Expert: Pat G - 8/20/2009

Question
I had an ultrasound at planned parenthood.  I asked her to be absolutely sure there were not two because I have always wanted twins.  She assured me there was only one fetus.  They told me I was 7 weeks pregnant and gave me 1 pill of mifeprex and 4 pills to let disolve in my gums at home a few days later.  Within 24 hours of the first pill, I passed a sand dollar sized round blood clot with a wirey cord attached to a mass the size of a jellybean.  I concluded that the fetus had passed and did not take the 4 pills, nor any antibiotics or pain pills that they gave me.  I bled for 2 more days.  Now I am 10 weeks pregnant, and an ultrasound today by the same woman shows the embryo in the exact location.  The father and I have 2 children already.  He wanted another one very badly, but I pay our bills and know that we can not afford another baby.  He has been praying out loud for the past 3 weeks, and I heard him last night say, "I will give anything if she can be pregnant by me again, and not lose this baby".  I don't understand...what did I see?  I held it in my hands.  I know what a placenta/fetus look like.  I have miscarried before.  I passed a placenta/fetus, but am still 10 weeks pregnant.  I want to have a healthy pregnancy now.  Please help.

Answer
Hello, Stella,

I really don't have a very high opinion of Planned Parenthood for a lot of reasons, but I'll talk about that another time. The main point is that they should NOT have given you the pills for use by your gums, because the manufacturer specifically says they are NOT to be used by a pregnant woman, because there are several ways they can kill you quickly, sometimes within hours. In my opinion, that's malpractice right there.

Let's look at the facts in your case. You took mifeprex when you were 7 weeks. This is really too late for this to work to begin with. I don't know what you passed, but if you are now 10 weeks pregnant, it is unlikely (not impossible) that the medication hasn't caused any harm. Quite a few babies will survive this without any trouble, and since it was so late, this is especially true. By 7 weeks, if you had examined the clot, you should have seen more than just blood. There is also the remote possibility that what you got was an empty amniotic sac, and that does happen, and if you had been pregnant with "twins" (if you have a history of twins in your family), it could be you had one sac and a viable baby. As for paying your bills, please know that you can get help. There are resources available to you. To learn more, find an organization in your area by going here:

http://pregnancycenters.org/

Also, please know that a baby isn't all that expensive. You already have clothes if you kept them. If not, you can get them from the organization. You can get free medical care. If you breastfeed, feeding the baby will cost virtually nothing. You may also be able to get diapers. Also, your husband should be looking for work. This organization can make a recommendation for a decent doctor who will take care of you both. Have the doctor test your progesterone. If there is a problem, he can treat you with progesterone through the rest of your pregnancy, and that will help safeguard your baby. I pray that your baby is OK, and that you will have a normal birth. Take care of both of you!