# Blighted Ovum: How Long Did it Take to Miscarry?



## amo4piano (Jan 19, 2010)

I am 8 weeks, 1 day and I've been diagnosed with a blighted ovum. My GS measures 5 1/2 weeks and my hormone levels are dropping. Barring nothing short of a God-given miracle, I'm now playing a waiting game.

MW says it could take even a few months for my body to do its own thing. I REFUSE to get a D&C.

How long did it take you all to miscarry if you had a blighted ovum? Can someone tell me what it was like? I've heard two totally different stories so far. One included heavy bleeding for FOUR WEEKS and the other had zero bleeding--her body just absorbed the GS and she didn't cycle again for 3 months.

Another emotional burden I'm now facing is that DH and I won't be able to try again until I get my regular body rhythm back. I'm just a wreck







I'm a teacher with school starting next week and just don't see how I can face all the things on my plate in these up-coming months.

I'll be 31 in January and DH will be 34 in Nov...we just feel this is so much time getting away from us. It took us a while to conceive this first pregnancy. I'm so devistated and feeling like I'm running out of time and hope.

Help!


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## MFuglei (Nov 7, 2002)

First let me say, I'm sorry for your loss.

My first m/c was a blighted ovum. I was diagnosed at 7w2d (or, rather not diagnosed thanks to bad ER doctors, but whatever) and I passed the sac 24 hours later. HCG was 3,000 at the original appointment and 4 days later it had dropped to about 700. My second m/c was _originally_ diagnosed as a blighted ovum, but a better u/s revealed that fetal development had stopped early - at 5 or so weeks - and simply broken down to look like an empty sac. HCG at that originally appointment was 46,000. 2 days later it was 50,000. I wanted to have a natural miscarriage and so I waited. And waited. And waited. 19 days after initial diagnosis of fetal demise, I induced the miscarriage with misoprostal -- some breakdown had begun, but my body simply wasn't letting go. The misoprostal took about 8 hours to start the m/c and it was done within 24 hours, with spotting for the next 8-10 days, but overall the experience had minimal bleeding. I taught class the night after inducing the m/c.

Did your doctor discuss the possibilities of a medically induced miscarriage with you? I know that feelings are rather split on the issue, but the emotional impact of waiting was much more significant than I ever imagined. Given the opportunity to go back, I'd've induced m/c right away with that pregnancy.


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## Maine Mama Doula (Sep 6, 2007)

They called my m/c a failed pregnancy, which is just new medical terminology for a blighted ovum.

I had brown spotting at 8w and my appointment that day. The sac measured about 5 weeks and they said they wouldn't be able to see anything in a sac that small. My hcg levels that day were 9000. The next day I miscarried. The following day, my hcg levels were 2000. I bled similar to AF for 5 days including the m/c and spotted (only when I wiped) for 5 more days. I go in to test my hcg levels again on Thursday, which will be cd14.


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## 2happymamas (May 11, 2005)

I started bleeding at 12-13 weeks. I had not had an ultrasound at that point and thought the pregnancy was progressing normally. I think the sac measured 5w5d.

Due to emotions, I opted to have cytotec inserted vaginally. They inserted in at the hospital and sent me home to miscarry. It was over within 24 hours.


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## amo4piano (Jan 19, 2010)

no, we have not talked about medicine to enduce the miscarriage. I have heard stories of people who didn't "release" for weeks and weeks. I am just so confused. I don't FEEL like there's no baby in there. I am kind of in denial, I guess...

How do I know that they aren't making a mistake? Why would I still feel pregnancy symptoms if this is a m/c?

I think this is going to drive me nuts. My MW said to get another sonogram this coming Friday if my body doesn't being the m/c on its own by then. I suppose we will be discussing some other approaches by then if nothing happens naturally.

Thanks, everyone, for your posts


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## MFuglei (Nov 7, 2002)

Amo, I did that with my 2nd miscarriage. I needed to be sure - and there's no reason whatsoever that you cannot wait until Friday to make any sort of decision.

I would suggest having a pro/con discussion with your Midwife on Friday should the u/s confirm your blighted ovum.

For me, the pros of a medicated miscarriage was: 1) painkillers (in addition to the misoprostal, my doc prescribed percocet), 2) it's fairly quick (24 hours and over), 3) We could begin to TTC again asap. The cons were that it was intense and administering the medication myself was a psychic roadblock that was difficult to overcome. I felt as though I was *doing* it to myself - the miscarriage, the loss, you know? Still, I KNEW in my head that wasn't true and I overcame it. I have no lasting regrets from my medication-induced miscarriages.

My only regret from the 2nd miscarriage was waiting 19 days to do it. The wait for something to happen was, for me, enough to opt for a d&c or misoprostal.


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## rcr (Jul 29, 2008)

hi Amo:

I came here to post the very same question. It is going on a month since I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum. I had three u/s's - at 6,7, and 8 weeks, and today is week 9. I did have some bleeding and minor cramping from weeks 6 and 7, which is why I had the u/s done, but my last u/s, which was a week ago, still showed the sac there (no baby), and the bleeding has since stopped.

It took me a few weeks to come to terms with the loss, I did not want to accept it and kept up hope that the baby was still there.

I suggest taking all the time you need to get it right with you that there is no baby. You don't want to have any regret if you do the medicine or a D&D, y/k.

I am still waiting. I have some blue/black cohosh on my kirthen counter, and I plan to take it this weekend to try to move things along. Although I am 36, and it took us over a year to concive, I did get pregnant this time, so I believe that it will happen again, even if I do have to wait a little longer.


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## aprilmom (Sep 9, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MFuglei* 
For me, the pros of a medicated miscarriage was: 1) painkillers (in addition to the misoprostal, my doc prescribed percocet), 2) it's fairly quick (24 hours and over), 3) We could begin to TTC again asap. The cons were that it was intense and administering the medication myself was a psychic roadblock that was difficult to overcome. I felt as though I was *doing* it to myself - the miscarriage, the loss, you know? Still, I KNEW in my head that wasn't true and I overcame it. I have no lasting regrets from my medication-induced miscarriages.

misoprostal.

We did misoprostal at 8 weeks. My hcg was 32,000 and still going up slightly. One thing that gave me peace was that at that level the should see a fetal pole. I started to bleed about 18 hours after the doc administered the misoprostal but did not pass the sac until almost a week later. I expected the emotional but didn't expectnthe physical toll it took on my body. It took us 3 years to conceive our BO and it has made me not want to try anymore.

I am sorry for your loss and hope you are able to find an option you are comfortable with.


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## MisaGoat (Jul 10, 2006)

11 weeks. I didn't know before that, I went in for my check up and they found the blighted ovum and I started bleeding either that day or the next.

As far as how heavy the bleeding was, it was heavy bleeding for a day or two and then it got better. The whole length once I started bleeding was a couple days, like it is for a period only heavier.

I am sorry for your loss.


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## crayfishgirl (May 26, 2009)

I'm sorry you're going through this Amo (you too, RCR)

My MC was also a blighted ovum. I started spotting (very lightly) at 8 weeks, and at the US the next day the sac measured 6 weeks. Spotting increased more over the next 4 days, and then I finally started really bleeding on day 5, and passed the sac that day. I wasn't in a lot of pain...just cramping during the first two days of heavy bleeding. I bled for 2 weeks (much lighter/spotting towards the end of that). Bleeding stopped for a week, then I bled lightly/spotted for a week after that.

I was also worried about our age (I'm almost 37, and my husband is 39) and having a baby, and that this loss was not only devastating emotionally, but we were back to trying again. I started charting again as soon I stopped bleeding (the first time) and we were trying again almost immediately. My cycles regulated pretty quickly (I had my first period 3 weeks after that seond week of bleeding). We have been really fortunate and I'm now pregnant again (2 months post-MC, and fingers crossed, things seem to be going okay). I completely understand the need to start trying again, and your despair...over everything.

Be gentle with yourself....this is such an awful experience that I wish you weren't going through.


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## MFuglei (Nov 7, 2002)

I was just checking in to see if you had an update, Amo, and I see it's been awhile since you've posted.

I hope you are doing OK and wanted to send thoughts your way.


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## cappuccinosmom (Dec 28, 2003)

I wasn't aware that my baby had died until the miscarriage had actually started.

I am glad you are going to have additional testing done. At that stage, because of a number of possible ways for errors to be made, I would wait a few weeks before considering a medically induced miscarrage.


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## ASusan (Jun 6, 2006)

My blighted ovum was dx around 8 weeks, although we knew something was amiss at 6 weeks. It took 5 weeks to start bleeding, and I started it by going to an acupuncturist and doing some Chinese herbs. I didn't like the acupuncturist, and while the procedure did start the bleeding, I did not go back. I bled for 8 weeks, off and on, with some very heavy days. I finally had another ultrasound, which showed some retained material, so I decided then to do a D&C. And was pregnant (viable) 2 months after the D&C.

So, start of pregnancy to D&C was 5 months. I was 35-36.

DS is almost 3, and we're starting to TTC again. (I'm 40.)


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## amo4piano (Jan 19, 2010)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MFuglei* 
I was just checking in to see if you had an update, Amo, and I see it's been awhile since you've posted.

I hope you are doing OK and wanted to send thoughts your way.

Hi, thanks...my miscarriage actually began yesterday. I did have to seek help, but since I refused to take pharmaceuticals or have a D&C, I actually went to see a homeopath. She put me on a three-day remedy and about 12 hours after my last dose, the miscarriage began.

I'm not gonna lie...I'm in a lot of pain. It's been super tough both physically and emotionally. It didn't help that DH and I decided to "getaway" this weekend and the heavy stuff began this morning as we began our 4 hour drive home. It wasn't a pleasant ride home, let's put it that way.

So, I'm having a SUPER tough time right now, but I'm glad to be inthe comfort of my home and with the support of DH. Just wondering now how long this really bad part will last...

Thanks so much for thinking of me and for asking. I feel so loved and supported here!


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## MFuglei (Nov 7, 2002)

I'm so sorry. I know you were holding onto hope - and many of us were for you as well. I'm glad to hear that your wait is over and I hope that your physical and emotional recovery is swift.









In the meantime, take care of yourself. I believe my pastor put it well when she said that sometimes "extreme self-care" was the necessary path - especially during times like this.

Thanks for the update and I'm very glad the homeopath came through for you - it's another alternative that I forgot to suggest, but I know many women find good treatment there.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.


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## amo4piano (Jan 19, 2010)

Thank you so much! I love reading comforting words on here. I did, in fact, take the day off for myself. I'm not even answering the phone...the bleeding has lessened but I am really having bad pain and I just feel light-headed and tired.

Your pastor had it right! These are definitely days for extreme self care


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