Miscarrying? Why You May Want an Ultrasound Before Your D&C
Mistakes Happen
A doctor would never misdiagnose something as important as a miscarriage, right?
Unfortunately, the answer is that yes, doctors can and do misdiagnose miscarriages.
Well, then, a doctor would never unintentionally take a viable baby after a miscarriage diagnosis?
Again, the answer is yes. Read on...
I am not a medical professional. The information I share is meant to supplement the information given you by your doctor. If you feel your doctor is not doing enough for you or not willing to listen to your concerns, I strongly encourage you to take what you've learned here and get a second opinion.
Why Another Page on Misdiagnosed Miscarriages
I've written a number of pages on various miscarriage and misdiagnosed miscarriage-related topics. Why another page you ask? After all, I've written about bleeding during pregnancy, non-doubling hCG levels, blighted ova and even misdiagnosed miscarriages after IVF. I've discovered that despite the many misdiagnosed miscarriage stories now on the web, some very popular medically-related sites claim miscarriages are never misdiagnosed and encourage women to just accept the D&C when offered.
I believe every woman deserves to have no doubt before having her pregnancy ended.
My hope is that women will insist on that final ultrasound before their D&Cs.
The D&C
Many women are a little uncertain about their D&Cs. What is it? Do I really need one? Are there risks involved? These are some of the questions I hear from women.
The D&C
A D&C is just the abbreviated name of a dilation and curettage. This surgical procedure opens up the cervix and scrapes away the contents of the uterus.
Do women need D&Cs if they are miscarrying?
According to the American Pregnancy Association, most women can miscarry safely on their own up to about 10 weeks or so. After 10 weeks, they may still choose or have a natural miscarriage but they do stand a better chance of needing a D&C to finish the job.
If you feel pressured to end your pregnancy too quickly, I urge you to get a second opinion
If you are interested in learning whether a D&C is the right option for you and the risks involved, you may want to read my page on your options when miscarrying.
Some Amazing Stories - of doctors who mistakenly wanted to end these pregnancies
Allposters
My hope in sharing these stories is that women, no matter how certain they believe their doctor to be, ask for a final ultrasound immediately preceding the miscarriage. Yes, they may very well be correctly diagnosed but that final ultrasound may well save the pregnancies of some who have misdiagnosed. If you'd like to know more about one of these stories, each story can be found at The Misdiagnosed Miscarriage
Sher's Story:
At seven weeks, Sher's doctor was certain she would miscarry and ordered the D&C. Sher wanted to be certain and canceled the surgery. She found her baby one week later on the ultrasound.
Wendy's Story:
Minutes before her scheduled D&C at 7 1/2 weeks, Wendy asked for a last minute ultrasound to verify there was no baby.
Amanda's Story:
At the ER, physicians decided to do an emergency D&C due to bleeding, cramping and empty gestational sac. Two weeks after the D&C, a baby was found!
Sunflower's Story
Sunflower was given Cytotec to help expel everything after being diagnosed with a miscarriage due to bleeding and empty sac. A couple weeks after "miscarrying", Sunflower's baby was found
Elinicty's Story
After spotting and an empty gestational sac, Elinicty was given medication to help expel the sac. One week later, despite taking the miscarriage drug, her baby was found!
Linbran's Story
Linbran was told by the ER doctor and her own OB that she needed a D&C because her levels were so high and she was having pain. Her friend called and told her to ask for an ultrasound prior to the procedure. She did and now has her baby!
Mama Loc's Story:
Mama Loc felt pressured by her midwife's office to have a D&C. She refused despite the threat of being labeled "non-compliant." A week later, an ultrasound found her baby!
and there are so many more stories on the site and on the web. Do a search!
These stories are just a sampling of women who found their babies when doctors were certain they were going to miscarry. Some of these women actually had steps taken to end their pregnancies and, yet, they remained pregnant. Other women refused the D&C or medication or insisted upon one final ultrasound. Thank goodness they did because they now have their babies!
My Own Story
Allposters
During both my pregnancies, I was misdiagnosed with miscarriages. I turned down two D&Cs at both seven weeks and eight weeks due to a very large and empty gestational sac. At nearly nine weeks, we found our baby!
As a result of my stories and the many stories we are collecting at the Misdiagnosed Miscarriage, I am dedicated to making certain no woman unintentionally loses her baby to a poorly-made diagnosis.
I encourage you to take what you've learned and discuss this with your doctor. If you feel your doctor is not doing enough for your pregnancy, seek a second opinion.
What Do You Think?
I'd love to hear from you. Please, feel free to leave a message. I can also be contacted at misdiagnosedmiscarriage@gmail.com Thank you!
Comments
Krystal on March 10, 2018:
Someone helped me out!really don’t know how far along I am..they are telling me my baby stopped growing..I’m really lost
Lizzy12 on April 05, 2017:
I had my first ultrasound at 7 weeks and they said baby was measuring 5 weeks and no heartbeat. To be sure they checked hcg levels and they were decreasing. For some gut feeling I'm not ready to give up. Has anything like this been heard of and baby actually be ok? I've not had any spotting or anything
Kay (author) on May 29, 2013:
@Kailua-KonaGirl: Thank you!
KonaGirl from New York on May 28, 2013:
This just reconfirms by belief that too often MD's / OBGYN's don't have a clue. I don't believe that a D&C is actually necessary in a healthy woman. I think, contrary to the information given by the medical profession, that they are more about filling the Docs pocket with cash than actually helping the woman. Our bodies were made to disperse the uterus of the babies "nest" naturally without any help from a surgical scraping. Now I am more convinced than ever that this is still something I would not allow, if I was of a child bearing age. I hope more women that are having miscarriages find and read this lens. I am pinning it to my "Baby, baby, baby" board.
Kylyssa Shay from Overlooking a meadow near Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA on May 11, 2013:
Doctors can and do misdiagnose just about anything! As with any serious medical decision, get a second opinion if it's at all possible.
goldenrulecomics from New Jersey on February 21, 2013:
very interesting -- I hadn't known about this before
Sheilamarie from British Columbia on February 08, 2013:
Valuable advice for those experiencing miscarriage. Thank you.
Gayle Dowell from Kansas on December 21, 2012:
Thanks for sharing your story and advice. Good to know!
KandH on November 24, 2012:
A Blessed Christmas to you and your family as well - thanks for sharing this info here.
Kay (author) on November 19, 2012:
@LouisaDembul: So many women have shared how they turned down the D&C and found their babies. That is why this is just so important to share. Thank you for sharing your own experience.
LouisaDembul on November 19, 2012:
I almost lost my second daughter. The doctor wanted to do a D&C because he couldn't hear the heartbeat. I insisted on waiting another week and there she was! The doctor was almost as happy as me.
wrapitup4me on April 30, 2012:
My heart goes out to all those women who miscarry - and even more so if this involved a misdiagnosis. How horrible! What a wonderful service you do by writing these pages.
glutenallergy on April 27, 2012:
My miscarriage occurred over 10 years ago, but this lens is reassuring me that my doctor took every possible step of making sure I really had miscarried. She did not one but two ultrasounds, about a week apart, and did blood tests. Sadly, our twins had really died, but it would haunt me now after reading this if our doctor hadn't done those two ultrasounds. On a positive side, I got pregnant three months after the miscarriage, and now have a wonderful 9-year-old daughter who I can't imagine not having in our lives. My prayers go out to the women who are currently dealing with a miscarriage or possible misdiagnosed miscarriage.
Shannon from Florida on April 26, 2012:
Great information! Thank you for sharing it!
EuroSquid LM on February 08, 2011:
Blessed and featured on my lens "Thoughts Of A 2011 Squid Angel"
amazedbylife on November 12, 2010:
Thank you for sharing all the sucess stories. i have been crying my eyes out. At 7 weeks, I was told they couldnt find my baby. I req'd a 2nd US, they found my baby with heartrate of 65/min. Went back the next week, no sign of life found so I req'd another US, they foundb my baby again the 2nd time; this time with heartrate 95/min. I am 12 weeks today, they say they can't find baby for the 3rd time so i requested another US which I received today (2 ultrasound in 1 day-internal US), confirmed still no baby. They also said that my gestational sac is measured smaller than a month ago. I have been crying the past 2 hrs, got online and read some of the amazing stories you have. I am suppose to get DC done Monday but I amgoing to ask to postpone. Please pray for me.
anonymous on December 09, 2009:
wow, great information. i am on my 8th pregnancy. 1st one missed miscarriage. 2nd one vanishing twin carried other baby to full term, 3rd i feel pregnant 3wks after giving birth..4th you will not like me for this a planned abortion but miscarried the night b4..5th & 6th abortion..7th miscarried at 8weeks and i selected a D & C and now im cheesed that i didnt find this site sooner..i am now again 8 weeks had an ultrasound today, i was told there is a egg sac but no fetal pole..i measure though 6.5weeks for the other sac..i do have a retroverted uterus and have known this since my 2nd pregnancy..and i do know that everytime i have an ultrasound it is always very hard for them to find the bubs...my last miscarriage 12mths ago i was on weekly ultrasounds from 6wks on the 7th week they found a heartbeat, upon the 8th week ultrasound no heartbeat..but b4 i went for the D&C, i did wonder if they had gotten it wrong...but this time i am going to seek a second opinion or at least wait to see if my body does dispel naturally, because this time my symptoms are different..2 days ago i was eating spring rolls dipped in sour cream..if i only had an egg sac that would not b occuring??? my first miscarriage was at 22yrs old and i carried the bubs to 13weeks till i started getting faint feeling and spotting increasing and the ultrasound showed baby size 8weeks...oh thanku so much for your sight it has now OPENED MY EYES UP, THAT DEGREE QUALIFIED PEOPLE ARE HUMAN AND DO MAKE VERY HUGE MISTAKES...i hope my bubs this time is going to b a misdiagnosed miscarriage and i am going to wait till the last possible moment..A HUGE THANK YOU TO YOU...XXX
anonymous on December 09, 2009:
wow, great information. i am on my 8th pregnancy. 1st one missed miscarriage. 2nd one vanishing twin carried other baby to full term, 3rd i feel pregnant 3wks after giving birth..4th you will not like me for this a planned abortion but miscarried the night b4..5th & 6th abortion..7th miscarried at 8weeks and i selected a D & C and now im cheesed that i didnt find this site sooner..i am now again 8 weeks had an ultrasound today, i was told there is a egg sac but no fetal pole..i measure though 6.5weeks for the other sac..i do have a retroverted uterus and have known this since my 2nd pregnancy..and i do know that everytime i have an ultrasound it is always very hard for them to find the bubs...my last miscarriage 12mths ago i was on weekly ultrasounds from 6wks on the 7th week they found a heartbeat, upon the 8th week ultrasound no heartbeat..but b4 i went for the D&C, i did wonder if they had gotten it wrong...but this time i am going to seek a second opinion or at least wait to see if my body does dispel naturally, because this time my symptoms are different..2 days ago i was eating spring rolls dipped in sour cream..if i only had an egg sac that would not b occuring??? my first miscarriage was at 22yrs old and i carried the bubs to 13weeks till i started getting faint feeling and spotting increasing and the ultrasound showed baby size 8weeks...oh thanku so much for your sight it has now OPENED MY EYES UP, THAT DEGREE QUALIFIED PEOPLE ARE HUMAN AND DO MAKE VERY HUGE MISTAKES...i hope my bubs this time is going to b a misdiagnosed miscarriage and i am going to wait till the last possible moment..A HUGE THANK YOU TO YOU...XXX
Spook LM on May 23, 2009:
Excellent lens with an important message.
Jimmie Quick from Memphis, TN, USA on May 04, 2009:
Oh my word! I had no idea that a miscarriage could be misdiagnosed. What an important message.
religions7 on May 04, 2009:
What's a D&C?
