Pregnant after lots of bleeding?

[Chica1990]

Hi everyone, long time lurker here.

I’ve been ttc since July 2019 with no luck. This cycle has been pretty weird as I have been bleeding since my last period and started bleeding again with heavy cramps on day 22 (Thursday 24th). I even woke up early Sunday morning (cat woke me up) and noticed I had pains in my lower back.
Just because the cycle had been so weird I did a cheap strip pregnancy test Sunday morning and noticed a faint line on there. I’ve done more tests and even a digital (with my second wee of the day) and they all came back positive, days after I started what I thought was an early period. I was even wearing tampons on Saturday!

Do you think there is something else going on or have you experienced or know of a lot of blood with a positive at the end? I know some people aren’t aware they aren’t pregnant for a while and after this I can understand why! (If I actually am). My best friend who miscarried earlier this year said her pregnancy tests started showing negative before she bled at all.

If any of you can share your experiences or wisdom I’d really appreciate it as I’m so confused.. please also keep your fingers crossed this is the real deal!!

If it is the real deal and anyone is interested in knowing what new things I did this month I’m happy to share

[Chica1990]

@kirinm last period started 4th sept so only 4 tomorrow I suppose? I find it so weird my hormones must have been up yesterday and even had a positive this morning but that doctors one is so faint. The bleeding is a lot slower and darker today too.

@tigerbear Thank you.

[LynzP85]

I'm sorry your having such a crap experience with your EPU. In both occasions I've needed them they have been very supportive and quick to check things out.

Sadly I've had two miscarriages so I've had to experience how EPU works.

Bleeding can be a few things but I really think they should be doing bloods to check your hormones are increasing over a 48hr period. If they are not, they will be able to give you more information on what may be happening.

After both of my miscarriages I've still had positives before they faded to a negative but I'm keeping my fingers crossed this is not what your dealing with. X

[Bizawit]

So sorry you are going through this OP. Your EPU sound awful . Do put in a complaint if and when you have the mental energy. So glad GP did the referral. Fingers crossed for you. 🤞🏻

[Chica1990]

@LynzP85 I’m sorry to hear it. Do you kind me asking how far along you were when you miscarried and still had positives? As I’m so early on and bleeding since implantation time I wouldn’t have expected to have it at all. Did another Tesco test this morning with a strong positive line.

@Bizawit I think I will!

I’ve been referred to a different EPU (frimley) and have an appointment there later today. Their attitude was totally different to royal berks! Will let you know how I get on

[kirinm]

@Chica1990 hope it goes well today. I will be keeping an eye out for your update. Be prepared to be told you need to go back in for repeat blood tests before anything definite can be confirmed. A scan at this stage is unlikely to tell you much so they may be reliant on hCG levels and not much can be told from one reading with those.

[LynzP85]

@Chica1990

First time round I found out I was pregnant on 21st Dec 2019 at around DPO11, I was tracking so I found out early on. Then a week later I started to bleed. Mainly red, it would start and stop throughout the day. Thankfully with it being the festive period I could get my feet up and work from home instead of commuting. EPU recommended rest!
Then on New Year's Day I miscarried in full right before hubby served up dinner. I passed a clot that was like a jelly bean. Bleeding continued until the following week and I had a positive for 10 days after. Albeit the pregnancy tests were fading in strength so I knew it was full happening. I was about 5 weeks.

Then I fell pregnant in April, had an early scan at 7 weeks all was good. Went to my 12 week scan in July and no baby, I had absorbed it around 8weeks. No bleeding at all.
I opted for a medical procedure given it had been 4 weeks and my body was behaving like I was pregnant. I got a negative 10 days after I had my medical procedure. Which is also when the bleeding stopped.

I really would push for bloods. Xx

[MrsH497]

Hope you're ok @Chica1990 frimley are lovely in my experience been exceptionally well looked after by them with a few pregnancy issues. Hope you have a similar experience

[Chica1990]

@kirinm I saw your message earlier but didn’t get a chance to respond but did get a chance to prep myself! You were right they want to do a blood test to confirm things, I’ll be going back on Sunday and on Monday finally know what the situation is.

I also had an internal scan and they can see I ovulated from the left side and had a corpus luteum cyst which burst and that may be why they can see some fluid in my uterus but it’s nothing to worry about. I asked if the fluid from the cyst would cause the pregnancy hormone and they said it would ‘support a pregnancy’? I have since googled it and found it can cause a false positive - utswmed.org/conditions-treatments/ovarian-cysts/. I wonder if it was just this all along and there was never anything? they’ll call me if the bloods are negative and I don’t have to come on Sunday.

They said my lining is thinner than what they would expect but good news is they can’t see any sign of ectopic at least.

@LynzP85 I am so sorry to hear this! How traumatic for you. I can’t imagine the shock if you had seen everything was fine at 7 weeks, that’s heartbreaking. I thought getting the positive test was half the battle but actually it’s just the beginning in a whole road of potential scenarios -_-

@MrsH497 They really were great. I’m so glad I went there instead. It turns out they didn’t even get the referral my doc said she was going to fax over because they haven’t got a fax machine but took my word for it without making me contact the gp again.

[kirinm]

@Chica1990 I'm so pleased the EPU are looking after you. And it's great news it isn't an ectopic. I will be keeping my fingers crossed that your hCG levels are rising. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Chica1990]

I called up earlier for my results. Friday my hcg was 221 and Sunday it was 248. They’re not happy I’m still bleeding and had cramps last night and want me to come in for another scan as they’re worried now it is ectopic.

I’m actually scared

[kirinm]

I'm so sorry to to hear that @chica1990 it is a really really shit thing to happen but don't be scared. You're in their care now and they won't do anything to put you in any danger. When I had mine, my hCG levels never went above 500. I did not need surgery and was never really at any risk of a fallopian tube rupturing.

My levels would drop a bit and then increase a bit again. I had blood tests every 48 hours until it got to the point where it was concluded that they weren't going to drop on their own so I had methorexate to help end the pregnancy.

I don't know if you want to be forewarned about what you're likely to face because I don't want to upset you (or you may find it helps relieve your fear) but let me know if you'd like more info.

I would definitely raise a complaint about the other EPU.

[kirinm]

There is also something called a pregnancy of unknown location - where they basically cannot see the pregnancy. If they have ruled out an ectopic, then you may be diagnosed with a PUL.

[Chica1990]

They did mentioned PUL last time but I didn’t really get it, I just then expected the hormone level to fall. I am still bleeding and actually woke up to more last night that I was expecting.

I didn’t realise you could sort an ectopic without surgery so actually this is a relief. Please keep the info coming, I am not good with surprises.

Thank you for being in this with me

[kirinm]

Your hormone level may just fall. Mine was a while ago now so I can't recall all the details but they didn't offer me immediate treatment because they were giving my body a chance to end it on its own. I was having repeat blood tests every 48 hours for quite a long time so there was never any risk that they would miss a jump in levels - at no stage was I left alone to just get on with it.

You can have an injection called methotrexate when the hCG levels are below a certain point. I think it is around 2000 but it may be a bit higher / lower. In any event, you are still well within the range of being able to have that. The upside is you avoid surgery. The downside is a. it might not work immediately and you will have to have a second injection and b. you cannot try to conceive for 3 months afterwards / 6 months if you need two injections.

I think the hardest part for me - when I realised the pregnancy was not viable, was the time it took to resolve. It takes time. Mine dragged on so long, one of the nurses ended up sending me a card when my hCG levels finally dropped to a non-pregnant state. But that won't be the case for everyone.

I know of people who have asked for the methotrexate fairly early on because constantly being in limbo is stressful so that could be an option for you - although they probably will be reluctant to administer it straightaway preferring to try and allow the levels to drop naturally.

That is pretty much my experience of it. The time it takes to resolve being the worst element of it from my point of view.

Please feel free to ask me anything - I'm not an expert and can only go from my own experience but happy to try and help if I can.

[ShalomToYouJackie]

I'm so sorry you've been going through all this OP. The way the staff at the first EPU treated you was unacceptable and I would complain through PALS once you are feeling up to it. Had they actually listened to you, this could've been sorted much sooner.


I don't have much advice for you I'm afraid but wanted to send my love. I was diagnosed with an ectopic last year that turned out not to be ectopic but actually a blighted ovum pregnancy and I was terrified and had surgery for the ectopic(that wasn't there). I was told after the surgery it was a PUL and after that was told it was actually a blighted ovum.

Did they see a sac or anything in your uterus or was there nothing there?


Because your HCG is very low, if it is ectopic they could treat you without surgery.


I'm so pleased you decided to take a test though as otherwise you might never have known so it's good you've found out now before it got much more dangerous.

Really hope you get some answers soon xx

[Chica1990]

@kirinm I’ve never heard of that injection but I hate the idea of not being able to try for 3-6 more months when I feel like I’ve already waited ages. You’re right about the time it’s taking to resolve, it’s clear now this isn’t the real deal and my lining is even thinner now than Friday and I’m ready to move on, but my body won’t let me! I’m stuck. I’m so sorry you had to go through this too as it’s really frustrating.

I had another internal scan and they said there was a lot of blood around my ovaries especially the left which was noted on Friday. She called in another consultant and they mentioned to each other about vessels and things were close together? They were both lovely and really took their time looking around.
The scanner said you can usually only see ectopic on a scan if the hormone level is 1000 which I didn’t know?
She’s advised me to come in at 7.30 tomorrow and do another blood test, if it’s the same they want me to go in for a diagnostic laparoscopy so I won’t be eating and drinking from midnight.

@ShalomToYouJackie im sorry to hear about your experience, did you have a laparoscopy for them to determine this?
They haven’t been able to see a sac in either scans for me. Thank you for sharing your experience and words of support.

Fingers crossed for me tomorrow. Hopefully it will have dropped by a significant amount and a laparoscopy won’t be necessary. I just want this to be over now.

[kirinm]

Gosh, OP I will keep my fingers crossed that your levels drop. How are you feeling?

[ShalomToYouJackie]

Yes I had a laparoscopy too, I was home after 3 days I think but most people go home the same day. I have one very very small scar on my left side and they did the other incision through my belly button so although it's a slightly weird shape now, it's not visible at all.


It took me around 2 weeks to fully recover, I struggled quite a bit with getting out of bed and walking but other women on the ward who had the same thing done were completely fine and allowed home as soon as they'd been for a wee and could walk no problem, I'm not sure what happened to me, I think they told me they accidentally cut a bit of muscle so I was quite unlucky!

You feel a bit sick when you wake up and can be a bit uncomfortable because they pump gas into your stomach I believe but this fades really quickly, after an hour or so.

They'll give you painkillers and look after you and it's definitely worth it to be able to rule out ectopic or to treat it if that's what it is.

[Chica1990]

Sorry I meant to say the blood around my ovaries was not noted on the Friday scan, so it seemed to be a new development.

@kirinm I am really nervous but I think this is mostly due to never having been put under before. The OH has and is trying to put my mind at rest if it does come to it, bless him.

@ShalomToYouJackie you sound like you had a horrible time of it! Thank you for prepping me as I’ve never had anything like this before. Hopefully if it does happen I can get back to normal quickly and put this behind me.


I really don’t want the director of the company (who I directly report to) to know the situation. Luckily we have an in house HR lady now who has children but I’m going to ask her to keep it confidential. I only want her to know so I can have the flexibility of using my paid sick days for this.

Out of interest, how did you approach this with work?

[ShalomToYouJackie]

My situation was definitely not normal and even the NHS website says you go home the same day. I'd never been put under before but the anaesthetists will look after you and reassure you.

I didn't want to tell work either so I just told them I was having emergency gynaecology surgery and they didn't ask any more questions. That's what I asked to be put on my sick note also so you could try that

[kirinm]

Good luck today @Chica1990 I will be thinking of you.

[CliffordMouse]

Good luck today OP

[MF1981]

hey @Chica1990 how are you?

Your post caught my attention as I'm also having an early period that is lighter than usual but is red and more than a panty liner's worth - it's lasted a couple of days and then stopped. Now I'm tired and have a headache but not really any other symptoms. I called the fertility clinic today to get the ball rolling with treatment to start next month and she did ask if I'd taken a test but when I said it was red blood with a few small clots she said it's probably just an early period. Thinking I might wait and see what happens when my period is due end of this week.

[Chica1990]

I don’t even know where to begin with today.

Got here at 7.30am and did the blood test, the hcg had gone down to 201 which isn’t the rapid drop they would have liked to have seen. I went ahead with the diagnostic laparoscopy and they said they would remove an ectopic if they saw one.

I didn’t realise how unpleasant the lead up was especially as I’m not great with needles and that thing my arm was freaking me out. I had a little cry when the doctor left as I was regretting the decision and overwhelmed, but the nurses heard me and came in to chat to me, they were so lovely and re assuring. I had to wait for a rapid COVID test and I think it was at around 1pm when the theatre was ready for me and came out at 3pm.

It was ectopic and they removed the tube as the other tube looks really good. They said it was a larger mass than expected and think I was more like 8 weeks at that point, rather than the 4 (plus a few days) I had been telling them. I’m in absolute shock, they offered to show me pictures and I don’t think I could have got my head around it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.

I said I’m surprised they couldn’t see it on the scan if it was further along but apparently it was towards my bowel and it could have been mistaken for feical(?) matter and with the blood on Friday it would have been difficult to see.

I was hoping to go home tonight but I didn’t wee much and when I got back to the bed I felt like o was going to vomit and started burning up.

Sorry if this is all over the place as I feel really groggy. I just wanted to let you guys know the outcome. I can’t even explain how well looked after I’ve been and the staff have been outstanding.

@MF1981 If you haven’t then do a test just in case! The alarming thing for me was all that bleeding with the really strong positives

[kirinm]

Oh @Chica1990 what a stressful day for you. I am so pleased you went ahead and so glad you have been so well looked after. I'm sorry that they had to remove a tube but it sounds like it was necessary. Are you feeling any better now?