Mumsnet Talk

Hey guys – totally new here, first post etc, just really wanted to ask people’s advice/opinions. If I’ve posted this in the wrong place please let me know and I’ll move it. Additionally let me know if I'm breaking any written or unwritten rules in any way.

Bascially I am 21 weeks pregnant with my second child, and apart from a ghastly first trimester everything has been fine. However, yesterday morning I woke up to a lot of blood. Knickers soaked through, blood in the bed, lots of blood in the loo etc. Also mild cramping, and a “tender” abdomen, along with very little foetal movement (I’ve felt the baby move regularly since I was about 17 weeks). I contacted my midwife, who told me to call the labour ward at Lister Hospital in Stevenage (where I am booked to give birth). I did so, and they advised that as I’ve yet to have my anomaly scan - which is booked in for this Thursday - I had to go via A&E rather than the maternity unit. I schlepped in, and a couple of hours waiting later (with a hyperactive two year old in tow – joy) I was referred to the gyno department rather than the maternity unit (again because I was three days away from the anomaly scan). The doctor quickly listened to baby’s heartbeat, which thankfully was present, and then did an approx five second long internal examination saying she couldn’t see a bleed, even though the speculum was covered in blood. Then she just trotted away, and I had to follow her and ask what next? She told me to head on home, and “wait and see” for the anomaly scan on Thursday. Should the bleeding start again or get really bad - “call us”. The bleeding in fact has not stopped –it’s not as bad as it was yesterday, but it’s a continuous trickle of fresh red blood, enough to warrant wearing a panty liner.

I just feel that they dismissed me a bit too quick? I had a very slight bleed – almost less than spotting - in my first pregnancy, albeit a few weeks later than 21 weeks and they (St Mary’s in London) kept me in overnight for observation and monitoring of the baby. I’m just concerned and a little freaked out – my tummy is still tender and crampy, I’m bleeding and the baby is moving very little – but am I overreacting? I guess another reason I’m nervous is that I’m a good 20 minutes drive away from Stevenage and Lister and without a licence I have to rely on cabs to get there. I’m also home alone with my toddler, with no family nearby. I just feel that it something – god forbid – were to go wrong at this stage it would require pretty swift medical attention, but I might be wrong there?

Should I just relax and listen to the professionals? Anyone else here got experience with bleeding at that stage in their pregnancy, and if so, what did your doctors do/say? Any advice would be gratefully received.

Thank you.

Hi not had exp but didn't want to read and run.

Have you spoken to your midwife again today? I would call her or the maternity unit and tell them your still bleeding. Its not normal and needs to be checked more thoroughly.

Ring them now and persevere until someone acts, its your body and your baby and in my opinion you can never overact where babies are concerned!

Oh and congrats on both the baby and your 1st post! In the right place, hopefully someone who has experienced something similar will advise you but if it were me I would be ringing!

I agree, if you are feeling anxious then call the hospital or your midwife or get in to see you GP and say you'd like more monitoring or a scan.

Don't feel like you're making a fuss, you have every right to be checked over properly, especially with a bleed and reduce Fetal movement.

Hope everything is ok x

Thank you girls so much for responding - I've left a message for the midwife and am waiting to hear back.

If I were you I'd be going back. I had bleeds at your stage and although they generally don't really take them very 'seriously' until around 22/23 weeks (edge of viability) I knew I had placenta previa as it was spotted at an earlier scan and so it was taken seriously...

As morethemerrier says, persevere until you're checked more comprehensively.

I would say go back in, and keep going back in until you are happy.

I bled on and off between weeks 13 and 21 and then a bit more at week 24. In the end I then had DS at week 29 but that is another story. They can do so much more for you than they are doing, and although they may well say well at 21 weeks we can't do anything the baby's not viable that's just doctor speak.

It could be cervical erosion, but with a big bleed and cramping that is perhaps unlikely.

They thought I had placenta prevai but then decided I didn't. They can do the anomoly early if they are worried (i had a few extra scans at 20-24 weeks) and to check the placental position.

They then did a check on the blood flow at 24 weeks (they do them at Addenbrookes, which is the big teaching hospital the Lister sometimes refer to, so i would guess they do them at Stevenage too) and they kept an eye.

They never kept me in with any of my bleeds, but I live less than 10 minutes from the hospital so there would have been little point. But they were great throughout.

Also they should at least check rhesus status.

Oh and finally if there is any issue and you have a bleed they should take you by ambulance if necessary. I was taken that way in the end despite being 10 minutes away as DH can't drive.

Oh and good luck!

Can you get someonme to mind your toddler and just go to the hospital, till you are satisfied?

Just wondering how you got on Lady? I hope you got some answers, and things have settled down.

x

Hi ladies - my midwife said that if the bleeding don't get worse try and hold on until the anomaly scan, as otherwise they will just make me go the same route via A&E and gyno, probably with the same results. She did say that it's pretty ridiculous that they're insisting on doing it that way, something I can only agree with. I'm going into week 22 tomorrow, and the only reason I still haven't had the anomaly scan is because Lister couldn't fit me in until now. Seems silly that someone who is 19-20 weeks and have had the scan would be seen by the maternity unit in case of problems/issues/concerns, while I have to go via a very indifferent A&E. Not sure if that policy is exclusive to Lister, or if it's a general NHS maternity policy. Either way I'm starting to wish that I had booked in with Addenbrookes again, where I had my daughter. I went with Lister this time as the maternity unit is brand new, and it's closer.

Anyway, we shall see tomorrow. I'm still bleeding slightly, but I can feel baby move, even if it's nowhere near the level of activity as prior to the bleed. It's worrying as hell, but the sense I got from the doctor was that if something was to go wrong at this stage there's nothing they can do anyway. Just wish they weren't so callous and matter of fact about it.

Thank you ever so for your advise and support - I really appreciate it.

Yes, they are pretty callous up until the point where the baby reaches viability - however, there are conditions that are serious for you too, as well as the baby and I'm frankly surprised that something that was more than a 'small' bleed wasn't checked with a quick scan to look for previa and/or abruption.

Once you reach 22 weeks is when they really ought to take you more seriously, regardless of placental position, because they can take some preventative measures to kept baby put until viability...

Of course, this is all conjecture, because we really have no idea what is wrong/whether it's just 'one of those things'! Anomoly booked for tomorrow? All I would say is make sure you mention to the sonographer that you've had a bleed as they won't actually be looking for anything to do with it. And when are you seeing a midwife/consultant next (after the scan). I would say that if you scan show placenta previa then if you bleed again present yourself to the hospital quickly. As much as typically the bleeds will be non-life threatening (to either of you) they can suddenly become serious.

That is a ridiculous situation, and as you say the callous attitude just adds to your despair.

I wish you all the very best for your scan tomorrow, will be thinking of you x

Do hope the scan gives you good news.

Just to say, hopsitals have very different systems - where I am I would be under care of EPU till 12 weeks, and for anything after that I've had to call/go to the triage part of the maternity hospital. Much more straightforward.

I've had similar bleeding before, though in my case it was all through the pregnancy - golf-ball sized clots, too. I lost count of the times I went to the hospital and received similar treatment to you - one occasion I was told they couldn't find a doppler so had no way of telling me whether the baby was still alive, but if I was really worried to come back the next day... That's when I bought my own doppler!

In that pregnancy the bleeding was caused by a large subchorionic haematoma. The last bleed was at 23w5 and they did nothing, on the grounds that viability isn't till 24w0 and I wasn't considered a maternity patient till then. I was given a bed in the gynae ward in case I was miscarrying and haemorrhaging but after a few hours of that I discharged myself. DD was born at term (well, 17 days overdue) with no known consequences from the SCH.

Bleeding's terrifying (I was admitted at 25w with bleeding this pregnancy - still no known cause but I'm 37+weeks) - however, it's not always the worst and sometimes it doesn't appear to be anything at all. Try to stay strong and hang on till that scan.

By the way, with the SCH I found that lying down made things worse - the bleeding would seem to stop then I'd have a gush within 20 mins of standing up. It was easier to deal with that when I realised the blood was simply pooling. If you get similar, that may be the cause.

Good luck today.

Good luck today

No experience but just wanted to wish you luck

Good luck x

thinking of you shalott