Could I be having a late miscarriage?

[elfinbaby]

I'm almost 16 wks. and I've never been through a m/c. I'm not showing obvious signs like cramping and bleeding but something's different.

I have been feeling movement - really good movement - since the holidays. Almost every night while I sit and knit I get so many kicks that I always comment on what an active baby we're having. I haven't felt movement in several days or more. My once taut and sore boobs are soft and not sore anymore.

This has been on my mind for several days and this morning I tried to force a little movement. I laid on my stomach for awhile and then my back but nothing.

My body just feels (and looks, to me anyway) different. It's softer and "quiet." I don't remember ever feeling like this before - usually you feel bigger and more stretched. But I actually feel like I've shrunk.

I'm not the paranoid type - I don't have a lot of worries during pregnancy and birth. My question is if I'm right then how long before my body lets go of the baby? I'm taking the weekend before I call the mw. We haven't had an appt. and, actually, I was intending to discuss only hiring her for the birth so I'm a little hesitant to go out there and say "Can you find the hb? BTW, I don't need you during pregnancy." That would be silly.

So back to the main question - how long can a body hold onto a baby that's has passed?

Thanks for input - I'm kind of dazed right now.
April

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by elfinbaby

I'm almost 16 wks. and I've never been through a m/c. I'm not showing obvious signs like cramping and bleeding but something's different.

I have been feeling movement - really good movement - since the holidays. Almost every night while I sit and knit I get so many kicks that I always comment on what an active baby we're having. I haven't felt movement in several days or more. My once taut and sore boobs are soft and not sore anymore.

This has been on my mind for several days and this morning I tried to force a little movement. I laid on my stomach for awhile and then my back but nothing.

My body just feels (and looks, to me anyway) different. It's softer and "quiet." I don't remember ever feeling like this before - usually you feel bigger and more stretched. But I actually feel like I've shrunk.

I'm not the paranoid type - I don't have a lot of worries during pregnancy and birth. My question is if I'm right then how long before my body lets go of the baby? I'm taking the weekend before I call the mw. We haven't had an appt. and, actually, I was intending to discuss only hiring her for the birth so I'm a little hesitant to go out there and say "Can you find the hb? BTW, I don't need you during pregnancy." That would be silly.

So back to the main question - how long can a body hold onto a baby that's has passed?

Thanks for input - I'm kind of dazed right now.
April

I'm so sorry -- what a scary time.

It can take weeks to complete a miscarriage, especially of a second-trimester baby, and there are risks to waiting -- specifically, DIC. But some women do complete their miscarriages themselves and have no problems. But it's hard to know.

If you don't want to involve your MW, then you could go to an ER, say you've felt movement and aren't feeling it anymore, and that your pregnancy symptoms have regressed. The downside is, of course, that ER care is very expensive and that they may not be as sympathetic as you'd like if the baby has indeed passed.

[OHmidwife]

Originally Posted by elfinbaby

My question is if I'm right then how long before my body lets go of the baby? I'm taking the weekend before I call the mw. We haven't had an appt. and, actually, I was intending to discuss only hiring her for the birth so I'm a little hesitant to go out there and say "Can you find the hb? BTW, I don't need you during pregnancy." That would be silly.

So back to the main question - how long can a body hold onto a baby that's has passed?

Thanks for input - I'm kind of dazed right now.
April

Hi April
If the baby has passed it could be days or weeks before you miscarry. I would call the midwife and explain the situation to her and ask if you could just stop by to see if she can find a heartbeat. (I have done this for people before and would never charge a fee for it, but you can ask if there is a fee.) If she finds it, yippee! You go on to interview her for the birth. If not, she can probably give you some good advice on how to proceed and warning signs to look for. The main concerns would be for heavy bleeding or infection. You might want to start taking your temp once or twice a day now to be sure all is fine and perhaps take some echinacea and vitamin C. A vitamin K supplement (or alfalfa or chlorophyll) wouldn't hurt either, to help maintain your clotting factors.
Hugs to you and best wishes. I hope your worries turn out to be for naught.

[frontierpsych]

When I miscarried at 10 weeks I waited 2 months for the baby to pass and it never did, so I ended up with a D&C. I sincerely hope you're just having a few quiet days!

[elfinbaby]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I was just having a few quiet days. I got some good kicks this morning. It was a hard day for a number of reasons. My instincts that something was "off" were right but on the wrong kid. DD had a couple of seizures which, although not unusual for her diagnosis (Rett Syndrome) are very unusual for her. She's only ever had 2 in her life and they were six months apart. So 2 in a day, well that's twice as many as ever!

We're okay though. Just riding it out.

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate the thoughtful posts.


April

[nashvillemidwife]

I'm just curious, have you discussed with any midwives the scenario of them attending your birth without providing prenatal care? Feel free to pm me as I know this isn't the topic of this thread. I just know that around here that wouldn't work out. What documentation would you have?

[elfinbaby]

No, we haven't had the discussion yet and I do realize that a mw could say that she wasn't comfortable with attending the birth.

I'm not sure about the doc. question. What do you mean?

Did you mean am I documented? No, not at all. I know of women where we used to live (DFW, TX area) that didn't start looking for a mw until their 8th month. It wasn't a prob. there. Not even for CNMs. I'm thinking it varies from mw to mw. I suppose we'll see.

April

[happyhippiemama]

Originally Posted by elfinbaby

DD had a couple of seizures which, although not unusual for her diagnosis (Rett Syndrome) are very unusual for her.

Completely off-topic, but I used to work with a woman with Rett Syndrome, and she was one of my favorite people EVER.

Back on-topic, I'm glad that you were just having a couple of quiet days.

[elfinbaby]

Dd is usually the star whereever she goes, too. She is well loved by all. It helps that she is extremely social and seriously beautiful. She smiles and can make a person feel like they are the most special person in the world.

[trimestersdoula]

Elfinbaby, that is WONDERFUL news. I have been worrying about you since the last time you posted. Thank goodness all is well with baby. I am sorry to hear about your daughters seizures. She sounds like such a wonderful little girl

[nashvillemidwife]

Yes, I forgot to mention how wonderful that you and your baby are ok!