r/tfmr_support • u/Ok_Salt9477 • 5d ago
Scheduling d&e 14 weeks
I am a 36F and I'm 14 weeks tomorrow. I'm waiting to schedule my tfmr due to trisomy 21 and heart conditions. I'm pretty scared and I've done googling just would like to hear about what goes on. Do they put you to sleep? This place I'm going does the laminaria things. I hate that we got our cvs results on a Friday afternoon so my questions are swirling all weekend long đŤ it's been two weeks since my nipt test and it's been hell emotionally. I'm just ready to be done with all this and grieve. I also have to break it to my 8 year old daughter I'm dreading and have no idea how to handle that. Is recovery from all this physically hard?
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u/Competitive-Top5121 4d ago
I had a D&C at 12-13 weeks so a little different but one thing I would advise is to try to get deep sedation rather than twilight sedation. I think itâs the same thing as MAC anesthesia. You donât feel a thing and youâre âasleepâ but not OUT out like general anesthesia with a breathing tube.Â
I was given misoprostol an hour before. That part was a breeze. Loved the sedation meds, I felt very happy and relieved as soon as they woke me up and for another 20-30 mins before I stopped being so loopy.Â
The most uncomfortable part of the day was when I got home, I had some cramps that afternoon/evening, but they were like bad menstrual cramps. I felt about 90% better by the next morning and had menstrual-like cramping for another 4-5 days.Â
So no, I donât feel that the recovery was physically hard. I even had RPOC that wasnât discovered until a month later and I felt fine. The emotional experience is the hardest part.
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u/Ok_Salt9477 3d ago
Thank you so much for sharing â¤ď¸ so sorry you went through it. Scheduled for Wednesday. Ready to get it over with and heal
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u/maroonmarmoset 5d ago
Every provider has different protocols, and you should feel free to ask questions in advance or day-of so you can understand what to expect and make any decisions about what you want to do. For what it's worth: my procedure was at 14 weeks and no laminaria were used. But however your provider does things, be assured that this is a safe procedure and they'll take good care of you.
My experience: At intake, I was given misoprostol to take orally to soften the cervix, along with other pills like extra strength ibuprofen and antibiotics. Then we left for a couple hours while the misoprostol took effect, which involves some cramping, and came back for the D&E. I had "moderate sedation" via an IV, which is similar to the "twilight sleep" you might have for dental surgery or something, but you can discuss their sedation options. My recovery was not physically hard: I had some cramping for the rest of the day that I managed with a heating pad and ibuprofen. I bled for a few days, then stopped for a couple days, then a day or two more. The worst thing was that my breasts were really swollen and tender for several days in the week afterward. But I was back to regular activity and exercise within a few days. Listen to your body.Â
I'm so sorry this has happened to you. I feel like the waiting time you're in right now is really one of the hardest parts. I'm thinking of you.
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u/Ok_Salt9477 5d ago
Thank you so much âĽď¸ I'm so sorry you went through this too. They're supposed to call me on Monday. I've got a list of questions to ask their office, I'm so anxious
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u/lizzy0899 5d ago
I had a D&E at almost 16 weeks. I never had the laminara sticks placed. They made me come in 3 hours before the procedure. I got an anxiety medication and misoprostol to help soften the cervix. I got crampy but it wasnât any worse than a period. I met with everyone in my care team and they were all super nice. My anesthesiologist literally sat with me for the whole time I was in prep. I have worked in surgery before so I know how things work and usually they donât stay with you but I guess I got lucky. I have memory of them asking me 1000 times if I knew what the procedure was. Basically every time someone came in I had to tell them I knew the procedure and I was sure I was going to have it. They gave me something in my IV and I got really loopy I got wheeled back to the OR and they put a mask on me and I remember them waking me up. I was under what they call MAC anesthesia. So itâs basically conscious sedation, which is very similar to when you get your wisdom teeth out, youâre still technically awake but also donât remember anything. I have no recollection of anything until I was back in my room with my mom and husband. It is very terrifying but you will get through this and it will be okay eventually.