"Scan after 2 miscarriages"

My Experience EPPC craigavon  

Over the past few months, I have suffered two miscarriages, both of which were incredibly difficult, not just emotionally but also in terms of the medical care I received. I want to share my experience, not only to process everything but also to highlight the challenges I faced while trying to get the support and answers I needed.

My first miscarriage happened in September. I was referred to the Early Pregnancy Problem Clinic (EPPC) and had an appointment with a nurse. The purpose of my visit was to confirm that my miscarriage had completed naturally and that there was no remaining pregnancy tissue. However, when I showed the nurse what I believed to be the miscarriage, she told me it didn’t look like pregnancy tissue. This immediately worried me because I wasn’t sure if my body had passed everything properly. Instead of performing a scan to confirm, she simply did a pregnancy test. Since it came back negative, I was sent home without any further checks.

Four days later, I ended up in A&E feeling dizzy, nauseous, and unable to stand without my vision going completely blank. I was terrified that something had been missed. Unfortunately, because it was late in the evening, they weren’t able to get me a scan. I was advised to book an appointment with Grace Clinic instead. When I finally had my scan there, the staff were incredibly kind and supportive, making me feel safe and reassured despite everything I had just been through.

When I suffered my second miscarriage, I was again referred to EPPC. This time, I was seen by a different nurse, who I cannot praise enough. When I showed her my pregnancy tissue, she immediately confirmed that it was indeed pregnancy loss and that I looked to be further along than I had initially thought. Without hesitation, she arranged for a scan and took the time to explain everything to me, making sure I understood what was happening and that I felt supported.

In December, I was referred to Grace Clinic for recurrent miscarriage testing. I had been fighting to get progesterone support, and this referral put me on the right path. When I found out I was pregnant again, I called my GP, who referred me to EPPC to have an early scan to check for a heartbeat and confirm that everything was progressing as it should. This was crucial because my GP had told me that if everything looked good, I would be offered progesterone.

At this appointment, I was seen by the same nurse I saw the 1st time. She asked if I had met her before, and we began discussing my miscarriages. She also asked if I had self-referred, which confused me because my GP had made the referral, and EPPC had called me to confirm my appointment. She then asked if I was there purely for reassurance, to which I explained that I was there to check for a heartbeat and confirm that the baby was in the right place, as per my GP’s instructions.

The nurse then told me that progesterone is typically only given to women over 35 or those who have had three or more miscarriages. While I understand these are the general guidelines, my mum had already fought to have me accepted into the recurrent miscarriage team at Grace Clinic, where I had multiple blood tests done and was awaiting results. My GP had also confirmed that I would be receiving progesterone.

At this point, my mum, who was understandably worried about me, expressed her concerns. She also mentioned that during my first miscarriage, I had been sent home from EPPC without a scan, which had left me just as anxious as when I arrived. She wasn’t being rude or disrespectful, just firm in advocating for me. After this, the nurse asked if I would prefer to be scanned by someone else. By that stage, I no longer felt comfortable with her, so I said yes. She then dropped my file on her desk and walked out without another word.

My mum and I sat in the room for several minutes before two other staff members came in, including the head of EPPC. Instead of being supportive, she was immediately quite rude. She told me that it had been reported that my mum and I were very rude to the nurse and that we had cursed at her. My mum and I looked at each other, completely confused, as this was absolutely not true. After everything I had been through, all I wanted was for someone to listen to me, scan me, and make sure my baby was okay.

Feeling deeply uncomfortable and unwelcome, I told them I no longer wanted the scan. Despite this, we were asked twice if we wanted to file a complaint, which I declined. I left the hospital feeling upset and unheard, still without the reassurance scan I had gone in for. I ended up booking a private scan for £90 instead, just to get the peace of mind I needed.

A few days later, I received a phone call from a lovely woman who offered me a meeting with a consultant—the head of gynaecology—to discuss what had happened. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend and later lost the contact number to let them know.

This entire experience has left me feeling unwelcome and anxious about ever returning to EPPC. At a time when I needed compassion, I was made to feel like I was a problem. I’ve now booked another private scan for next week to make sure my baby is still doing okay.

I wanted to share my experience because no one should be made to feel this way when seeking medical care—especially during such a vulnerable time. I am incredibly grateful for the staff at Grace Clinic and for those who have shown me kindness, but I truly hope no one else has to go through what I did just to be heard.