This will usually be noted on your chart as a missed abortion.
You will often be given as much as two weeks to see if a natural miscarriage
will begin. After those two weeks, you can usually request a D&C and receive
it. Some doctors will advise or allow a D&C immediately if you prefer.
Occasionally, if you meet certain qualifications with your hCG levels and size
of the baby when it stopped growing, you may receive a shot and/or suppositories
to bring on a natural miscarriage. This can only be done if the pregnancy was
less than seven weeks in measurement, and is not yet widely offered because it
may require you to wait three months before attempting to conceive again.
Sometimes spotting will begin within 24 hours of your learning of the loss.
Even though the baby may have died weeks earlier and the body has not reacted,
somehow the actual knowledge that the pregnancy is ending will make the hormone
levels start to fall.
Often, however, a loss where the baby has died weeks before the diagnosis
will not resolve without a D&C. Give yourself a couple of days to cope with
what has happened, and then schedule the surgery. If your doctor is resistant to
surgery and you want it, it is time for a new doctor. Keep in mind that this
situation should not go on for more than three weeks or complications can
result, including infection.
Complete
Descriptions of What Happens During a D&C, D&E, or Natural Miscarriage
