50 answers

Fetal Demise

I need help making a horrible decision. On Wednesday, I went in for my 20 week prenatal visit to discover that my baby had died. Now I have to decide if I want to induce labor and deliver vaginally, which I hear can take days, or get a D&E. I am just not up for extensive internet research on this and I am hoping someone can help.

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

Thank you each and everyone of you for your responses. In the end, my husband and I decided that in order to properly mourn the loss of our child, I needed to labor and birth her, and we needed to spend time with her. We were lucky that from admission to birth, the whole process took only 12 hours. I know it can be much longer for many. I had a wonderful team with me, my dear husband, a loving and supportive doula, a great nurse, and my gentle and compassionate OB. The pictures I brought of our 18 month old son also provided me a great deal of strength. Our daughter was tiny the length of an adult hand, twigs for arms, with fingers and toes the size of these letters. Our nurse cleaned her and wrapped her in a small cloth before handing her to us. It was nice to spend some time with her to say hello and goodbye. The sense of loss runs deep. The scene will continue playing for a lifetime, I imagine, but with less sadness and less frequency over time. Again, I thank you all for your warmth and support. It was so helpful to me to hear stories from mothers who had gone through this, I had a much better sense of what to expect and that made the whole process much less scary.

Featured Answers

hello,

I recently went thru the same thing at the end of august. i went to the doctor and find out my baby had died at 8 weeks when i was 11 weeks along. it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. i did all the research and had decided on a d&c , it seems the simpliest and healtiest way to go. i am here to talk or answer any questions you have.

I know many women who have opted for either one, but I have foudn that the moms who chose to deliver, felt that it helped them emotionally feel that they had completed the cycle. Whatever you choose, my heart goes out to you.

A.,
I'm sorry I don't know anything about this, but I wanted to say I'm so sorry for you. One of my best friends had this happen to her, too (she delivered vaginally but the baby was 36 weeks). She now has 2 beautiful boys.
M.

More Answers

Dear A.,
I am so sorry for the loss of your precious baby. I imagine that you must be feeling blindsided, and confused as to what will happen next. I see that there are many posts here, many of which discuss D&C or miscarriage experiences. Although I know that people mean well and are trying to relate, I would advise you to keep in mind that, from a medical standpoint, your experience will not be the same as theirs. A first trimester miscarriage is nothing like what you will experience, whether you do it naturally or have the D&E. I have been through both procedures; the recovery from the D&E was complicated whereas the D&C's were very straightforward. I have gone thru natural miscarriage and also, 'missed miscarriage' where the loss had not begun naturally yet. I did not have the option of natural delivery for my 2nd trimester loss because they thought I had an intrauterine infection. I had to have a D&E and they asked me what I wanted to do with 'the tissue' after the procedure, and I told them that I didn't want to see it (when they referred to it as 'tissue', I imagined the worst and it scared me because I thought I would be too traumatized). As it turns out though, my daughter was already in position to come out before they began the procedure, so as soon as they inserved the speculum, she came out completely whole and beautiful. Unfortunately, becasue of what I had already told them, I never got to hold her, or get pictures of her. My point ins sharing all of this with you is to say that, I regret that to this day (not being able to hold her and say goodbye). Even though fetuses at that age are very small, with translucent skin (so they appear red, not 'skin colored'), everyone I know who has gotten photos from babies as young as 16 weeks gestation and as old as 40 weeks cherishes those photos like no others. I would give anything to have the same experience but it is too late for me. I see that a couple of people have shared information about a wonderful organization called www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org which is a group of photographers who will come and take photos of you with your precious baby, and it's free. You might not think this is something you'd never want to do, but I would strongly urge you to consider it because you will be so grateful later on to have those photos. You will grieve this loss in your own way, just give it time. I would strongly urge you to read Megan B's post (one of the earliest posts on here) to get a realistic idea of what you might expect. Sadly, I know many people who have suffered losses such as yours and they ALL agree that having the chance to hold their baby and say goodbye was, by far, the most healing aspect of their horrible experience. And ALL of those who didn't have that opportunity wish that they had. Some were afraid at the time, and now regret it, and some simply didh't have the opportunity as they didn't know that they could ask the hospital for that chance. In any case, I hope that this information helps you in some way. I know that you will be getting advice from all directions and in the end, you will need to listen to your heart. Anyway, my point is...please don't be afraid of being traumatized by seeing your baby, because you will be probably be more traumatized if you don't. I am not trying to speak for you, only to base that on what i have seen through my own experience and from the support group that i belong to, called Empty Cradle. We provide support to bereaved parents who have lost babies due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. I would urge you to get in touch with us if you think it would help www.emptycradle.org. My heart is with you and your family as you begin the grieving process. Please feel free to contact me offline if I can help in any way. Sorry this post is so long and rambling. I wish you all the best in your recovery. Take care <hugs>

3 moms found this helpful

Please A., be VERY SURE your baby has died before you do anything at all.

I was told the exact thing and was told that the best thing would be to "Just go across the street and have a DNC." The doctor even picked up the phone to make the call and let them know I was coming over. He had made the determination that my baby was dead based on both physical exam and ultra sound.

Thank the Lord, I was in too much shock to make such a decision. I walked out the door and went home. I grieved the death of my first-conceived child for a month. It was the worst month of my life. Then I made an appointment to go back to the Doctor and discuss my options.

When I went in for my appointment, he did an ultrasound, and my baby had grown a little bit, and had a heart beat. HE HAD BEEN WRONG!!!!!! My baby was NOT DEAD!!!!

I ended up having a C-section to bring my beautiful first-born son into the world. He was 8 1/2 pounds.

Today, my little Tony is a Fireman/Paramedic in the City of Riverside, California. He is 21 years old. He is a whopping 6'2" and weighs 220. He is the epitome of health and intelligence.

My advice, get a second opinion, and even then, WAIT!!!

A., I am praying for you.

Hugs and blessings,
K.

3 moms found this helpful

A.,

I'm so sorry that you have to make this decision. I work in Labor and Delivery and we have a program called Resolve Through Sharing (RTS). We help our moms deliver their baby and make precious memories for them. We encourage both parents to participate in bathing and dressing the baby and taking pictures. Often times parents aren't ready to do all that. If that's the case, we suggest that they let us take pictures and let us keep them for them in case they change their mind. There are very, very few families that don't come back. There is also a volunteer organization that will take pictures called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. You can check out the websites for both of these programs (keep in mind that the pictures on the NILMDTS website are of babies that have passed, they are very talented at what they do).

I personally feel that delivering the baby provides for much needed closure. Remember, men and women grieve in very different ways. It is important that neither of you judge each other for how you grieve the loss you are enduring. And when a baby is lost in the womb, no one but another mother who has had the same type of loss can truly understand.

Just know that you are not alone, A.. I hope that you somehow find some peace and comfort throughout this experience.

My thoughts are with you.

2 moms found this helpful

Hi A.,
I'm so sorry for you. I too lost my baby last year in September. I had to have a D&C because I had some problems. I wish I had been able to see my baby thru delivery, I think it would have been easier for me to say goodbye. The LORD gave me a dream the morning that I found out. I seen her in the dream and had even named her Natalie, she was perfect. I will be praying for you in time of mourning. God bless you.
J. V.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,

I am very sorry to hear of your baby. My niece went through a very similar situation. Her baby was in very rare condition and would not survive, so she was given the decision to induce or wait to see if she went to full term. With his condition, once he was born he was expected to die within hours of his birth.

My mother, her mother, and the babies father were there for the birth of 20 weeks and then the baby was given a funeral.

There is a group of volunteers who made him a tiny outfit to fit. He was given a hat, mittens, socks, and a gown.

I am just getting started with a photography group, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/pageDisplay.php?page.... Take a look and see if you are interested in this. You can enter your zip code and find photographers near you. This a volunteer service so there is no charge to you. If you are interested, make your arrangements before you go into the hospital or call the hospital ahead of time and find out what their policies are for such service. Here, most often the hospital calls us, but I think that is because people are not aware of this service.

I hope this bit of sharing helps.

Take care.
C.

1 mom found this helpful

There is no right or wrong answer. And I agree...it is a highly personal decision, and which ever way you go will be the best for you.

My empathy and hugs, I've had many miscarriages, but the little girl I lost @ 20 weeks was the hardest.

I had a D&C. One of my cousins had had a near full-term stillbirth, and it broke all of our hearts. 11 hours of intense labor, for naught, and she knew it (having been diagnosed weeks earlier). I'm sure that experience of watching her choice colored my decision years later. It was hard enough just going through "this"...I wasn't about to go through labor and then "this" as well if I didn't have to. Especially knowing as much about pitocin (and how painful and sometimes dangerous it is) as I did.

The D&C was still miserable(emotionally), and physically nauseating, but it was quick and physically painless.

On a side note: I grew up in Japan, and frequently visited the cemeteries for unborn children with my caretaker Miyoko-san. She had miscarried 3 children and visited their gaves. Most of the time she was happy, sometimes grave, but she always talked to them & brought a little something and left it there for them; a toy, a book, babyshoes. I've found it extremely comforting in my own trials to think of a place and a people who so publicly recognize what these children mean to their mothers and family, and who not only give them an outlet, but a place. A special place. A place where everyone who is there is mourning the loss of a child they never got to know, and paying respect to their spirits. I've tried to look them up online though, and have had a frightful time. Here in the west people seem to get tunnel vision on the idea of abortion and miss the whole concept.

May peace find you.

1 mom found this helpful

I have experienced this and decided to deliver so that there could be an autopsy to discover if there was any chance of it being genetic. Only reason I went through the ordeal. Figure this is a bit of info that is important.

1 mom found this helpful

HI A.,

I am so sorry for your loss! Our little girl was stillborn at 36 weeks so I understand your pain. Labor for me was 36 hours b/c she was my firstborn. If this is not your first, it may not take as long and they can just drug you up pretty good. If there are no risks with having a D&E at 20 weeks in regards to having further vaginal deliveries, it would probably be less emotional than a long labor, obviously quicker, but you would have to be OK with not seeing your baby. You would get to hold your baby if you delivered, which was very healing for us. We kept our little girl with us until I had to leave the hospital. No nurse dared take her away from us. Kinda weird maybe, but we wanted every minute we could have with her this side of Heaven. I wanted a C-section but my doctor didn't advise me to do it, so when you are in shock and grief, you may also want to consider taking the advice of your doctor. But I agree with the other ladies, go with your heart and what you need. Again, I am so sorry for you. You can write or call me anytime. There is also a GREAT support group through Loma Linda Hospital which I would encourage you to go to. The ladies are wonderful and it helps you deal with the wide range of emotions you will go through, letting you know you are not alone. I can give your more info. later. Praying for you today! Kristi

1 mom found this helpful

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