bleeding or spotting during pregnancy

[Liana]

Hi ladies,

I thought I would try to post a new thread on bleeding or spotting during pregnancy. I noticed that a LOT of us have been posting in different threads about our fears because of bleeding or spotting. And the other members are really great in helping to reassure us. I thought maybe a more central place for us to talk about our fears and also to share information and stories to calm each other down would help.

My story is that I started bleeding (bright red) last week, at 7 weeks. I went to the doctor, and he said it is common, and did an ultrasound, and everything looked fine. Since then, I spotted a little bit, and then today, I had some light bleeding (but dark red). I have been reading so many stories online about women who had bleeding and still went on to deliver healthy babies.

My question is: if it is common, as my doctor said (20-30%, according to what I read online), why didn't my doctor or nurse explain to me earlier how to interpret different kinds of bleeding? For example, I think it was important for me to go in to the doctor with bright red bleeding. Today, since it is dark red, I now know I don't have to call the doctor, but if I hadn't seen him already, I would have been scared too!

I really wish this was discussed more often as a phenomenon of pregnancy. It affects so many of us. We would still worry, but maybe we wouldn't be quite as scared.

Also, just to let you know, a lot of people recommend more rest--so that things are not "jostled" around as much. I read somewhere that drinking lots of water can also help. I will definitely test that!

[MedStudentMom2B]

Hi Liana,

I was one of those people who had first trimester bleeding. Mine started with a gush of red blood at 10wks which continued for several weeks after. An u/s in the ER showed a subchorionic hematoma which was around 6cm in size (considered large by most standards). Obviously it scared me to death! I read a lot about this and many women (especially those carrying twins) have SCH. It does correlate with preterm labor, but many women still go on to have healthy full term pregnancies. I had brown spotting from around wk 12-14 and nothing since. I am currently 18wks pregnant with twins and no bleeding or spotting since. My SCH seems to be decreasing in size (the body probably absorbs it), so that is reassuring. i am however seeing a high risk doc because of this and get very frequent monitoring.

Did your docs tell you that you have an SCH or was there another reason for the bleed? You may want to ask them about taking progesterone. Im currently taking oral pills which my doc recommended. Drink lots of water and do rest as much as you can. I am not on bedrest but am prepared to go on it if the bleeding starts up again.

Good luck. I know you must be super scared as I know I was. Take one day at a time and trust that everything will work out ok.

[Love Bug]

I started bleeding at 13 weeks; so badly that I went to the ER. When they did the u/s, everything was fine and my cervix was closed. They didnt know where the blood was coming from, so DR put me back on my projesterone and one week of bed rest.

I moved to FL, two weeks later, and started bleedeing again. Went to my new DR, and he said some people just bleed- so he checked again, and everything looked fine. He said many DR's put people back on progesterone just as a precaution, but after 13 weeks its pointless because by then the ambilical cord "kicked in" already.

I bled from 13-16 weeks basically. I am 18 weeks now and my babies continue to grow, my cervix is closed and I am going fine. I can not have sex though, just as a precaution, but other than that I am fine now.

[marymeganB]

Ladies, I am 12 weeks pregnant w/ twins. I had a bright red gush of blood at week 6 before I even knew I was carrying twins. I immediately went in and after an ultrasound was told that everything was ok and by the way...you're having twins. My dr. told me it was normal and some women just spot. At 12 weeks exactly I had another episode of spotting which began as bright pink but turned brown. I spent many, many hours in the ER waiting and waiting and thinking, well if this was a real emergency, I'd be SOL! Anyway, my cervix was closed and the u/s showed no problems w/ the twins. Since then I have been having some brown spotting off and on. I'm attributing it to the exam and transvaginal u/s that the IDIOT tech gave me. I live 45 min away from my hospital and due to our military insurance I HAVE to go to that hospital and it's ER. Top that with the fact that my nurse told me that since I'm having twins I should go in EVERY time I spot. Well, I find that a bit much. Any thoughts? Anybody pregnant with twins experiencing similar things?

[myc]

i am only 5 week pregnany and have been bleeding for at least 10 days. I have not called my clinic because I know light bleeding is normal. So i try to take it easy. I just want to ask you ladies....I dont really feel cramps so far, instead, it feels like a AF is here....My 1st U/S will be on 2/10.
is it how you feel?

[kiwi]

I was also bleeding around w6 on and off. It was brown at the beginning and one day light red. First time I called the DR they said it is probably post-implantation blood, nothing to worry about. I saw my DR every week and each u/s showed that nothing is wrong. I was still nervous but nothing happened. Looks to me that more than 20-30% of pregnant women bleed.

Good luck to everyone