Medically Induced Misscariage Vs. D&C - Can You Share Your Experience

I don't understand why you're taking this pill. Miscarriage and abortion are two totally different things. I'm confused!

ETA: Jane - you are not doing a medically induced abortion. An abortion is a live/viable fetus. You have a blighted ovum or a failed pregnancy.

Jane:

I am truly sorry you are going through this.

I have had three miscarriages. In all three cases I had the D&C done. I had two fairly early miscarriages (10 and 12 weeks) and the hardest was losing Alexis at 22 weeks. I had the option of induced labor but I didn't think I could handle that. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to see her. We did have an autopsy done to find out what happened. It didn't make it any better. But it helped to know.

If I were to go through it again (thank God I won't have to!! I had a hysterectomy in 2010) I would chose the D&C. It's simple and gets rid of everything. You will experience mild cramping as you would with a normal period and maybe light bleeding.

I have NEVER taken the pill so I cannot help you there.

I'm sorry.

Jane, when I had my two failed pregnancies, I had D&Cs both times. I didn't have the stomach...or the heart...to "wait it out" on it's own. That medicine wasn't offered to me. It was "wait it out" or D&C.
They scheduled D&Cs rapidly after no heart beat.
Why not give them a call & ask what to expect as far as timetable, etc?
Sending prayers. Hang in there.

No experience with this but sending a hug to you.

I had a "missed abortion" (yes, it's a medical term that does not mean elective) last year at 12 weeks. I had no signs of miscarriage, but when I went in for a checkup no heartbeat was found. I elected the D&C, but before the surgery I was given a pill (Cytotec) orally, and one was put inside me as well. My OB explained that the pill is to contract the uterus to make the surgery easier and more cleanly done. I had mild cramping just before I was put under the anesthesia, but after the surgery I was fine. Sorry for your loss..it's always hard.

ETA: I was also given the choice of the pill only, to take home and miscarry, but my OB did not recommend this because I was far enough along to make it dangerous (blood loss), and that it is very painful to go through, physically and emotionally.

This is not an abortion.
You are miscarrying.

I had a D&C once, because I was miscarrying. I was bleeding etc. and upon an ultrasound I had had and another follow-up, the sac was empty and no heart-beat, when previously there was etc. And I saw that it was empty.
So I had a D&C, in office. Right then. It was fine.

Once a pregnancy is miscarrying, it is already terminated and ended.

I don't know why you are being given a pill.

the D and C was my only choice. they didn't tell me there were options.
to be honest, anestesia makes me sad and scared but afterwards it felt like a bad period. i actually stayed home for a week when I could have gone back to work after 2 days.

To be honest, it was heartbreaking. I thought it meant i can't carry a baby to term. when i was ready to try again, i got pregnat within a week and had no troubles,

I had a D&C when at 12 weeks there was no heartbeat anymore. I was an emotional mess, but do not recall any pain. I believe the doc prescribed large ibuprofen doses for the cramping and to reduce swelling and therefor bleeding.
I was numb when doc told me, but later cried pretty much the whole day. She was very matter of fact about it and told me she would see me in 6 months. I was advised to prevent pregnancy for at least 1 cycle and then it was OK to try again. A year later we had a healthy daughter and 3 years after that another.
Consider yourself (((hugged)))
PS: since the baby did not come out on the paperwork my diagnosis was "missed abortion". So your terminology may be medically correct even though in lay terms abortion means something else.

I think a little clarification is needed. As I understand it, you have a diagnosed non-viable pregnancy (So sorry for your loss). You are looking to induce contractions with medication (is it misoprostol/cytotec?) so that you can pass the miscarried pregnancy without undergoing a D&C. Is that right?
Have they instructed you to insert the pill vaginally or take it orally?
I lost a baby at 14 weeks and chose to be induced and deliver him. I had to do it at the hospital due to my gestation. I was given the med (misoprostol) vaginally and my water broke about 3 hours later and he was born about an hour after that. I had mild cramping but nothing I needed pain meds for (but I may not be the best example, my labors were all natural because the pain was never very bad, I am a little different like that). I had no bleeding until after delivery. I ended up needing a D&C for the placenta after bleeding for a couple hours after delivery and the extra meds they gave to try to get the placenta out were not working. But that is really more related to my gestation, you don't even have a placenta at this point. My experience may be very different from what you will go through due to my gesation, it is normal to experience bleeding and heavy cramping for some time before the pregnancy is passed.
I also lost a baby at 12 weeks and after waiting 3 weeks for nature to take its course and having nothing happen I ended up with a D&C. I personally would opt for the medication if I have to make that choice again in the future and at your gestation complications are not very common. Did they go over with you the timing of things? What did they say regarding a second dose? I assume they discussed with you the indications that you need to seek medical attention, etc? I would say if you take it orally you are not likely going to experience too much cramping and such for at least a couple of hours. Here is a brief article on the effectiveness of the pill:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20050824/abortion-pill-eff...
when I googled "experiences with misoprostol after miscarriage" there were too many links to post. I am sure some of them will be "horror stories" I think people are more likely to share negative experiences rather than positive. I do think you need someone there to support you, besides the person watching your kids. I would even recommend having the kids stay somewhere else if possible for the day and night. You never know what you will be like with the pain and bleeding and you might not even want the kids in the house during that time. I wish you the very best and hope you find peace soon.

ETA: More clarification: Yes, the term "abortion" is highly charged in our society. But medically speaking it means the end of a pregnancy before viability. Sometimes that happens "spontaneously"/naturally and sometimes it is "induced". A medical diagnosis of a "missed abortion" is when some amount of time has passed between the loss of viability and the discovery of that loss, the woman has had no symptoms of miscarriage up to that point (bleeding/cramping). There is also "incomplete abortion" when she woman is experiencing cramping and bleeding but the whole pregnancy has not passed yet, she often undergoes a D&C for that. There are other diagnoses such as "complete abortion", "threatened abortion", "inevitable abortion", and the always controversial "induced abortion". Jane is not inducing an abortion, she just wants to pass the pregnancy she has lost with a pill rather than a D&C.

I am sorry you are going through this. I have no good advice to offer other than support coming your way. Good luck and the best of health to you.

I am very sorry for your loss momma.
I had a similar experience back in September. The baby had stopped developing at 5 weeks (I was supposed to be around 14 weeks LMP) but failed to pass.
I opted for the D&C and it took place October 5, 2011. He prescribed me vicodin for after at the visit before.
This is how it went
My OBGYN scheduled me to be there around 11AM with the D&C to take place around 1.
When I arrived I was checked in and all the nurses were very caring.. When it was time for the D&C I was brought to the OR and placed under with General anastetic. I was told it took less than 10 minutes.
When I woke up I cried out in pain because it hurt bad. I was imeaditley given something in my IV and the pain went away never to return. I was given some pain medication while there and then discharged with instructions to avoid activities as baths, sex, and to take the vicodin my OBGYN had given me before hand.
I hardly bleed at all and healed up quickly. About 5 days later I bleed like a period. Then the following month my period returned and has been ok since.

In 2009 I also chose to terminate my pregnancy at 8 weeks 5 days
went the surgical rout. I didn't get it done in a hospital like the D&C so not nearly as pleasant though I was still put under with general just like the D&C. I also healed up great from the surgical abortion and my period took about 7 weeks to return. Was given similar discharge instructions minus the vicodin.
I have no personal experience with the "Pill" but would recommend it because you may still need surgery anyway if not all products of conception last.
Hope this helps. Good luck

I would definitely pick the D&C any day over the pill. I had a miscarriage around 7 weeks and the ultrasound showed 2 sacs, no babies, so it was with twins and it was so painful physically and emotionally that I would never want to experience that again.
I was having severe cramping and bleeding so my Dr. ended up having to do a D&C anyway. I would spare myself if I were you and just go with the D&C.
I'm sorry for your loss, hope you feel better soon.

You are right that your situation is called a "missed abortion". This is a medically correct term:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002458/

I had a blighted ovum pregnancy. I waited for almost three months to see if my body would handle it naturally. It didn't. I finally had a D&C. I wasn't informed there was another option. I only had local anesthesia, which left me nauseous and feeling yucky, but I was back to work the next day. My next pregnancy was also a miscarriage and that passed on its own within a few days with some cramping.

I don't have experience with taking the abortion pill, sorry.

I had a D&C. I wasn't given the option of taking a pill. The doctor told me that this would be the best way emotionally and physically, no waiting or pain. I had to sleep the rest of the afternoon because of the anesthesia made me tired, but there was no cramping and only very light bleeding. I don't have any experience with the pill.

I'm sorry for your loss.