Readers Respond: Warning Signs of Missed Miscarriage

Responses: 22

If you have had a missed miscarriage, did you have any warning signs before the diagnosis? What led to your diagnosis? Please share your experience here.

Note that if you are reading this because you are concerned that you might have a missed miscarriage, it is best to call your doctor. Most possible warning signs of missed miscarriage are not conclusive, and only blood tests or ultrasounds will be able to confirm or rule out that you have a missed miscarriage.

Confused and shocked

I had a miscarriage a few days ago, and didn't even know I was pregnant. I had recently gone on the pill, and must have fallen pregnant before that even though we were using condoms. I had been skipping the sugar pills so didn't expect periods for the last 9-10 weeks, so it was such a shock to discover that I had been pregnant and lost my baby. The doc said it must have happened weeks ago as my hCG was below 5 and the tissue I passed was grey not reddish. I am so sad and confused.

—Guest Liz

Missed miscarriage

I'm 29 and went for my 13.5 week scan for my first, well waited for and wanted baby. To be told my baby had died between 7-8 weeks. I had absolutely no reason to think the baby had died. I had all the pregnancy symptoms and was even starting to show a little. It was such a shock for my partner and I to hear the baby had been dead for all that time and WHY WAS IT STILL THERE? I opted for the medically managed miscarriage which is extremely painful. I had to deliver a 14 week pregnancy sac (as the hormones continue to make the uterus grow). I chose this option as I felt it would be more cathartic than surgery. To actually physically lose my baby. I felt it would help me deal with it, rather than being woken to be told it's not there anymore. I felt it was the cruelest way to lose a baby, for us to go on for 3 months thinking everything was ok and getting excited to meet our wee miracle. Only to be told all we were living for and planning for had gone. I still miss my baby :-(

—Guest caz

Lost Baby

I took a home test and it confirmed I was pregnant, so I made appointment to see the doctor. He did a ultra sound and there was a sac but no baby, so he said it might be too early. The sac measured me being 5 weeks 6 days. I came back in 2 weeks and still we could not see a baby. I had some mild cramps in my side but not too bad. He sent me to the hospital for more tests and they confirmed no baby. I never bled at all and this was 2 days ago.

—Guest Shandria

Progesterone

I have had 3 u/s. The first was at 4.5 weeks and the fetal pole was showing. The next was at 6.5 weeks and we saw the heartbeat. The doctor said we could share the news and celebrate, it was less than 5% chance of miscarriage. At 9.5 weeks we went for another u/s - only to be sick when I saw that there was nothing in the gestational sac. After a lot of searching, they found that my baby had stopped growing at around 7 weeks. I had 2 weeks where I thought I was pregnant, but wasn't. This news came only 2 days ago. I still have not expelled naturally. Is this because I was on progesterone? Would my body have dealt with it properly if I wasn't on progesterone? We tried for a year and half to get this far, it is heartbreaking to start again. I did notice that I wasn't feeling as sick, and I had a horrible headache for about a week when it must have happened. I know it is natural and probably for the best, but it is just really sad and makes no sense.

—Guest Bec

Continuing pregnancy symptoms

I am having a missed miscarriage - baby stopped growing at 6 weeks. I would now be 10 weeks pregnant and I am still having quite bad symptoms of pregnancy despite the fetus not developing - tired, very sick,hightened sense of smell, sore breasts, very slight bleeding once. Wanted to expel naturally but can't cope with these symptoms for much longer (going back to hospital tomorrow), knowing there's no baby. I haven't noticed any decrease in pregnancy symptoms at all. i have 2 other older children (no probs during pregnancies) but I am an older mother now 43. I don't know if any one else has had the same symptoms despite baby having died.

—Guest Josie

Lost our first baby from ivf

We tried for a year to have baby, but couldn't because of mfi. We did IVF in April and I got pregnant. My betas were great, and we saw the heartbeat at 6w5d. I was told that I only had a 5% chance of miscarrying and there should be no reason why I would be in that 5%. We went back 2 weeks later and found out the baby had died 2 days after the first u/s with the great heartbeat. I showed no symptoms of miscarrying, but pregnancy symptoms did go away after I stopped the progesterone. I had a d&c and the baby came back as a normal female so I don't know why it died. I am now 5w5d pregnant from a 2nd ivf cycle and I am scared that it is going to result in the same outcome. I am also mad that my baby had to die while so many other people get to keep their babies.

—Guest cp

Missed

I just had a D&C on Thursday because of a missed miscarriage which I hadn't even heard of before. The morning before I started bleeding my husband commented on how I was looking a lot better as I was suffering from severe morning sickness. I was 11 weeks so thought to myself that maybe I was starting to get over it although with my other two girls I didn't recover until 18-20 weeks. That night I noticed some brown blood. It wasn't much and on the net it said that brown blood wasn't too much to worry about. The next morning my lower back had a very dull ache and when I wiped myself the blood was slightly redder. At the hospital they said the baby had died a 9 weeks. I thought to myself how could I have not known. But I guess the little signs were there that I didn't notice; breasts not as sore, vomiting less, eating more. I decided to have the D&C to get it over and done with. I feel so empty now and that I failed my baby.

—Guest mel75

Missed miscarriage after heartbeat

With my first pregnancy, I had a blighted ovum at 6 weeks. Started cramping and bleeding, so it wasnt a shock when the Dr. told me I would miscarry. With my second pregnancy, we saw the heartbeat at 7 weeks, and went back for our 10 week appt. only to find out that there was no longer a heartbeat. It was devastating, especially b/c I had no symptoms. I had a D&C two days later. I am now 8 months pregnant with our first baby, but was terrified for the first 15 weeks that something would go wrong. The dr. still says it was all due to chance. Not sure how I could fall in that 1% of women with multiple m/c, but I did.

—Guest Diana

Septic

I had a healthy baby girl right on schedule with help of progesterone for the first 10 weeks. After ttc for 1 year I saw a specialist and then got pregnant with number 2 and was released from the specialist this past December at 8 weeks with a strong heartbeat. I went to my first screening alone thinking things were great and saw at 12 wks the baby had passed at about 10 weeks. The only symptom I had was I started to feel better (less urination and fatigue) which usually ends around 12 weeks anyway but the one clue I did have was that I threw up constantly one day after never having any morning sickness with this pregnancy. It turns out that my body was going septic, part of the missed miscarriage. I had a D&E in late Feb. and I am now 8 weeks along and terrified of everything crumbling again. My husband hardly ever talk about this baby because we were so devastated last time. I hate that I am not allowing myself to connect to this child but I am so frightened.

—Guest Meg

Missed miscarriage

I went in for my first visit at 13 weeks. The dr tried to listen for a heartbeat and nothing. He then checked the baby on the office ultrasound. But the baby wasn't moving or anything. He had me go and have a "real" ultrasound done. They checked around and did some measurements. They figured the baby was around 9-10 wks. I had no symptoms other than I got really weird sick a few days before. I really didn't have a loss of symptoms. I went for the D&C. I am now ten weeks and really worried about losing this one too.

—Guest Lynda

13 weeks

My baby passed away at 13 weeks. I felt a huge let down because I was told 99% of women deliver healthy babies once a heartbeat is detected. I just so happen to be that 1%. Too bad those odds aren't on my side playing the lottery. I went to doc at 14 weeks because I was feeling bad. Started having bad migraines, wanted different meds. He said he needed to check the heartbeat first. That's when my world came to an end. My poor child had passed away the week before and I had no idea. I had my d&c this morning and the procedure was ok; however, my ob gave me misoprostol to start the process the night before. Very painful and dramatic. My membrane broke in the parking lot and I bled profusely. I wish my ob had manually dilated me; it would have spared me the pain and embarrassement. Good luck to all and stay strong.

—Guest Elaine

No Heartbeat

In Nov of 2008 I had my first miscarriage; this is my third pregnancy. I have two boys a 10 year old and 3 year old. The miscarriage came as a huge shock. At around 9 weeks I had some back pain and went to the emergency room only to be told that I had a urinary tract infection. The ER doctor gave me an antibiotic that is okay for pregnant woman. At exactly 12 weeks I went for my first ultrasound and there was no heartbeat. I was devastated, I figured those things don't happen to me. Later I found out I have three small fibroids outside the uterus and one cyst. Six months later we decided to try again only this time I reached 14 weeks. When I went for my US the doctor said the heartbeat had stopped. The hubby and I have decided to wait at least 2 years before TTC as my body has gone through two D&C and we want to do some healing. I will be visiting an endo to see if there is anything else that could have caused these two recurrent miscarriages. Thanks for listening.

—Guest Jen

Missed miscarriages

If you are having multiple miscarriages, have your progesterone tested. I have had 3 miscarriages, the first before our son was born. I was 6 wks and passed everything at home the same day I started symptoms. The second one last year, very early-just 3 days after my period was due with a + test. The third just recently,and we went for probably 2 wks thinking all was okay-it was a missed miscarriage. I was supposed to be 10 wks and the baby measured 7 wks-we'd seen the heartbeat just 2.5 wks earlier-it was very upsetting that this happened. I didn't have to have the D&C, I passed everything at the drs. office at the last minute before I was to go to the hospital-thanks be to God for it to happen at the right exact time, and our baby was sent for testing to check and see if there was anything wrong that could have caused it. But we are thinking there's a progesterone problem that could be causing it-especially if the second half of your cycle is shorter than it should be.

—Guest Guest

vague symptoms

I had my first missed miscarriage and did not recognize any symptoms. The embryo stopped growing between 6-8 wks. A few months later I was pregnant with my son - perfectly healthy, but two weeks overdue. This time, I had some mild cramping, and some tan-pink discharge at 9-10 wks. Three days later my nausea, cramping, exhaustion, and other pregnancy symptoms began slowly dissipating over the following days. Today was 11 weeks, and there was no heart beat found on ultrasound at my prenatal appointment. The fetus measured between 9-10 weeks. Has anyone else experienced multiple missed miscarriages, or gone overdue on their subsequent pregnancies? It seems to follow a pattern, but is vague without information on other's experiences. I'd be interested in figuring out why, and if there is some connection.

—jenparache

Missed miscarriage

I just experienced a missed miscarriage. It was my 4th pregnancy. I had an ultrasound at 7 weeks and the baby looked good with a strong heartbeat. About 2 weeks later, I developed a very bad headache. I never get headaches. This headache and a strange feeling of being uncomfortable when my family talked about the "new baby" coming. At 11.5 weeks I had a small amount of spotting and immediately I went and had an ultrasound which revealed the baby had stop growing at 9 weeks, just when I had gotten that weird headache. I never had any other symptom for 2 1/2 weeks after the baby stopped growing.

—LorriWarren