Diagnosed With A Miscarriage? A New Study Shows You Really Should Consider a Second Opinion

For years, we have been trying to get the word out that you should always be 100% certain before having your pregnancy ended after a miscarriage misdiagnosed.  Hundreds of misdiagnosed miscarriage stories on the The Misdiagnosed Miscarriage site as well as many more found during a quick Google search certainly make that point.

A study conducted by a Mayo researcher finds that 88% of patients seeking a second opinion end up with either a new opinion or a revised opinion. 

 The Value of Second Opinions Demonstrated In Study

Of course, those high numbers may be because we only seek a second opinion when we are not totally comfortable with the first opinion.  I think often there is something in us that realizes something does not quite feel right.

What does this mean for you and your diagnosed miscarriage?  If you are being pushed to end your pregnancy due to an impending miscarriage, ask yourself these questions:

• Is there an immediate need to end the pregnancy (e.g. infection, ectopic, etc...)?
• If you are being diagnosed with a blighted ovum, is the gestational sac more than 25mm?
• If the sac is not yet more than 25mm, is it growing and is there a reason you can't wait a week to verify it is not still growing?
• Are you comfortable with this doctor and this doctor's diagnosis?

If the answer to these questions is no, you may want to either discuss the wait-and-see approach or find a new doctor.  If you do decide to wait, please, stay closely monitored.  While many women go on to find those heartbeats, many women do not.  If there are any signs of complications, please be seen immediately.