AboutBrenda Expertise I have been an R.N. since 1988 and come from a family of nurses. I have clinical experience in labor and delivery, as well as post-partum care and pre-term pregnancy complications. I have also worked in Community Health Clinics dealing with this area of expertise, including WIC (Women, Infant, & Children) clinics performing nursing evaluations and assessments in determining a need for services or intervention for pregnant women, newborns, and young children. I have worked in immunization clinics in and around my community as well. I also have several years experience in OB and Pediatric Home Care Nursing. In addition to that, I am a mother of two, ages 21 and 16, both of which I had hoped would be vaginal deliveries, but ended up being C-Sections... one of which had me in pre-term labor...another which was frank breech (bottom first)... one who rejected the breast... and so on... to list my personal experience would be a bit lengthy! I'd simply like to help anyone who might have a question or concern that I can draw on my expertise to answer!
Experience I have been an R.N. since 1988 and come from a family of nurses. I have clinical experience in labor and delivery, as well as post-partum care and pre-term pregnancy complications. I have also worked in Community Health Clinics dealing with this area of expertise, including WIC (Women, Infant, & Children) clinics performing nursing evaluations and assessments in determining a need for services or intervention for pregnant women, newborns, and young children. I have worked in immunization clinics in and around my community as well. I also have several years experience in OB and Pediatric Home Care Nursing. My experience also includes approximately three years working in Behavioral Services.
Education/Credentials Graduated from the Mary Lanning School of Nursing in May 1988. Have been a licensed Registered Nurse in the state of NE since 1988.
Question QUESTION: Hi,
I guess all history is going to help, so i fell pregnant found out in December last year, i went for my 12 week scan and i had a missed miscarriage very shocking, well i went in for a suction currette on the 29th of Feb this year, had some complications with them leaving tissue behind which i was told i would have to wait for my next period for it be pass naturally, i bled until approx the 10th of March, then it lightened. On the 15th of March i started to pass the tissue along with heavy bleeding and alot of pain. I had my check up with the hospital and they said it was my period and it was ok to start trying again. So i worked out that i would ovulate between the 30th of March and 4th of April giv e or take a couple of days, my husband and i started trying. So here we are today the 10th of April and i have been reall tired, headaches and feeling like something is going on down there. I put it down to nothing as i dont want to get my hopes up and then get a negative result, well today when i went to the toilet and wiped its was light pink, this morning my discharge was alot thicker but this was more pink liquid (hard to explain) i keep telling myself it is nothing but i cant help hoping that this might be implantation but it seems strange im not due for my period until the 15th of March 6 days time. Please help......
ANSWER: Dear Michelle,
The symptoms you describe are hormonal in nature and can also be related to hormone fluctuations within your cycle. That is why it so difficult to "diagnose" a pregnancy based on symptoms alone. It is really impossible to know whether you conceived yet or not if conception only took place last week. However, the timing would be about right for implantation bleeding.
Only about a third of pregnant women experience implantation bleeding but it can happen at the time the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. Implantation bleeding typically occurs 6-12 days after conception which is often right before you would expect to have a period. The difference is that it is shorter in duration and lighter in volume than a normal period. It can be pink, red, or brown in color.
Although some tests claim accuracy on the first day of a missed period, I usually suggest that women wait until the week after a missed or spotty period before testing for pregnancy. For you, this would be 4/22. This tends to minimize the incidence of false negative results and also avoids wasting money on a test for a simple delay of a period by a few days. When you test make sure to use 1st morning urine to get a concentrated sample for the most accurate results. Now, if you are more impatient and money is not a concern, you can go in for a serum beta hCG, but even that would not be overly reliable for another five days or so.
I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.
Brenda
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QUESTION: Hi Brenda,
Thanks for the prompt reply on my above question, I have since found out that i am unfortunately not pregnant and my doctor is pretty sure that my period never came on the 15th when the tissue passed as it was only 2 weeks post op. The question i have now is when would you expect my period to return as i said i had the curette done on the 29th of February and passed the tissue on the 15thof March, today is the 18th of April and still no period 7 weeks post suction curette. My doctor has done blood tests to see my hormone levels and they have come back normal, she has booked me in for a gynacaelogical scan on the 8th of May to see "whats going on in there." This is still three weeks away, i would really like to know when a period should return as i want to start trying for another baby and im in the middle and have no idea whats going on with my body, I realise everyone is different and many factors may change the expectant time for a period to return, but in your knowledge can you please shed any light.
Thanks heaps in advance.
Answer Dear Michelle,
Most often after a miscarriage or D&C your bleeding will taper off to spotting within 7-10 days, and maybe random spotting will continue for another week. Your hCG will drop steadily, usually hitting zero during the end of the spotting, or about 10 days after the miscarriage or D&C. Some women find they have mild pregnancy symptoms, or little ovulation cramps. Many many women think they could be pregnant, because strange things are happening and their period is "late" (although almost every post-miscarriage period is late.) These symptoms are due to the body's attempts to regulate its hormones again. It may kick into gear right away, and you will get a new period in 4-5 weeks, or it may struggle a bit, and the period will not come for up to 8 weeks.
Less often, your bleeding tapers off quickly, but with some spotting. You think it is over. Perhaps a week or even two will pass, and you begin to wait for your period. Then suddenly, it begins again. Strong cramping, heavy bleeding, and pain. You hope it is just your period, but it is not. (You must not bleed at all for about 20 days for it to be a real period, otherwise you have not gone through the hormone chain properly.) Usually within a few days, it does stop, and you are just spotting again. Here is what usually has happened - some tissue was missed during your D&C or natural miscarriage. A bit of placenta clung to the wall of the uterus. It continued to draw a little blood, and the body continued to create very small amounts of pregnancy hormone. Eventually the body realized no baby was there and turned loose this last bit of tissue. The miscarriage process begins again. Only now will your levels drop to zero and a new cycle begin. You cannot expect a normal period any sooner than 4 weeks from this, and up to 7 weeks could still be normal. Your total wait time from original miscarriage to first period can creep up to 9-10 weeks and still be normal.
The general recommendation usually is to wait through at least two menstrual cycles before trying to conceive again. This is simply to allow for hormones to return to ideal levels and for ample time for the body to heal. When you do get your first period after the miscarriage, don't expect it to be normal - it rarely is. It may be heavier than normal for you or lighter, shorter in duration or longer, have lots of cramping or very little. Regardless, as long as you have not had bleeding for three weeks so that the hormones have had a chance to properly go through the chain of events necessary to stimulate menstruation - it is a period.
I hope this has helped you and answered your questions. Be well!
