Miscarriage: at what point to they do a D&C?

[SC Minnie]

My doctor gave me a choice the first time. He said I could let nature do it's thing or get a D&C and it would be over with in a few days. I chose the D&C. My 2nd miscarriage I wasn't as far along and I just let things happen naturally.
I think it depends on the doctors.

Same thing happened to me. I was given a choice and chose the D&C.

 

[smiths02]

I'm very sorry for your friend's loss.

I had a "missed" miscarriage. Basically, I went in around 8 weeks, and no heartbeat. I opted to wait a week to let nature do it's thing (and to have another confirmation u/s that the fetus/embryo was in fact not viable). A week later, again no heartbeat and there was some deterioration. I was then given the option I believe of Cytotec inserted vaginally or D&C. I went with Cytotec. Went home. A lot of pain and bleeding that first night. And then really bad about two nights later.
I'm talking Percoset pain...I had twins and only took Ibuprofen...so I really am not a pain med person.

ETA: I never needed a D&C. I didn't have infections or pass out from bleeding.
I did go on to have a successful pregnancy just a few months later and then twins a few years after that.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

I'm very sorry for your friend's loss.

I had a "missed" miscarriage. Basically, I went in around 8 weeks, and no heartbeat. I opted to wait a week to let nature do it's thing (and to have another confirmation u/s that the fetus/embryo was in fact not viable). A week later, again no heartbeat and there was some deterioration. I was then given the option I believe of Cytotec inserted vaginally or D&C. I went with Cytotec. Went home. A lot of pain and bleeding that first night. And then really bad about two nights later.
I'm talking Percoset pain...I had twins and only took Ibuprofen...so I really am not a pain med person.

I had the same issue with a "missed" miscarriage, though they never gave me the Cytotec option; they just scheduled me for the D&E. (This may have been because of my history of pre-eclampsia, though; it was the high-risk consult who did the ultrasound where I found out.)

 

[spacemountainmom]

During my second pregnancy I had some cramping and spotting at 7 weeks. I went to the hospital, they did an ultrasound and determined everything was fine. I went in for my 12 week visit and the doctor could not find a heartbeat. I had another ultrasound and I was told the baby died at 11 weeks based on the size. I was given the option to let things happen naturally or go have the d & c. I decided to let thing happen naturally and spent the next week walking around waiting for nature to take it's course.

Nature did not take it's course and I did go have the d & c. It was probably the most awful experience of my life. I bled quite heavily for a few weeks after. Heavy enough that I made a few phone calls to the ob to make sure I was okay. I saw my ob about 4-5 weeks after and was given the okay to try again. I conceived right away the next month and successfully delivered ds at 38 weeks.

In hindsight, I wish I would have just had the d & c right away. That week I waited was so mentally draining.

OP - I hope your friend recovers quickly, physically and emotionally. Be there to hold her hand, make dinner or just listen. She will appreciate it more than you can know.

 

[FINFAN]

I had one at 8 weeks, (heart stopped) They gave my body about 10 days to take care of it, of not, D&c, which I needed. After D was born I suffered another at about 11 weeks, same plan of action but about 3 days later my body did take care of it, or so we thought. I continued to have very high hcg levels and my OBGYN thought perhaps it was ectopic. Had to have surgery to rule it out. That all occurred within a 2 week time frame. I would request the D&C if I were your friend. I found having some control in mine helped with closure, a little.

 

[ols386]

I know someone who had a miscarriage.

The doctor didn't recommend a D&C right away.

He had her come back a week later, and did one of those internal ultrasounds, said there was still some remnants left in the uterus and that it needed to be removed. If not removed, it could cause scar tissue and affect future pregnancies.

 

[Southernmiss]

Zombie thread from 2008. Hope all are ok by now.

 

[spacemountainmom]

Didn't even read the date, d'oh!

 

[Bec3b1g]

Zombie thread from 2008. Hope all are ok by now.

Did I bump it up??? Have no idea how I would have done that since it showed up as a new message. Weird.

 

[SirDuff]

Did I bump it up??? Have no idea how I would have done that since it showed up as a new message. Weird.

My guess is that spam (or somesuch) bumped it up but it was deleted before you saw it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It is weird. So long ago I can't even remember which friend this was, but sorry to read all of your stories. A current friend of mine just had a miscarriage and was telling me about it the other night. Such a hard thing. Hugs to all.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Now I remember who it was. She went on to do ok, never wound up having a D&C. Never had another baby, but had two previoulsy.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I've only miscarried once, at 14 weeks, and I did not have a d&c. My doctor allowed me to choose whether or not to have the procedure after an ultrasound confirmed that my baby had died. He gave me 5 days to miscarry on my own, then scheduled the d&c for the 6th day because there was some sort of danger to my health. I miscarried on day 4. After my miscarriage they did another ultrasound to check for any tissue that was left behind. Did your friend have an ultrasound at her hospital visits? My doctor also manipulated my pelvis with his hands to feel for retained tissue. I'm not going to go into gory details, but at 14 weeks my miscarriage was nothing like a period, it was clear that my body was eliminating all evidence of the pregnancy.

Out of curiosity, is it possible that she is refusing a d&c and not telling you this? I refused a d&c, which is why my ob allowed me to wait to see if I miscarried on my own. I mentally couldn't handle the thought of a d&c, it felt too much like I was aborting, I felt that I needed to let God and nature take the lead in that situation. I know that it was the right choice for me. Possibly your friend feels the same and is hesitant to allow a d&c? They won't do one against her consent, unless she is dying.