Re: no more fetal heartbeat -- wait or get a D & C?
From: Suzanne (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 28 Feb 1998 08:48:07 -0500
There is no harm in waiting, even though it may be stressful. If you don't
wait, you may live with the guilt of "what if." If you do wait, you may
still have a miscarriage in the end, but you will at least know you gave
this baby every chance.
I know personally of 3 different women (and have heard stories of others)
who were told that they were not carrying viable pregnancies (due to lack of
growth or lack of heartbeat), and refused an immediate D&C. Two of the 3
(and several in the anecdotes I've heard) were still pregnant with live
babies that they went on to carry full term.
If this pregnancy is going to end, your body will probably take care of
things by itself in it's own time. If it doesn't, a D&C may be necessary.
Of course, you have the option of the D&C without waiting, too, and it
sounds like one of the Dr's you have seen would even do it now, if you
wanted.
--
Suzanne S. Powell, ICCE
childbirth educator & labor doula
Peachtree City, Ga.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa <anonymous@obgyn.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <anonymous@obgyn.net>
Date: Saturday, February 28, 1998 12:51 AM
Subject: no more fetal heartbeat -- wait or get a D & C?
>I have very irregular periods but believe I conceived from January 16 -
>20 based on having had unprotected sex at that time. I had a positive
>home (urine) pregnancy test on February 4. An abdominal ultrasound
>showed an intrauterine pregnancy (2mm) on February 13 and the Dr. showed
>me a heartbeat on the screen.
>
>My Obgyn returned from leave and I went to see her for the first time on
>February 27. She was not satisfied with the ultrasound I brought her
>from the other Dr. saying that it looked as if he was measuring a yolk
>sac rather than a fetus and since my periods are very irregular she
>wanted another ultrasound to get a better estimated due date. Two
>doctors performed consecutive ultrasounds vaginally, measured the fetus
>as 4 mm but neither could find a heartbeat. My OBGYN said while it was
>bad news, it was possible that the other DR. had mistaken my own blood
>vessel for a fetal heartbeat and that we should hope that it is just a
>very early pregnancy and I should do nothing for a week, then come in
>for another ultrasound.
>
>Also on the 27th I called the other Dr. and asked him if he was sure he
>saw a heartbeat, he said yes and asked me to come in again that
>afternoon. He did another ultrasound, found no heartbeat and measured
>the fetus at 5mm. He said that I had lost the pregnancy for sure (it
>had not grown as much as it should have during the two weeks) and should
>not postpone doing a D & C.
>
>I am depressed and miserable. I don't want to mistakenly kill a viable
>embryo, but I don't wan't to lay around all week crying and waiting
>either. Given the dates of my positive test (Feb 4) and the sizes
>measured, it is possible that this is a very early pregnancy, or am I
>holding on for further disappointment?
>
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