# Miscarriage and still pregnant



## ~ Seneka ~ (Oct 4, 2003)

I've been reading all of these threads and haven't seen one mention of the fact you can miscarry and still be pregnant. I think it is very important to make sure you aren't before you go through a D&C.

I am a mother of 12 year old boy-girl twins. I never thought I would have more kids because of the trauma I went through with the birth of my twins. My son is severely disabled, as they were born at 30 weeks gestation. Anyway, I remarried a year and a half ago to a very sweet nice man with no kids. We talked about if we would have children together but I always told him I didn't know if that's what I wanted, so I took birth control pills.

I felt strange, my period was only late by 2 days, but I took a pregnancy test anyway and it showed I was pregnant. I took another the next day and same thing. I had trouble believing I was pregnant for some reason.
My husband and I went off on a trip for our first anniversary and during this trip I started a period. I knew that test was wrong, but... I still felt strange. I continued to have a period for about a week, and then I woke one night just gushing blood and clots everywhere. OK, I told my husband, this must be a miscarriage.

The bleeding slowed down after a day but was still heavy, and I started to not feel well, dizzy, heavy cramping. Finally after another week my husband took me to the emergency room when I started throwing up and could barely walk.
The doctor said yes, this is a misscarriage and since you want mother nature to take it's course, we will send you home. At the last second, he decided to check with an ob/gyn on call first though.

Suddenly I turned toward my husband and said, "I'm still pregnant." He replied, "I know."
The whole thing felt bizaar.
The doctor came back and told us the ob/gyn said to take an ultrasound, just to be sure. I told the doctor I go into a mental and physical shock when poked and prodded since my twins' birth. He said he'd be easy on me.
The nurse came in when the doc left and told me I had to have a cathetor. I said no, I couldn't do that. She became irritated with me and said then no ultrasound, I knew I needed one and said Fine, go ahead then and she put the tube in. I immediately started to panic, sweat profusely, went cold and shaky. She was surprised, looked at the monitors and said I was going into shock. My husband told me to focus on him and I listened to him talk me and we worked through it. The symptoms of shock stopped. Whatever, that's off subject.

A woman came to take blood, she said I was blessed. I asked why, she said she could never get pregnant and here I was with a blessed child. I told her I was having a miscarriage. She looked at me and said, you'll see, it's a miracle.

We went to get the ultrasound and the ultrasound woman was cranky from being woken up to come in. She started the ultrasound and said she saw a heartbeat. I asked if it was a baby, she said yes. And an extra sac.
She didn't seem so irritable then.

The doctor came and told my husband and me, you have a viable fetus. You had twins but miscarried one. I continued to bleed (reabsorbing the one that died) for 7 more weeks. I am now 6.5 months pregnant with a supposedly healthy baby, and I worry everyday I will give birth early.

I found out this kind of miscarriage is uncommon but does happen. More than people might think. Be careful before you have a d&c done. Make sure the doctors have done an ultrasound first.


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## Mona (May 22, 2003)

to MDC.

Thanks so much for sharing your story.







s to you and your family. I will be thinking positive thoughts for you.


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## juicypakwan (Jun 19, 2002)

That happened to my mom my sister and a friend in high school. I think it is alot more common than people think. Congratulations on your pregnancy.


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## LazureFairie (Oct 25, 2003)

Quote:

_Originally posted by ~ Seneka ~_
*I've been reading all of these threads and haven't seen one mention of the fact you can miscarry and still be pregnant. I think it is very important to make sure you aren't before you go through a D&C..........

We went to get the ultrasound and the ultrasound woman was cranky from being woken up to come in. She started the ultrasound and said she saw a heartbeat. I asked if it was a baby, she said yes. And an extra sac.
She didn't seem so irritable then.

The doctor came and told my husband and me, you have a viable fetus. You had twins but miscarried one. I continued to bleed (reabsorbing the one that died) for 7 more weeks. I am now 6.5 months pregnant with a supposedly healthy baby, and I worry everyday I will give birth early.

I found out this kind of miscarriage is uncommon but does happen. More than people might think. Be careful before you have a d&c done. Make sure the doctors have done an ultrasound first.*
Yes, I would have to agree with that since I lost one of the twins I was carrying in my fourth pregnancy. That was my last pregnancy that I went to an ob/gyn, fortunately when I went in to the ER bleeding heavily, I was not rushed in for a d & c. I had never had a m/c previous to that one so I didn't know what to expect and thought that was surely the end of the pregnancy. The ob I saw in the ER was a twin himself so he immediately noticed my belly was larger than it should be for my dates. Then he checked and found I was not in labor and listened for the heartbeats--he did find one and a strong one. I had the ultrasound and it confirmed I was pregnant with a healthy fetus and the picture clearly showed the remains of the twin's placenta, the site of the bleeding. I was released and went on to have a normal pregnancy and gave birth to my healthy dd at term.

When I told a few friends who had miscarried about this they said they were sure they were pregnant with twins too, but they were rushed into surgery before an ultrasound was done.







I also understand it is not that uncommon.

I have had miscarriages since then but they have all been at home. I would not go a hospital because I don't think a d & c should be done unless mediacally neccesary.


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## lac (Nov 22, 2002)

Okay, so I have a question for all of you.

I was pregnant with my 3rd (which I was afraid was twins) and at 11 wks had a "gush" of blood after running. The week before, I had gone to my old OB (although I was planning a homebirth, I was arguing with my insurance, so just went for the intial prenatal appt). I was 10 weeks, she tried to get hearttones, but I didn't want that much u/s exposure to the fetus I thought was in there. Just to back up a little, this pregnancy was different in that I was sick almost immediately, but not as sick as I was in last 2 pregnancies. I started popping out almost immediately, esp. at night, yet I was not gaining weight like I always did in 1st trimester. Anyway, after this gush of blood, I called and they tried to assure me that this could be "normal" after exercise, but I asked then to have an u/s to make sure. I had a vaginal u/s, the tech showed me my uterus and explained that it was only 7-8 weeks in size rather than 11 and with nothing in the sac. I was offered a d&c but decided to wait and see what happens. Not a drop of blood since, but I have started some cramping today.

So my question is, could there be no mistake since I had the vaginal u/s, or are you saying that there could have been two and that the other sac could have been missed, even by u/s? I was concerned that the abnormal signs (not being as sick, not gaining wt) suggested something was wrong with the fetus, but strangely enough, I also wondered if there ever was a case of a d&c actually removing a viable pregnancy (I don't think mine is).

Thanks for your thoughts. It was interesting reading your stories. You are truly blessed


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## Britishmum (Dec 25, 2001)

This is something that is bothering me too. (Lac, we seem to be at exactly the same place right now.







)

If you have a d&c, do they do another scan to check?

I did see the ultrasound picture of my baby last week, and know there was no heartbeat. But could they miss a twin in there? I don't actually think that this is the case, and certainly am not hanging onto any hope. But it bothers me that people could have a d&c without anyone checking. Or do they automatically do a scan before surgery?


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## lac (Nov 22, 2002)

Hi Britishmum

I know I have responded to your posts in the other section. Thanks for responding. I have exactly the same question. I am not holding onto hope either, but I did think it was strange I saw the others' stories. I also saw the u/s, and she said there was nothing there (and quite bluntly and without sympathy, I might add - I guess since she saw nothing, it seemed strange to her that I might be upset? I was pregnant, in my mind and to be told there was nothing in there was really a surreal experience, still is) In any case, I'm hoping these other women who have had the experience will write again. I guess what I was getting at is is it possible to have an inaccurate u/s (it was a vaginal probe and the tech was "one of their best" at one of the best u/s practices here in Chicago). I guess it just gave me a glimmer of hope, as I am awaiting the natural m/c.

Hope you're doing ok. Do you really have no one to help you out? I have two kids (4-1/2 and 6-1/2) but they're in school all day, so I'm just assuming I'll get through it just fine. I have a high pain tolerance and I'm not a high maintence type of lady, have always done a lot and taken care of everything for myself. But I do have my husband (who is pushing the d&c just a little).

Take care

Laura


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## Ms. Mom (Nov 18, 2001)

did you have your ultrasound at the doctors office or did you have a high tech one at the hospital? I know the U/S's I had at my doctors office were not always clear, but the hospital ones are pretty clear.

I wish I knew what to say - just







's for you all.


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## Britishmum (Dec 25, 2001)

Mine was at the doctors office and very unclear. Although I have no reason to believe that there was another baby in there, I also would have no confidence that if there was, he would have picked it up, if that makes sense.

I'm not thinking remotely that there is, but if I had a d&c I'd always have that niggling thought in the back of my mind. If I do have to have one, I will insist on a high tech scan first, just to be 100% sure.

I see the OB tomorrow and am hoping to get some answers about how far this miscarriage has gone. One of the things I find hardest is having no idea where I'm at. I guess that like labour, every one is radically different, so when you read about other people's experiences, they don't tell you very much in relation to your own.

I did have a wonderful moment tonight when things were all getting too much. I didnt say anything but was not really in this world. Dd#1 (just three) came over to me, put her arms around me, and said "I think you need some peace and quiet." She then took herself and her little sister off into the sitting room to watch TV. This was at a time when normally both girls would be at my legs, squabbling and wanting attention. I must be doing something right to have raised such a sensitive and empathetic child.


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## pamelamama (Dec 12, 2002)

I wonder if this is like the "vanishing twin" I had...

Early in my pregnancy with Eli, the doctor did an ultrasound and found two sacs. One with Eli, the other a fetus that had stopped growing, an empty sac. He called the condition "vanishing twin" and said it is fairly common, but often undetected before the popularity of the early ultrasound.

I have heard stories of mamas who were going in for D and C when the ultrasound detected a heartbeat. It seems reasonable to expect the DR. to be one hundred and fifty percent sure before performing such a procedure.

xoxo pam


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## Ms. Mom (Nov 18, 2001)

Britishmum, you sound so level headed at this time. Yes, I would ask for an ultrasound before having a D&C as well. It does sound like you're moving throught this well, so I'm hoping it wont come to that for you.

WOW, kids are amazingly percept arent they? You must have felt so touched.


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## WarriorqueenBea (Oct 7, 2003)

I think that you can demand another ultrasound, just to reasure yourself. Any decent doctor will comply.
When I had my D&C, I had an ultrasound done at the hospital, but I 'knew' even before the scanner touched my belly that my baby was gone.


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