Going through a miscarriage is heartbreaking, and then you’re asked to make a big medical decision while you’re still processing the news. In this episode, Dr. Leah Gordon and Dr. Morgan MacDermott walk through the three options for managing a miscarriage: expectant management (letting your body pass the pregnancy on its own), medication (mifepristone and misoprostol), and a D&C (dilation and curettage). They cover the pros, cons, success rates, and risks of each, so you can make an informed choice that feels right for you.
They also talk about the things most women aren’t told ahead of time. That includes how intense passing a pregnancy at home can be, when bleeding is too much and you need the ER, and why HCG can stay in your system and cause a positive pregnancy test weeks later. They explain retained tissue, how ectopic pregnancy is treated differently, and how testing the pregnancy tissue can give you answers after a loss.
Finally, they cover the “mini postpartum” that follows a pregnancy loss. Topics include hormone shifts, when your cycle returns, when it’s safe to try again, how to replenish your body, and ways to honor your baby. Whatever you’re feeling after a loss is valid. You don’t have to go through it alone.
0:00 Trailer & Intro
3:34 Miscarriage Explained
6:10 Why Community Matters After Loss
8:04 It’s Not Your Fault
8:36 The Three Miscarriage Options
10:55 The Hard Language of Miscarriage
13:24 Grieving a Failed IVF Transfer
14:49 Option 1: Expectant Management
18:42 What Is a Missed Miscarriage?
22:36 You Don’t Have to Decide Right Away
26:06 Feeling Empowered in Your Choice
28:02 Ectopic Pregnancy & Methotrexate
32:50 Option 2: Miscarriage Medication
36:39 Heavy Bleeding & When to Go to the ER
39:28 Medication Success Rates
40:51 Option 3: D&C
41:54 Testing Tissue for Answers
44:55 D&C Pros & Cons
46:31 Antibiotics & Anesthesia
51:27 D&C Risks by the Numbers
53:26 D&C and Future Fertility
57:01 Recovering After Anesthesia
59:12 The Mini Postpartum After Loss
60:37 HCG & False Positive Tests
63:54 When to Try Again
67:09 Nourishing Your Body After Loss
68:08 Your Feelings Are Valid
71:19 Asking for What You Need
72:14 Ways to Honor Your Baby
73:13 Hope After Pregnancy Loss
75:46 Natural Support for Grief
77:25 Closing
Resources From This Episode:
- Join Dr. Leah’s Womanhood Wellness membership – https://drleahgordon.com/join
- @ihadamiscarriage on Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/ihadamiscarriage
- Miscarriage manual – http://www.inciid.org/miscarriage-manual
- Grief Watch website – http://www.griefwatch.com/symptoms-of-grief
- Anecdotal natural miscarriage blog – http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-to-have-a-natural-miscarriage-no-dc/
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Find more from Dr. Leah:
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Find more from Dr. Morgan:
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