# Missed miscarriage



## Isfahan (Jul 23, 2004)

Yesterday, at my first OB appointment (9+ weeks) we saw that there was no heartbeat on the ultrasound. The Ob estimated the baby stopped growing at about 6 weeks.

Strangely, I have had no indication of anything wrong - spotting, cramps or reduction in symptoms. The Ob suggested I could wait for a natural miscarriage to occur - possibly another 3 weeks - or have a D&C. I'm not big on non-essential medical intervention and so I said I'd wait.

Its a weird feeling. At first I was really intensely sad. It was a mixture of self-pity and the loss of what could-have-been. I hadn't really personified the baby yet, it was still very much a part of me, so I don't feel the grief of losing a child (my 3-year old is so much larger than life) but losing the possibility. And, although there is no reason to feel this way I feel panic that I will never have a second child. I am 37, so its not my last chance. BUT. You know, feelings.

The weird part is that I feel let down by my body - that it hasn't figured out that I am sort-of-not-pregnant anymore. Its been weeks that I have staggered around with morning sickness, exhaustion and peeing all the time and I don't know how long I want to wait in this limbo.

Anyway, I called my naturopath-midwife and I am going to pick up some herbs to slowly induce a miscarraige. She'll also do acupuncture next week. Sigh.

The upside is that I am feeling a lot more comfortable with my naturopathic / midwife than the Ob so it might help me resolve my fence-sitting to just go with the midwife when we conceive again.

Shannon


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## SagMom (Jan 15, 2002)

Shannon, I don't think your experience is uncommon.

I, was 9+ weeks when we found out that the baby had stopped growing at 7 weeks. I kept thinking, "How could I have not known?" But in speaking to other moms and reading through MDC, it seems that the 2 week thing is pretty common. It wasn't until after I'd started spotting that my preg symptoms slowly started to go away. I'm now on day 4 of bleeding and I no longer feel pregnant.

I think that our bodies are programed to support a pregnancy, so there's sort of a lag time between when the baby dies and our bodies give it up. I don't know how scientific that is, but that's the way I'm thinking of it.


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## weesej (Apr 19, 2003)

It is very common for there to be 1-2 months between the death of the baby and the miscarriage. Very normal.


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## Isfahan (Jul 23, 2004)

Thanks for that info. It helps to know that my body hasn't missed some big cue or become stuck in a perpetual pregnancy. I am now taking a herbal tincture which may help speed up the process - even though I do not want a D&C I don't think I could endure a month of waiting to start bleeding.

Does anyone know whether the placenta continues to develop after the baby passes away? Or does the placenta stop growing too?
Shannon


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