that you and your DH are going through a hard time -- Take care of yourselves first and then focus on ttcing! Best of luck to you.

kerr · 06-08-2006, 09:01 PM

I had a saline sono in april after my chemical pregnancy only because I started my IVF cycle. They said they needed to map out my uterus as to where to place the embryo's. I did not feel a thing, I just layed there with my eyes clothes and pretended I was at the beach.

First they did a regular vaginal sono. Then she put in a speculum, inserted the saline, removed the speculum and did another vaginal sono. Mine was fine. I went back to work that day and was very crampy. Advil cured it.

I spent more time in the waiting room about 30 minutes, then the whole procedure took. I had a lot of anxiety leading up to it. As women we do a great job of working ourselves up. Good luck to you!