Is this a miscarriage or not?

[teachermummyme]

I'm 6 weeks 1 day pregnant. That gestation is exact as I got pregnant with IVF with a frozen embryo transfer.

On Thursday night I felt that my cervix was really low (I have to insert progesterone pessaries so felt it low) but didn't think too much about it. On Friday morning at 8am I started getting cramping and bleeding. I bled, fairly heavily though not soaking through pads or anything, for about 4-5 hours. There were clots the size of a 5p and a much longer thin one too.

I assumed I was having a miscarriage so called the IVF clinic. They obviously couldn't say what was happening but advised I do another pregnancy test. This came back strongly positive, but I know pregnancy hormones can linger even after a miscarriage. I have a scan on Monday so will know either way then, but in the meantime I'm torturing myself with 'was it / wasn't it'.

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience they could share with miscarrying at 6 weeks. Even though it's still so early I expected more than four hours bleeding. I know bleeding in pregnancy is fairly common but bleeding that much, including clots? Has anyone had that level of bleeding and remained pregnant? Thanks in advance.

I had spotting at 6 weeks and 9 weeks (or thereabouts) then a HUGE bleed at about 11 weeks with huge clots: it was a sub chorionic haemorrhage and baby was absolutely fine. Just so you know there is hope!

Hi OP,

Can’t give you an answer but wanted to reply in solidarity as your post is scarily similar to my situation.
I too had IVF with a frozen transfer. I should be 6 weeks tomorrow.
Really strong positive test and high range HCG result. Symptoms seemed to be kicking In and all appeared to be going great until Tuesday just gone where I went to the toilet at work and realised I was bleeding. I bled around the same length of time as you with clots and had cramping too. Much like a bad period.
My clinic advised to do a test on Friday which I did and it was a super strong looking dye stealer, so they’ve booked me for bloods on Monday. I’m going to push for a scan too as I had a chemical pregnancy after IVF last year and my HCG levels stayed high for ages so I feel the blood result won’t really mean anything even if it is still high (I was still getting super strong lines in June when the chemical was in April and I’d had 2 periods in between!)
I am 90% sure I did miscarry on Tuesday, my sore boobs vanished instantly after the bleeding and I don’t know, I just don’t feel pregnant anymore.
I’ve been pregnant after IVF 3 other times before this and never had a bleed like I did this time.
Please update me with how you get on, keeping my fingers crossed for you. It's such a scary worrying time isn't it!

@gingingingingingin Thank you for that. I really do want to hold on to some positivity though I don't know if that's naïve or not. Your story gives me hope.

@EatingJunkAndWatchingRubbish Gosh it does sound like our situations are so similar. I am surprised your clinic isn't scanning you. My clinic always does a viability scan at 6-7 weeks so this scan was booked for that anyway, it's not in response to the bleeding. But I'm hoping it'll give me some answers.

What makes you think you've definitely had a miscarriage? Stuff I've read suggests that bleeding should continue for days, sometimes weeks with a miscarriage, so the fact I only bled for four hours or so is making me wonder. But I do also know there can be a lull in bleeding so every time I go to the loo I'm expecting to see that it's started again.

I'm sorry you're going through this too. It's so gutting.

I don't know OP but wishing you all the luck in the world

I've had a miscarriage before and it has been like a heavy period, lasting for days.
I've also had a missed miscarriage where all I had was light brown spotting in a pantyliner for one day and that was it.
I don't think any of these answers can answer your question tho, as everyone's body handles things differently.
I hope all goes well at the scan tho.

@teachermummyme good luck tomorrow x

Thanks everyone for your replies.

And thank you @gingingingingingin - I feel sick with nerves but I guess knowing one way or the other is better than being in limbo like this!

I had ivf and I had this in both pregnancies and it was a a blood clot in my womb. All was fine after some rest.

Obviously I not know if that's the case with you but you just never know.

Wishing the best for you

.

I’m really sorry as I can’t offer advice but just wanted to offer a handhold and wish you the best.

My cousin did have a heavy bleed in pregnancy and her son was absolutely fine, but bleeding is so terrifying that it’s natural to fear the worst.

I had bleeding with my IVF pregnancy last weekend, brown spotting rather than red. I had a scan and a heartbeat was seen but I was measuring 4-5 days behind. Nausea has eased off over the last three days so am trying to be hopeful while preparing for the worst at the next scan. I think the IVF and knowing what we have to go through to get here in the first place makes it all the harder. I really hope you have a good outcome at your scan tomorrow x

@teachermummyme
I hope everything is well and you get good news tomorrow.

It really is 50/50. I Had spotting at 5-7 weeks most days and was told it's normal by medical professionals.
Unfortunately I'd had a mmc at 6 weeks.

I have read more on this topic over the last few weeks than I've blinked and it's honestly split- neither more or less.

The biggest help I feel I can be is to tell you to take care of you and use your support network around you whatever the scan tomorrow brings.

Is this your first?
Are you on any medication at all?

Wishing you so much luck.

[quote teachermummyme]@EatingJunkAndWatchingRubbish Gosh it does sound like our situations are so similar. I am surprised your clinic isn't scanning you. My clinic always does a viability scan at 6-7 weeks so this scan was booked for that anyway, it's not in response to the bleeding. But I'm hoping it'll give me some answers.

What makes you think you've definitely had a miscarriage? Stuff I've read suggests that bleeding should continue for days, sometimes weeks with a miscarriage, so the fact I only bled for four hours or so is making me wonder. But I do also know there can be a lull in bleeding so every time I go to the loo I'm expecting to see that it's started again.

I'm sorry you're going through this too. It's so gutting. [/quote]
My clinic do the viability scan at 7 weeks, I feel like they will say tomorrow (6w1d) is too early to see anything either way, but given my history with high HCG for a long time I'm going to ask anyway.

I think I miscarried as I just think how could my teeny embryo survive that huge bleed with the clots & cramps
Plus I've not had much luck so far trying for another pregnancy, and this was my poorest grade embryo, I was amazed it took to begin with so I've been expecting something to go wrong.
I've now had 7 IVF transfers, I got 1st time lucky with my amazing DS (only fresh transfer I've had) but trying for a sibling has meant 2 clinics, 3 failed cycles, and what looks like now 3 miscarriages. And now we're out of embryos so that was our last shot. Really hope you get good news tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you.

Also meant to say I feel that any symptoms I was starting to feel vanished straight away after the bleeding. Part of me thinks they have started to return over the weekend but I honestly think it's in my head as I want to cling on to that one tiny glimmer of hope.