I'm waiting on a missed miscarriage. This is my 2nd missed miscarriage and I had a miscarriage before that as well. I have 2 healthy children prior to all 3 miscarriages.
My 1st missed miscarriage was complicated. I started spotting at about 6 1/2 weeks. I didn't get in for an ultrasound until 7w5d, the found the baby measuring 6w4d with a good heartbeat and small clot behind the placenta. I was so relieved. I had gotten pregnant charting my temp and I continued to do so, originally out of curiosity and later out of concern. I just knew something wasn't right. I was still bleeding off and on, and with the dates being off by a week. When I should have been 10weeks my temp plummeted (it was Friday after Thanksgiving) I got in for an ultrasound the following Wednesday. The baby hadn't grown at all since that 1st ultrasound, no heart beat. The gave me 3 options, a D&C, cytotec, or wait it out- he gave me 6 weeks, before I would 'need' the D&C.
I had been seeing a midwife prior to the 2nd ultrasound, she recommending several herbs to speed things along so as not to need the D&C. I took them as directed. I literally passed the last of the tissue the day before the Dr called to force me to schedule the D&C. Technically I believe I carried that baby after it passed away for about 8 weeks.
This time... I went in for my 1st appt (I was seeing a reg OB, not the midwife) at 7w5d. It once again measured 6 days behind, normal heartbeat. They put me on progesterone supplements. A week later, 8w4d, I just felt to normal, as in not pregnant. I got an ultrasound for that afternoon, once again saw the baby, measuring 8w1d with a good heartbeat! They told me it was safe to share the news so I did. I went in 12 days later for the original follow up to the 1st ultrasound, I had sent my husband on his business trip expecting all to be well. It wasn't. The baby stopped growing again and no heartbeat, still measured 8w1d when I should have been 10w3d. This time the Dr was very kind (different Dr), offered the D&C or to wait for a natural miscarriage, which she warned me could take some time. I'm now what would be 13w4d. I've bled off an on since 3 days after the last ultrasound. I'm guessing I lost this one at roughly 9 weeks, so I'm 4 weeks into my waiting for it to happen.
I know what to watch for in case of infection, I'm really worried about passing the baby and tissues as the last one was very easy without the heavy bleeding, and the 1st one was- while not easy, not terribly difficult either, more like your 'textbook' miscarriage. I'm just impatient but unwilling to have a D&C unless it becomes medically necessary. I'm wondering how long most women wait to have a missed miscarriage naturally. So many people seem to get impatient and have the D&C after a few weeks, not that I'm putting that down, just that it's not the info I'm looking for. It's certainly a woman's choice, it just happens mine is to do it as naturally as possible.