TTC after miscarriage/loss

I'm not having coffee or alcohol - although I know that may be crazy as I have been TTC for so long

Avid, I started off with spotting (started on a Thursday, had a scan on Friday which determined I was miscarrying), and continued like a normal period (which for me, is quite light). Then the following Wednesday night I had quite a lot of bleeding and clots, then it slowed down again (so didn't have much the next day). Then I woke up in the middle of the night after with quite bad cramps, more bleeding, and a sac came out (I assume that's what it was anyway! It was "in tact" and must've had fluid in it). Then the bleeding slowed down again, so had bleeding then spotting over the following days until it stopped completely. That's what happened to me anyway. It's good that you've got a scan book - at least they'll be able to check how things have progressed.

I think miscarriages can be so different because it depends on how your body deals with it. Some people for example, their bodies break down the product (such a clinical term, but I'm used to it now) and others have to pass everything whole.

For me I had a missed miscarriage. The mucus plug came out, but I don't remember what day that was, I was sort of in denial. A week? later I got brown spotting Mon - Tues, and a gush of brown water on a Wed. Went to the Hospital, while I was there I had a huge gush of red water - it went everywhere. Then everything stopped. Friday I had a scan showing everything still inside and stopped at 8 weeks 4 days. Then I took those pills to get everything going again. The first night was horrific with lots of bleeding and clots. Passing the clots were like labour, I could feel everything passing through my cervix. My husband was afraid the neighbours would think he was murdering me as I was screaming so much. (sorry if that's a bit too much info for some). So we went back to the hospital and I had 4-5? doses of morphine before the pain subsided and the bleeding stopped. Bleed heavily over the next few days, the placenta came out on a Tues, it was huge! I wasn't expecting that (over 10cm long and about 5cm thick), my cervix must of been open then because I honestly didn't feel it pass through, just went to the loo and omg there it was! Bleeding settled down after that but continued for another 6 days. Then I was spotting for another 20 days - turns out I still had product in me hence the non stop bleeding - but it was only 8mm big on the next scan I had. Amazing how something so small can caus so much more bleeding. Then got my first AF and it was HEAVY (had one accident at home on the couch and almost another 3 at work)! That was 8 days plus another 3 spotting.

Then my cycle went back to 'normal'. Don't know what happened to the pregnancy sac. I assume my body broke it down because it did not come out whole or recognisable.

Nell, that sounds awful :-( Thanks for sharing it with us though.

Avid, I had a missed miscarriage, so mine was medically managed about 3weeks after the heartbeat stopped. I took the meds in the hospital and started cramping/bleeding within 20 minutes. I had to take more meds every 3 hours and after 6 hours, the pain was so intense that I had to use morphine. I passed everything about 8 hours after it started, but didn't feel any pain in passing it (bar the cramping). Once I passed the tissue (grayish rather than red/black) I immediately started feeling better - no more nauseousness, had an appetite, etc. The next day I had very light, period like bleeding, then my spotting went on for about another week or 10 days. When I stopped spotting, my hcg's were about 70. I had some MAJOR cramping and bleeding, much like in the hospital, a few days ago (3.5 weeks after the mc) but I'm not sure if it was AF or the end of the mc. I also go awful headaches when my progesterone dropped after the mc, and then I got them again this week when I had all the cramping. The headaches were actually the worst bit for me. My body rebounded really quickly physically. I ran 5km two days later (after not running for months) and had no other lingering symptoms. My last blood test, 3 weeks after the mc, was 15 for the HCG. One week after the mc, my hcg was 250, the next week it was 45 and this week 15 - it goes slowly at the end. Whew... hope that gives you a bit of insight.

Kelzie, sorry for your losses. how early on were your mc's? Did you have missed miscarriages? Were there any other indicators of the low progeserterone?

Whangarei in the northland. They were awesome! I had my own room and bathroom on the surgical ward, the ward was only half full, and the nurses were great. Not that I EVER want to do it again, but I would hope for the same in a similar situation. The nurses (poor ladies!) weighed every clot, pad and all the tissue and kept an eye on me all the time. I couldn't have done it alone at home! The morphine IV helped, too. They were so sympathetic and even wanted me and DH to stay the night though everything was fine by that point. I really appreciated having a doctor constantly checking on me, too. Made the whole experience slightly less traumatic. I can't believe they wouldn't admit you!?!?!?! Poor thing. They wouldn't even give me the first med (36 hours before) to take home, I had to take it in front of them.   

Nell, I have worked at Lower hutt hospital, and now work for a hospital in the far north, yes its hutt hospital. they are way understaffed, but to be fair to them, the government has cut their budget so much they cannot afford more staff.

Nell - that's terrible! It is definitely to do with that hospital. My two experiences were the same as americangirl - at Christchurch Women's. I am so appreciative we live in a country that treats miscarriages with such respect and sincerity. I have heard of such horrible stories in the UK and USA.

I have made a plan for the next couple of months. I am going to see a naturopath tomorrow to start taking vitex in liquid form. I have also booked in with an acupuncturist. FA not only recommends acupuncture, but also, I found out today that a close colleague of mine got pregnant after getting acupuncture. The success rate in women getting pregnant from acupuncture is 17 out of 20! Wow! So I am definitely giving it a go. I am hoping that with the vitex preparing my body and the acupuncture, we will have a sticky baby this time.

Thanks for sharing such a positive experience kelzie_rose, thanks for the well wishes too.
Tans, great to hear about your appointments - would be really interested to hear what the naturopath tells you about the vitex, I'm quite intrigued seeing as I've been told differing things. That's an amazing acupuncture statistic too.
Monkeys - that doesn't sound crazy at all... this journey can be so hard and after multiple m/c's and so few answers I find I'm just doing whatever feels best/comfortable for myself - it's really all I can do. I'm just really curious as to what others in the same situation do, just gives me insight. I do have the odd wine before ov and I also have the odd coffee. I feel ok with that but I can totally understand why others would chose not to.. wish I had your willpower!     

I changed my name slightly...I don't want people thinking I live in the US ;-) Not that there's anything wrong with that (I grew up there) but I'm a Kiwi now.

Wow, Redtulip, thanks for the info. Very interesting! I only just started TTC in March - there's so much to learn. I don't even think we have an acupuncturist within an hours drive of here... let alone a fertility one. Oh, the joys of a small rural town.

I too am going through acupuncture after 3 M/C unexplained. I also go once a week, and with herbs, and he told us to not try for 3 months - that was tough to take, as I felt it was wasting valuable time! But I have noticed big changes to my AF in this time, so its doing something, and have taken the time to focus on losing weight instead. Into our last month of waiting now, and looking forward to trying again next month.
Like Redtulip - nothing else seems to be helping so really hoping Acu is the answer!! I will go on Progesterone this time as well - even though my levels have seemed ok in the past its just another thing that I can try and that can't hurt