Early Pregnancy Miscarriage (under 10 weeks of pregnancy)

Miscarriage Treatment Options

Miscarriage can be an extremely difficult loss.  You are going through the loss of a pregnancy that brought you excitement and happy expectations.   You may have already started planning for the transformation that a baby was going to bring into your life.  You may have told family and friends.  On top of it, the early pregnancy tissue may not have passed.  You may still be hormonal, adding to the highly emotional experience and sadness.

Your doctor may have advised you to either “watch and wait” for the pregnancy tissue to pass naturally, or to schedule a D&C procedure.  Either of these options are upsetting.  You don’t want to “watch and wait” for unexpected heavy bleeding to occur.  It feels impossible to walk around knowing that the tissue of a failed pregnancy is still remaining inside.  You are still hormonal, and you still feel pregnant.  You don’t want to get a D&C procedure because it is frightening to go to an operating room.  In addition, you’ve heard that surgical D&C can cause scarring and may affect your fertility.

There is a better way!  With the non surgical Aspiration Procedure, you can remove early pregnancy tissue in minutes.  It is completed in a regular examination room, not an operating room.  There is no scraping, no metal instruments, no electric suction, and no need to be put to sleep.  The Aspiration Procedure naturally causes a release of the early pregnancy tissue.  There is no damage to the uterus, so you can start trying again, right away.

Miscarriage: Advantages of the Aspiration Procedure

  • You do not need to wait and worry about when the miscarriage will take place
  • The procedure takes 3-5 minutes to complete.
  • It can be completed in a private doctor’s office.
  • Your companion can be by your side during the procedure.
  • You can immediately resume your normal activities.
  • It is 100% safe for future pregnancies.  There is no scarring.
  • Pregnancy symptoms start to resolve immediately.
  • You can start trying again, right away.  You don’t have to wait several months.

What is the Aspiration Procedure?

The Aspiration Procedure is a small handheld device designed to cause a natural release of early pregnancy tissue.  It can be used for failed early pregnancy (miscarriage), early termination of pregnancy, or endometrial biopsies.  In the past, the Aspiration Procedure was also used to treat heavy menstrual periods, and was called “menstrual extraction.”   How is it completed?  You are lying in a pap test position.  The doctor inserts a speculum (like a pap test).  The doctor inserts a thin flexible tube (cannula) through the natural opening of the cervix.  The tip of the cannula is in the uterus.  The doctor attaches a handheld device to the cannula.  The device creates a soft suction or pressure.  This causes a release of the early pregnancy tissue into the device.

FOR A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THE ASPIRATION PROCEDURE CLICK HERE.

Are You Having A Miscarriage?

Three signs of miscarriage are:

Spotting, light, or heavy bleeding during pregnancy.
Abdominal pain or cramping.
A decrease in pregnancy symptoms (nausea, breast tenderness).

Why Do Miscarriages Occur?

Early miscarriage is usually completely normal. The initial stages of pregnancy include: cell duplication, pregnancy implantation, the proliferation of the menstrual lining of the uterus, the development of a gestational sac, and finally cell division to start to form an embryo. Problems can happen at any of these steps, causing the pregnancy to stop developing. Doctors usually do not evaluate women having an early miscarriage for an underlying fertility problem, unless it occurs repeatedly.

Learn About Your Options

The doctor can evaluate whether you are having a miscarriage by doing an ultrasound, and by following blood tests. If the doctor determines that you are having a miscarriage, you will likely have four options for treatment, depending on the length of pregnancy.

The most safe and simple treatment for early miscarriage is the Aspiration Procedure. This simple non-surgical procedure can be completed in 3-5 minutes in a regular doctor’s office. The Aspiration Procedure involves the use of a quiet, small hand-held device that uses gentle pressure to remove tissue from the uterus. Like a routine Pap smear, the Aspiration Procedure can be completed in a regular medical examination room in a private medical office. You will be able to resume your normal activities immediately.
You can choose to have the miscarriage occur naturally. Generally, this option is best with pregnancies under 7 weeks. At this stage, the experience of a miscarriage can be similar to having a heavy period with strong menstrual cramps.  At Early Options, we check and ultrasound to evaluate how much tissue is remaining.  If there is a minimal amount of tissue, it may be best to pass it naturally.
Misoprostol is a prescription medication that causes the uterus to contract, which assists your body’s natural process of expelling uterine contents. The advantage of taking misoprostol is that it can help to induce the miscarriage in a timely fashion. Misoprostol can be used to help with a very early miscarriage.
Surgical D&C is the best option for treating second trimester miscarriage, over 12 weeks. For early miscarriage, D&C should not be used.  Surgical D&C’s utilize curettage (scraping of the uterus) and electric suction.  This is overly invasive and can cause scarring.   The Aspiration Procedure has significant advantages over D&C  because it is less invasive.  Surgical D&C’s are typically completed in operating room settings, which can be intimidating and inconvenient.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why have I never heard of the Aspiration Procedure?

Most Obstetrician/Gynecologists are surgeons who are not educated about simple non surgical options for treatment of miscarriage and abortion.  The field of women’s health can be outdated. The most natural options are often not offered at standard medical facilities.  At Early Options, we have been providing the Aspiration Procedure for over a decade.  Our patients have given nearly universal positive feedback on their experience with the Aspiration Procedure for treatment of early miscarriage or abortion.

Why did my doctor tell me D&C is better?

Surgeons tend to think surgery is the answer.  “Old school” training says that scraping of the uterus and electric suction is necessary for treatment of miscarriage.  It is simply not the case.  Early pregnancy tissue can be removed simply and gently without scraping or electric suction.  At Early Options we have a higher success rate of treatment with the Aspiration Procedure compared to surgical procedures.

How early do I need to be to treat my miscarriage with the Aspiration Procedure?

The Aspiration Procedure is easily used to 10 weeks of pregnancy.  The doctor will assess whether you are eligible for the Aspiration Procedure from 10-12 weeks of pregnancy.

What will my recovery be like?

If you get an Aspiration Procedure to treat your first trimester miscarriage, your recovery will be immediate.  You can resume your normal activities when you leave our office.

When will my pregnancy symptoms go away?

Nausea typically will go away after miscarriage within 24 hours.  Moodiness generally goes away in one to two days.  Breast swelling and tenderness can take weeks to resolve.

When can I start trying again?

If you get an Aspiration Procedure to treat your first trimester miscarriage, you can start trying again right away.