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How to heal and avoid a D&C after a natural miscarriage tragically and unexpectedly occurs so that a hospital visit is not necessary.
I recently experienced a heartbreaking miscarriage. Instead of opting for a hospital visit and invasive D&C, I chose to have a natural miscarriage and let nature take its course at home.
D&C stands for ādilation and curettageā. It is a surgical technique where a doctor forcibly dilates the cervix and clears the uterine lining using an instrument called a curette.
A D&C is not a pleasant experience, to put it mildly! Avoiding it using natural methods is a highly desirable alternative.
Natural Miscarriage Story
I was almost 12 weeks along when I miscarried, so it was almost like a mini-birth. I was lucky that I have experienced a live, home birth when my daughter was born over two years ago. That, combined with past experiences with miscarriage, helped me to not be afraid of the process.
I was very thankful to do everything at home (as opposed to a birth centerĀ or hospital). The physical environment was an important part of my overall healing.
Unfortunately for me, after the worst had passed, I continued to bleed and have intermittent contractions. After two full weeks from the time that I passed the baby and placenta, I went back to my OB to get an ultrasound to see if I had retained some piece of the placenta.
I was also fighting a cold virus and showing symptoms of an internal infection in my uterus. My blood was beginning to have a foul odor to it.
The doctor confirmed that I had indeed retained some tissue. Later that day, at my family practice doctorās office, I had a vaginal exam and my blood drawn to be tested. My iron levels were great, but my white blood count was low indicating an infection was beginning to take root.
My family practice doctor is very natural minded and I respect him very much, so when he suggested I take antibiotics, I listened.
I hate taking antibiotics and try to avoid them as much as I can, but I felt like the antibiotics were the lesser of two evils when weighing the risks of a D&C. (1)
Looking back, if I had been in a better mindset (thinking right and not consumed with grief) I probably would have thought to pull out the natural remedies sooner to avoid having to take antibiotics. But only hindsight is 20/20, and hopefully, this post will help someone else in the same situation.
He gave me three days to pass the rest of the tissue on my own or I would have to go to the hospital.
I left his office thinking I may have āfailedā at this pregnancy, but I am sure not going to āfailā at having a natural miscarriage. I pulled out my type A, over-ambitious personality and got to work figuring out all the natural remedies that help complete a miscarriage.
Over a three-day period, I did many different remedies to help me expel the last of the tissue. And sure enough, it worked. I completed the miscarriage on my own and did not need a D&C.
Hallelujah!
Remedies and Therapies to Avoid D&C
Here are the remedies I tried to avoid a hospital D&C. The good news is, they worked!
They are listed below in no particular order.
- Tea with Dong Quai in it. I drank Traditional Medicine Womenās Moon Cycle tea. I also drank some plain organicĀ raspberry leaf teaĀ (I like this one)Ā which is a hugely beneficial herb for uterine health.
- Cinnamon. I couldnāt really find exactly the dosage to take, so I just sprinkled freshĀ cinnamon on everything I could. Note that whether it isĀ cassia or Ceylon cinnamon really doesnāt matter. The Womenās Moon Cycle tea also has some in it. It tastes great in a glass of raw milkĀ or on a piece of bread slathered with butter. If you want to be bad, sprinkle on some sugar and you are in for a treat. Itās also great with cumin on a roast in a slow cooker such as a clay pot.
- Acupuncture. My acupuncture doctor did an hour-long treatment to help me expel everything. You can do pressure points at home if you prefer. They are mostly all in your ankles and shins. There is one on your hand as well, the fleshy part in between your first finger and thumb. Basically, all those points that you stay away from when you are pregnant.Ā Stimulating them is good for expelling everything from the uterus as well as acupuncture for labor. I recommend just massaging the area and whenever you find a tender spot, rub the heck out of it, even if it hurts a bit.
- Cupping. She also did a technique called cupping. Cupping is known to release congestion and help things that are stuck, physically or energetically, unstick. (2)
- Energy healing. I had a session with an energy healer and I realized that part of the reason I was holding on to that last bit of tissue was an emotional reason. I emotionally was not ready to fully let go of the pregnancy and my body was reacting to my emotions by holding on to the last bit of tissue.
- Affirmations. After the energy healing session, I told my body over and over again to let go and release. I also repeated over and over again, āI am healed. I am healthy.ā
- Homeopathy. Both Sabina and Sepia are helpful for naturally completing a miscarriage. I did Sepia because not only does it help expel the tissue, it helps expel the grief. My homeopathic doctor warned me that it would make me want to curl up in a ball and cry, a lot, and not to be alarmed. I sort of brushed him off and then later that day, I went to a yoga class. Showing up late to said yoga class late, the only spot left was smack dab in the middle of the room, next to the instructor. Just my luck! And sure enough, it only took one sun salutation and there I was, the crazy person, silently sobbing in childās pose for the rest of the class. Super embarrassing. So if you take Sepia, stay home!
- Herbs. Black and Blue Cohosh. I had these on hand and was going to do this at the last moment. These herbs are so bad tasting that I really did not want to have to drink them. Luckily I didnāt have to. These are the same herbs you can help to induce a full-term pregnancy. They are like a natural version of the inducement drug Pitocin. Also, a friend told me that these herbs can be found homeopathically, and they are called Caulphyllum and Cimicifuga. Incidentally, herbs can be a great friend for natural birth control as well as enhancing fertility when you are ready to try again.
Itās been over a week now since my ādeadlineā and I stopped bleeding on that very day!
I have had no more pain or blood, which I am very, very happy about. With the physical process complete, I can finally start to move on emotionally.
I do hope that this helps anyone going through a miscarriage and looking for information about how to avoid a D&C. There is not very much online about it, and it is good to know that you can heal and complete it on your own without having to go to the hospital.
(1) D&C After a Miscarriage
(2) What is Cupping?
Thank you for posting this. I have had recurrent pregnancy loss. I’ve been pregnant at this point a total of 9 times & have two living children. It is hard in a multitude of ways, but not knowing & understanding your REAL options only makes it harder. At one point I was seeing a reproductive endocrinologist when I was told the baby was not viable. He pressed for me to have a D&C right away, even though the baby had not yet passed even. Then the pressing turned into fulll out bullying. He went so far as to try to claim that I was risking my future fertility because fetal tissue could “fuse to my uterus” and nee to be surgically removed & cause scarring, etc” It was truly horrifying IMO the lengths he went to to try to ge tme to agree to it. I am a pretty sassy strong wille women & I even ended up finally agreeing to do the D&C & signed a waiver & aid I’d call back to set up the time JUST to get him to shut up so I could go home. I had no intention of making the appointment (and believe me, Dh was confused when I satrted to agree) – I just didn’t want to argue anymore. I felt very alone then. I belonged to an online support group for women with loss & even there, nearly no one understood WHY I’d wait a month to allow things ot happen naturally. So many of them not only went along with D&C’s but had requested them, just wanting it to “be over”. That isn’t how I am though. They were sweet, but also a bit pressuring in their oewn ways as they had fears about it as well & we worried for me.
While I KNOW that D&C’s are sometimes needed….in all the years I talked to women online about loss (about 6 years or so – daily) and HUNDREDS of women – some who had one loss, some who had many, the most common time I’ve heard of women NEEDING D&C’s for hemmorhage has been among women who had D&C’s in the first place & continued to bleed after. I think that is much more common than women realize. And if you have recurrent loss, a significant factor is also to consider Asherman’s syndrome. Multiple D&C’s over time can scar the surface of the uterus & cause hardening, which can completely render a woman infertile. It is NOT common thankfully, but it is a real & horrible risk that should be thoroughly understood when making your decisions.
I too have written in finite details abou tmy losses (this was several years back now) and shared it on loss forums. My hope is that someone out there will find some strength, wisdom & research in there tha tallows them toconfidently make the choice that is right for them & feel supported when they do so.
Much love to all mommas out there – ones of angels & ones of living children, We’re all just trying to do the best we can & sharing our stories with one another makes it easier to do that.
hey can someone tell me if i am pregnant or not????
i am 19 yrs old gal.. i had ma periods on 28Th June morning.. and i had sex with ma boyfriend at 1st July early morning around 4am.. after that even we had sex some more times that day.. i took an contraceptive pill(i pill) at 2Nd July morning around 11am… i am really tensed that i am pregnant or not.. is there any chance for me to be pregnant????
I’m sorry for your loss. I’ve had five miscarriages, all natural. I wish you would choose a different image to accompany this article. That is a very pregnant woman, and if she lost that baby I doubt she would call it a miscarriage.
Thank you. The picture didn’t bother me, but that’s a good point. I didn’t pick the picture.
This is a little off topic, but I’m hoping the folks reading this may have the insight to help. A friend of mine is ready to pop any day. The problem is, she was pregnant with twins. One heartbeat stopped at around 5 months. The parents don’t really have an affiliation with any religion, and they have to deal with the death/miscarriage of one child while they celebrate the joy of the other.
Any suggestions for what to do regarding the one who didn’t make it? A ceremony? Naming? They’re not even so sure what to do regarding a burial.
I know that Catholics do funerals for miscarriages, so I would ask a church they feel comfortable with about a funeral. Or they could create their own ceremony to honor the baby to give them some peace and closure.
I had two miscarriages three months apart. The first was very “by the book,” and passed naturally within a week of when I started bleeding. Of course it was very painful, but well, it is childbirth. By the time I had the second, I didn’t have the patience to “wait it out” and the bleeding was coming off and on. I might have no bleeding and then suddenly my clothes were soaked through. I was afraid to go out in public and I was also concerned at times about how much blood I was losing. I passed a small amount of tissue but I knew it wasn’t enough and I began to wonder if I would just be like this forever. That continued for a week and then I had a d&c. Emotionally, wanted to get it “over with.” The d&c was not traumatic at all. It was nice to not have as much pain as I had with the first one and to get it done. Even after everything had passed with the first, I continued to bleed/cramp for weeks. With a d&c, the bleeding is usually done in a day or two. I will admit that the d&c confuses your body a little hormonally and may cause postpartum depression while a natural miscarriage weans your body off the pregnancy hormones more gently. It’s a very personal decision and depends on your circumstances. Some women really need to get past the physical part of the whole thing quickly so they can begin healing emotionally while others may feel better hanging on to the baby as long as possible. Also, the natural way doesn’t always work. We do live in a fallen world, after all. I think natural remedies and medical science both have a place in our lives. God has given them both to us to use responsibly.
Amen! I totally agree.
Wow I am just getting back to checking my emails today (Sunday) as on Friday, the day this post came out, I was having a miscarriage at almost 11 weeks pregnant. The night before I rushed in to my accupuncturist when I started mild bleeding. She gave me a treatment and some herbs a long with a lot of hope and encouragement. Unfortunately the next day I miscarried. The following day I went in for more accupuncture and more herbs and feel that everything has passed. I am barely beleeding anymore, do not feel sick and am not cramping. My accupuncturist told me I have a severly low kidney yang deficiency which translates in western medicine to low progesterone and acoording to her the number one cause of miscarriage. I am shocked and stunned as I had been doing traditional cooking for over 5 years and then went on GAPS 2 months before getting pregnant and continued it during pregnancy and felt healthier that even before.
Sarah do you know what foods can help with low progesterone? I guess in spite of feeling so good I still have a lot of work to do. Before GAPS I do have a history of long time asthma medication usage so I would guess this played a big part. Fortunately my accupuncturist specializes in pregnancy and fertility issues and has a protocol of treatments to follow once my cycles start up again that along with herbs she says has helped many women in her practice to carry healthy babies full term. In the meantime any suggestions on foods to eat that would help as well would be greatty appreciated.
Warmly,
Tracey
So sorry for your loss, Tracey. And thanks for sharing. I had/have a kidney deficiency as well and my progesterone was low as well. I starting taking and herbal supplement at 5 weeks and then upped to vaginal suppository prescription doses. I can’t think of the name of the supplement right now, but I will go find it and come back and let you know.
Excellent, excellent suggestions and a perfect combination of physical, emotional and energetic therapies. I am so sorry for your loss but so glad you were able to treat it naturally and avoid a D&C. I had an emergency D&C after a miscarriage and had problems for quite some time afterwards…if only I’d known about natural options then! Thanks so much for sharing and I look forward to keeping up with more from your site, Stephanie…we seem to have a lot in common!
Thanks so much Amy. Off to check out your blog now!
As a homebirth midwife, I’ve helped women have a natural miscarriage at home. Once I had to take a friend to the hospital because she was bleeding too much. Remember, in the first and even second trimester that your blood volume hasn’t expanded much, so you can’t lose the two cups of blood that healthy women might spare at a full term birth. If you lose too much it can leave you more susceptible to infection, as well. I highly recommend calling on a midwife for help if things don’t seem to be going smoothly – we have lots of tricks of the trade to avoid a D & C.
Here is a link to some tips for miscarriage recovery – including emotional helps.
Miscarriages are more common than most women suppose. Here’s to helping each other at this time of grief.
Thanks for adding those tips and the helpful link. š
Why say you “failed” at this pregnancy, but were not going to “fail” at the miscarriage? You didn’t “fail” at anything. You experienced a natural and sorrowful event, a part of life’s cycle – sad, but not a failure. When people die, they don’t fail at life. It made me rather sad to read that. I’m very sorry for your loss and also for the other women who shared their thoughts and stories here. No one failed, there was loss, sorrow , and a painful experience of one part of the natural cycle of life. So many women have issues conceiving and carrying a child full term, calling it a failure is not healing or helpful, for you or anyone else.
I don’t think of myself as a failure as a whole in regards to this situation, I was just trying to describe how I felt in one moment, leaving the OB’s office. I guess it speaks to my overall tendencies to want to get everything “right” and to be perfect, the perfect mother, the perfect wife, etc. So while I don’t think that I or anyone who has a miscarriage is a failure, it is a pretty normal feeling to have when you are miscarrying, if only for a fleeting a moment.