Wilmington Woman's Club Ch. 18

Late December 1983 - Val's Miscarriage


Val noticed the spotting following her usual Thursday tennis game with Bernie.

"Jesus Christ, Bernie, I... I... I'm bleeding!"

"What?" Bernie replied, obviously concerned, but not wanting to alarm her friend. "Maybe it's your period."

"I'm pregnant, Bernie. I don't get a period, and I shouldn't be spotting."

"What's the number of your doctor, I'll call him. We'll head on over there."

Val gave Bernie the number; she called the doctor and explained the situation. He told her that early bleeding is very common and does not always mean that a miscarriage is occurring. But to be safe to get Valerie to the emergency room at the local hospital and he would meet them there.

What he did not impart to Bernie was that sadly, emergency room doctors can almost never stop a miscarriage that's in progress -- particularly in the first trimester. For by the time vaginal bleeding or other miscarriage symptoms appear, the developing baby has usually already passed away. Either way, the doctor wanted to confirm that Val's life was not in danger from hemorrhaging, or that an ectopic pregnancy threatening rupture did not occur.

The doctor stressed to Bernie that it was important to tell Val the trip to the emergency room was only necessary because that's where the doctor was at the time. Normally, he would have had her come to his office, but he was on call at the hospital that morning.

Bernie related this information to Val, but she seemed unable to absorb it coherently. Bernie knew enough about pregnancies to sense Val was showing symptoms of shock. She hurried Val into her car and drove directly to the hospital, which was only six miles away. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Val's doctor confirmed that she was undergoing a miscarriage.

There's no treatment for an otherwise uncomplicated early miscarriage other than offering a D