Why I Chose Not to Have a Dilation and Curettage Throughout my Miscarriage

I’ve had several people ask me why after the first round of medication failed, I didn’t go ahead and do a D & C. Well, to be completely honest I don’t have a really good reason. First, I want to explain the difference between the medicine approach and a D & C.

When we first found out we had had a “missed miscarriage”, my doctor discussed three different routes for us to take moving forwards. 1. Wait and miscarry naturally (she would only let me wait 1 week if I had chosen this), 2. Miscarry at home with the help of medication (Cytotec), or 3. Have a D&C. After discussing with her further we both felt that I would be able to miscarry at home with the medication and we would be able to start trying again sooner! Which duh, was the goal. So that’s what I chose!

When you use medication to you will be prescribed Cytotec (Misoprostol). This medicine is meant to causes uterine contractions in order to assist in the miscarriage process. Miscarriage-related bleeding and cramps will usually start within one to four hours of taking the medication and you might have cramps for three to five hours.

Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a procedure to remove tissue from inside your uterus after a miscarriage. During this procedure, the doctor will use small instruments or a medication to open (dilate) your cervix and then will use a surgical instrument called a curette to remove uterine tissue. Curettes used in a D&C can be sharp or use suction.

Although the first round of medication didn’t take me completely down to 0, I had still dropped from 58,000 to 82 by June 19th (since May 11th) and I was very encouraged by that. I feel like I had a lot of hope in June that I was under 100 so I never really even considered surgery until July.

When I had my 2nd ultrasound in July to check for fetal tissue remanence, that’s when I feared I would have to have surgery. Zach and I did a lot of praying the days surrounding my US appointment and we both just felt like surgery wasn’t the path I was supposed to take. I really can’t explain why I felt so strongly about not having a D & C, but after praying day after day for guidance I just felt this way. Thankfully after my US, my doctor wasn’t concerned at all about the tissue remaining and felt that the medication would do the trick.

When it still didn’t take me down to 0 I started once again considering just having a D&C to be finally done. I prayed for more guidance and continued to feel like it just wasn’t the right answer for me. I wish I had a more confident answer on why I didn’t have it, but I really feel like once I was under 100 I just felt that I was so close. I felt that having a D&C would only set me back further. Now, had I known that it would take me an additional two months to get to 0 back in June I would have most likely had the surgery. But that’s the thing, we just didn’t know that it would take this long!

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, and I truly believe that God did not have it in His plan for me to have a D&C. I believe that He wanted us to wait just a little longer before we started trying again, and therefore “delayed” us in being cleared. Did it suck? Absolutely. As with anything in life waiting is the worst. But I know that whatever God has in store for Zach and I’s future is going to be SO worth the wait.

“’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11