Miscarriages - signs?

[Christinella]

Everyone on this site has been so helpfull and knowledgable. As I read all of the different post's, I notice that a lot of people have their # of IVF's, + and - or miscarriages.

My question is, of all the people who have had miscarriages, were their early signs? Low beta results to start? Declining numbers? Spotting? Also most seem to be in the 7 and 8 week timeframe - does anyone know why that is?

Just curious, I know everyone stresses about actually getting the + and then worries for the next 9 months about keeping it...IF has really not made it easy for any of us and people who don't go through it will never understand how horrible a process it is.

Thank you for any insight and I understand if too painful to share.

Christie

[jenbethk]

Hi Christie,

I am one of those people who has had 2 m/c's in the 7-8 week period. My first pg was with twins and I had a great first beta of 207 at 9dp5dt and absolutely NO signs of m/c. I saw 2 h/b's at 6 1/2 weeks and went for an u/s a week later, a routine appt, and both h/b's were gone! I did have spotting, but my RE kept doing u/s's and everything was perfect, up until 7 1/2 weeks.

In my 2nd pg, it was a blighted ovum and I had a decent beta of 78 at 8dp6dt that started going down and then went up again. The sac was growing, but it was empty. The second m/c was incredibly disappointing, but not a surprise. The first was complete shock and devastation!!!

I do know that 7-8 weeks is the most common time for m/c. I'm not sure exactly why. I hope this isn't going to worry you!!! You just got a BFP, didn't you?

Jen

[Lisa812]

Christie,
from my first and previous cycle, I had begun w/ a low beta, 27 at 10dp2dt, my 2nd was 90, so we were a bit hopefull, but I was having some discomfort on my right side, near my ovary. I didn't have any spotting, but I did have that little voice inside of me that told me something was wrong, so at 17dp3dt, I insisted on another beta, it was a 63, so my suspicions were confirmed. Once I stopped the PIO, I began spotting. More then any other physical signs, it was that lil voice we all have that told me...

[tle]

Christie,

I've had three m/c, and each one of them was painful and heartbreaking. Low betas by themselves don't necessarily mean a m/c, though two of mine started with low betas. I've learned it's more in the numbers appropriately increasing that's key. My first m/c was a blighted ovum. My two betas were fine; about two weeks later, I noticed orange on the tp (truly, it was orange), and the next day I was spotting a bit. We went for an early u/s, and there was a sac with nothing in it. RE told us to be prepared for a m/c. A week later another u/s confirmed blighted ovum. My second m/c had low betas to start but appropriately increasing. At about five weeks, I started bleeding but no cramping. RE saw a sac and it was too early to see anything else. Six days later we saw a heartbeat. Seven days after that another peek, and still a heartbeat but the sac was flattened on one side. Three days later, no heartbeat. We learned later that I have a blood clotting disorder that probably caused that miscarriage. Third m/c was an ectopic, with low betas but going up "okay" until they "plateaued." Then the # zoomed upwards.

I know it's common to worry about a m/c, but in all honesty, I so wish with my first pg., I had just ENJOYED it for those two blissful weeks. I know after having three losses in the 6-8 week range that I will not be able to enjoy a pregnancy, at least not until I get past the first trimester and probably not until later than that.

tle

[dcboo]

Hi all,

Thanks for asking this question. I was literally just about to post a question asking "how does the sensation of 'uterine growth' differ from worrisome cramps that could indicated m/c??"

I've had 2 chems and 1 m/c. With the first chem and m/c, my stomach was churning and cramping for several days. But (sorry if this is TMI), I also have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), so that kind of discomfort isn't all that unusual for me. So, now everytime I feel IBSy, I get worried that I'm going to have another m/c.

I'm 5w3d today. Previous chems were at 5-6 wks.; m/c was at 8 wks.

This time, however, my betas are significantly higher than with any previous pg.

Any insights?

(sorry for data dump).

-Monica

[Christinella]

I am approx 5 weeks, 3 days also, and yes I am nervous as can be. It is all I think about. I keep saying to everyone, well if I have the baby, not when.. I am upsetting my husband. But it does seem that everyone has at least one on this site. Thank you everyone for the details, I sure they are painful to relive, I am just so afraid after everything we have gone through - I don't even want to be happy about this, until the dreadful 8th week passes..

Christie

[jenbethk]

Christie,
Yes, many of us have had at least one m/c, but MANY women in the rest of the world have NOT! We on FT are just a small portion of the population! Try to enjoy your pregnancy!!! When I was pg. w/my twins, I truly never even thought about m/c. Ignorance was bliss and I was able to enjoy those few weeks of being VERY sick and pg with my twins before it ended. I know I will never rest in the future, but I hope you can find a way to relax and enjoy. I hope you'll be one of those fortunate women who NEVER has to go through a loss!

Feel well and take care of yourself!
Jen

[mathgeek]

Really, try to enjoy yourself because "if" a m/c is going to occur there is NOTHING you can do about it this early on. When I had a m/c it was a missed m/c I didn't find out until almost 10 weeks that it had stopped developing around 8 weeks. The 8 week mark is when some of the chromosomes dictate how the fetus will develop and if there are any chromosomal abnormalities (like we had a trisomy on the 13th pair) then development can stop. The only way to tell chromosomal makeup ahead of 8 weeks is to have CVS (or is it CSV??) testing done. But the down side to that is if you have that done there is an increased risk of m/c just from the proceedure itself, so unless you have had previous repeat chromosomal m/c's you probably don't want to go that route. And thinking back now, the ONLY sign for me that something was wrong was that at around 8 weeks one afternoon I got really sick, never actually threw up but had serious dry heaves. I chalked it up to m/s, but looking back it was most likely the hormonal change. I also had this the 1st month I stopped the pill (thought for sure I was pg too! I was SO naive!) but it was just my body's way of dealing with the decrease in hormones. And now this go round I had dry heaves Wed. night which I thought might be mild hyperstimming, but in retrospect that was probably when this barely there pg took a turn for the worse. It's just my body's way of dealing with the decrease in hormones and from now on I will pray I never get dry heaves again, for me it's never a good sign.
I wish you much luck with your pg! You really should enjoy it, you never know if/when it will happen again. With my ds I rented a babybeat doppler around 9 weeks and listened to his h/b nightly to calm my fears until I could feel him kicking. Maybe you can look into that to help you out.
Best wishes,
Tara

[robin]

I didn't have any signs. I got pregnant with my first through IVF in 2002. I had awesome betas (high), and then saw the heartbeat at 6w4d. I m/c the very next day.

I am currently 8w4d, and I'm so relieved to have passed the first one, but I still don't feel comfortable, I just can't let myself believe that I will have a baby. I don't know when I'll feel better about things.

Robin

[nandu]

I had a m/c at 11.5 wks 3 years ago. I was being followed only like a "normal" person and did not have any betas or u/ses so the loss may have been earlier. I had no "m/c symptoms" whatsoever until the contractions. Even though it ended in the worst day of my life, I am truly grateful for those 2 happy months.

The problem is that many of the symptoms that people do have are also consistent with a normal, healthy pregnancy. Perhaps significantly lower betas puts you at somehwat higher risk, but unfortunately to some degree there is no rhyme nor reason.

And Monica, as someone who is severely lactose intollerant, I can relate to the normal abdominal pain that you almost discount because it is always there.

I just got my positive beta yesterday and as overjoyed as I am, I know that I will feel *much* better after passing the first trimester. I do have immune issues that are associated with pg loss which are being treated. But, I have also decided that no matter what, I am going to enjoy this pregnancy for all it is worth. Some people never even get this chance. If something is going to happen, it will be out of my control. Doesn't mean I am not going to pay attention. It just means that I don't want to rob myself of enjoying this because of needless worry. I know that it is easier said than done. But we all really deserve to enjoy this. I really hope that you can.

All the best,
Rhea