gem

I'm going through my 2nd mmc (baby's heart stopped at 11 weeks but hadn't developed past 7 weeks) and after a failed ERPC (my cervix was too tightly closed) I've decided to have medical management, starting Friday. I am really nervous about this. The doctor has explained what will happen from a medical point but I just want to hear from women that have been through it. What should I expect, how much pain etc. Nothing is tmi.

tillymum

Sorry for your loss and I hope you are doing ok.
I had a D&C so I can't comment of medical management, but just wanted to send you a

Loo

I was 12-13wks by dates but scan showed baby's development stopped about 10weeks. I left it a couple of weeks and then went for medical management. SO here goes my experience:

I had to go to the gynae assessment ward to take some tablets and had to sit around for an hour or so to make sure i was ok. Then go home for 2 days.

Then they warned me that 'things' might start happening on their own, but nothing did happen. Then 2 days later I went in to hospital to stay as an inpatient for the day.

I got a side room to be in all day with a bed etc and firstly had to get changed in to a gown (I changed in to my own clothes later as i felt more comfortable). Then one of the nurses came and inserted some pessaries in to my vagina.

I had to lie still for an hour whilst they worked and by 30-40 mins I really felt like I needed a poo!! WHen you go to the toilet, you have to put a kind of 'potty' thing in between the seats, so that it catches everything that comes out.

I went to the toilet after 50 mins ish and was nervous about what was going to happen and was I going to have to show the nurse my poo!!! etc But actually that was the uterus contracting and basically once i sat on the toilet it felt like everything came flooding out. Lots of blood and fluid and lumps of stuff. And the baby. I could see it really clearly amongst all the other stuff.

I went back to my room with the 'potty' and just sat with my baby for a bit. Saying goodbye. (DH came too). I really valued that time. The nurses would have taken it away immediately, but I made a point of not calling until I was ready to part with my LO. Also my baby was far enough on to be recognisable (I dont know what it would have looked like earlier) and some might find it a bit too gruesome...so you can not look and get the nurses to come earlier if thats better for you.

Once I was ready I called the nurse and she came and took it all away. I felt gutted and started crying as it all became really real.

The rest of the day was spent passing the rest of the bits of tissue. SO is just like a heavy period, except you have to pass it in the potty thing and hand it over to the nurse each time. It's was no more painful than a bad period (I asked for paracetamol once and that was it) but it was really draining and I felt exhausted by the time I went home at 6pm.

All in all it was much less scary than I had anticipated and I would chose it again if the dreaded thing happens again.

I hope that helps you and good luck x

gem

Thanks for your kind words and sharing your experience.

It didn't quite go to plan. I had the first tablet on Friday and was due back in hospital today for the pessaries. We went away to Wales for the weekend, a pre-booked family holiday, and on our first morning I passed our baby bean. It was a horrible, horrible, scary experience. I went to the local A&E and was taken to the gynae ward where I was given some tablets to speed up the passing of any remaining tissue. I had to spend the rest of the day there (the doctor and nurses there were so, so lovely). God forbid this should ever happen again I would so have an ERPC.
Well at least it's over with now so we can begin to get back to some kind of normality. x

Loo

sorry it didn't go to plan sweetheart

hope you make a speedy recovery

x