D&C is Not Necessary After Every Miscarriage

Posted by Jenny Evans Aug 11, 2009

When I lost a pregnancy in 2008, my miscarriage started the morning of a routinely scheduled ultrasound. The doctor said I should just come in as scheduled and we would confirm then whether I was actually miscarrying.

We did the ultrasound, verified that the pregnancy was ending, and before I could even get off of the exam table the doctor was scheduling me for a D&C later in the week. I felt a little blind-sided. Haven't women been having miscarriages for thousands of years before dilation and curettage? Couldn't we at least let my body try to handle it on its own first before intervening?

What truly alarmed me was that there was no mention of the potential risks and complications of a D&C, or even the fact that I might not even need one! (In my case, I didn't - after a week the miscarriage had completed itself.)

I have a good friend who was just diagnosed with Asherman's syndrome, the development of thick scar tissue in the uterus and fallopian tube following a D&C that will make it difficult (if not impossible) for her ever to get pregnant again.

A dilation & curettage is a serious procedure, particularly if you plan on getting pregnant again in the future. Unless there is a compelling medical reason to get a D&C immediately, it's always best to wait a week first to see if your body can take care of the miscarriage naturally.