# No heart beat



## JacksMama04 (Aug 20, 2006)

Hello,

I am new to all of this but a friend recommended I post to hear the thoughts of like minded people. Last night I started bleeding and having pretty painful contractions every 2 minutes (I am was only 15 weeks). Even though we were planning our birth at a freestanding birth center we went to the hospital because I know what was happening was out of the midwives scope of pratcie and I just needed to know what was going on. I had been to my first appointment on Monday and they weren't able to find a heart beat but the midwife was not concered because my pelvis is tillted and it was my second child. Anyways they weren't able to find a heartbeat and the baby only measured 9 weeks. I didn't care for the doctor at all so I didn't want to ask her questions. I have a wonderful OBgyn who actually took me on at 34 weeks with my breech son to do a c-section after we had a homebirth planned. I plan to call him tomorrow and try to make some sense of all this and figure out where to go from here but being that it is Sunday and I am curious to here from women who have been in my place I thought I would post. I know my options are a D&C which sounds very invasive and letting my body work naturally to have the baby come in it's own time. I just feel like I have been hit by a truck and having this baby inside of me is sending these major rushes of emotions thruogh me. I also am so confussed as to how long it may take, I mean if the heartbeat stopped 6 weeks ago and I just started cramping it seems like it could be a while. Today I haven't had anymore craping but the bleeding is still there. I would really love to hear what choice women have made and how that felt for them, I just feel really lost and have no idea what direction to go.

Thank you,

Jacksmama04


----------



## egoldber (Nov 18, 2002)

I am very sorry.









The choice is very individual. Some people cannot cope with the idea of continuing to carry a lost baby and want the immediate closure of a D&C. Others feel that they need to let their body do things naturally. I've done things both ways and neither is particularly fun. Honestly, I feel like I recovered faster after a D&C, but other people's experiences have been different.

If you have an OB that you trust, I would probably consult them. There are some things you need to be concerned about (like infection) and you should educate yourself about those things. Also, at 15 weeks, you may be looking at a D&E as opposed to a D&C, and your OB can tell you more about that and your options.

I am so very sorry.


----------



## Kidzaplenty (Jun 17, 2006)

I am so sorry for your loss.









The actual time table is different for every one. But for me, once the bleeding began it was only a day. If you are cramping and having bleeding already, I would think it would be better for you to just let it happen naturally. It would be different if you had no symptoms.

I could not stand the thought of a D&C. My entire MC took about 36 hours from the time I really started bleeding. I did spot for several days before hand though. And bleeding afterwards was similar to PP.

One thing, bleeding with a MC is MUCH different with after birth. There seems to be much more blood. So don't worry if you have "gushes" of blood. It is usually not that much, but it sure feels like it. Who knows, you may be finished before you have a chance to call your OB tomorrow.


----------



## pottermama (Jun 14, 2006)

I agree with kidzaplenty. I had 3 m/c. Two of them didn't happen until 3 weeks after the heartbeat stopped. By the time I saw the spotting and felt the cramping it only took 3-7 days to go through it. I would wait and try to do it naturally, but it is definately a personal choice.







I am so sorry for your loss. Take care of yourself.


----------



## Summerland (Aug 9, 2005)

hugs, I have been there myself. I found out at 17 weeks my baby dident have a heartbeat and it was around 10-12 week size. I had a d&c because i thought that it was what i had to do. I wish now that i hadnt.


----------



## New Mexico Beach (Mar 13, 2006)

When I had my m/c my midwife advised me to let it pass naturally. She said that unnecessary D&C's were probably the most overused procedure. The only reason to get a d&c (medically speaking) is to remove residual tissue that just wouldn't leave on it's own. It creates scarring in the uterus, which can make conceiving a little more difficult afterwards.


----------

