Molar pregnancy
Molar pregnancy can be extremely distressing. There is no right or wrong way to feel but many people say that it is very upsetting, confusing and sometimes frightening.
Colette talks about her experience of a partial molar pregnancy here, and Sarah, JB, Kayleigh and Jade share their stories too.
Your feelings after a molar pregnancy
Some common feelings are:
Shock and confusion
- at being told this wasn’t a miscarriage, but a molar pregnancy – something you’ve probably never heard of
- at the information you are able to find, which may be hard to understand.
I thought nothing could be more devastating than losing a baby, until a month later when they told me it was a partial molar pregnancy.
Fear and anxiety
- about the thought that you might have cancer (you almost certainly haven’t but the possibility can be very frightening)
- about what this means for the future, for you and for any future pregnancies.
I searched it on the internet and saw things about chemotherapy and was just so scared.
Loss and grief
- for the baby you were expecting, the baby who might have been.
Feeling ‘in limbo’ and unable to move on
- during follow-up and repeated blood and urine tests
- if you have to wait some months before trying again.
- At 7 April 2020, the Association of Early Pregnancy Units suggests that people consider waiting until the coronavirus pandemic is over before trying to conceive. This is to minimise the burden on the health service, to ensure you have full access to early pregnancy and maternity care and because it is too soon to fully understand the effect of the virus in pregnancy. Knowing that others are facing this wait too might make you feel less alone, but it might not be much comfort at this time.
Getting support after a molar pregnancy
Molar pregnancy can be a very difficult experience to go through. It can feel like a series of blows: first a miscarriage, then a diagnosis of molar pregnancy and the anxieties that go along with it, and then the period of follow-up.
It can feel as if you are stuck, that you can’t move on and begin to recover from your loss. And that’s especially true if you have to wait longer than you want before trying again.
Whatever your feelings and anxieties, you don’t have to bear them alone. You might find it helpful to contact our staffed helpline or to join our online forum, whihc has a dedicated board for molar pregnancy. You’ll find more details here of where you can find support from others who will understand.
