Subchorionic haematoma - anyone else have one?

[whizzymummy]

Hi - does anyone else have a subchorionic haematoma? It's basically a bleed between the placenta and uterine wall. Just looking for someone in a similar situation to chat to. I'm 14 weeks pregnant and on bed rest waiting to see if the bleed resolves itself.
I've had this bleed since about 10 weeks when I gushed blood. They identified the bleed and that the baby was okay, sent me home on bed rest and it slowly seemed to resolve itself over 10 days. However the bleed came back again last week and it's much bigger now. I was scanned last Thursday and they want to rescan me two weeks later, so not until next weds. They said go home and rest and come back in if I have bad pain / contractions or heavy bleeding again.
I've been going slowly mad over this and feel like this is some kind of slow torture just waiting to see what happens :(. It's so worrying and depressing. I'm bleeding slowly but constantly. I'm in constant discomfort and have a mild fever but they tell me that since I have a fibroid they think that is what is causing that - degeneration of the fibroid due to its size is meant to be common at this stage.
Just wondering if anyone else out there to talk to about this?
I know it's not going to change the outcome or what happens with this pregnancy - my head tells me nature will take its course, whichever way that may be.
I'm trying to distract myself with chick flicks, magazines, chocolate ( :) ) and other mindless things but there is only so much I can take.

I had a subchorionic bleeding when I was about 6 weeks pregnant. It lasted for a whole week. It was a pretty scary time but the haematoma resolved itself. Im now 39 weeks. One word of advice: dont google it. You'll find horror stories that wont help you at all!!

Thanks Lia, yeah it's pretty hard not to do the google thing. Guess I just need to be patient and see what happens.

Meee!!!
Just back from my latest appt and late for the school run, but I will post soon. I'm 16+3 btw

Looking forward to your post - nice to find others out there too

Hi Whizzy

I've been bleeding on and off from 6 weeks, I had a massive bleed on Saturday so yet again been in for more scans. I have a bleed between my placenta and the uterine wall where also my placenta has partially come away.
On top of it my placenta is also very low, some is covering the cervix (which could be an additional cause of my bleeding), this will be monitored during pregnancy and may result in a c/s.

I'm RH- which is another complication & as a result I have to have anti-d injections every 6 weeks.

Baby is seemingly fit and well, the heartrate was a bit slow yesterday during scan, but by todays detailed scan had picked up some more and baby was wriggling it's legs.

I'm being left now for 6 weeks, though if I have any more bleeding or bad pains, or my waters break (which for some reason there's a higher risk of, though I'm unsure why) I'm to go straight in for scans etc

I've been informed that if I continue to have bleeds there's a higher risk of late misscarriage or premature labour, if I make it to 24 weeks - which they seem pretty hopeful I will, then I'll have the steroid injections just in case.

I'm also booked in for growth scans at 28, 32 & 36 weeks as the babies growth could be restricted if some of the placenta remains away from the uterine wall, if at any stage they decide baby is too small or hasn't grown enough between scans and would grow better in an incubator then I'll deliver early. They've said the more blood 'escaping' is less making it to the placenta/baby so it can cause a few issues.
(Also I have a low body weight due to hyperemesis)

All in all it's a stressful time but I'm feeling better after todays appointment, I've also been shown around the SCBU, a little early some might think but in my head now I know what will happen if it comes to it, where we'll be etc.

7-8 weeks to try & hold out for. Though I'm aiming to surprise them all and make it all the way to 38-40!

I'm so worried, but have a few little peple at home to keep me busy and a lovely husband anf friends helping out as much as they can so I can go to bed and rest / eat etc!

Hi Whizzy This has happened to me with pg2 and not that I want to worry anyone, (although you already know the possible outcomes) but my experience was not positive. However, my SH was not picked up, and instead I was told it was cervical erosion and then later after a scan at 15 weeks placenta praevia so I was not monitored and it went unnoticed.

Nosleeptonight The reason you are at risk from your waters breaking is because of infection (blood hanging around) and also blood irritates the uterus which can cause contractions......and then possible PROM.

I just want to say I have been there and know how terrifying it is and just want to show my support, Mumsnet was my life line really and kept me sane while I was on bed rest. Make sure you get lots of iron rich foods and if you have been prescribed iron tablets take then with a glass of fruit juice as it lessens the adverse effects!

I wish you all the very best of luck

xxx

Hi NoSleepTonight (could quite happily take that name right now!) - really sorry to hear about all your problems, a lot for you to deal with.

It's so stressful isn't it? Have they been monitoring you regularly or has it been a case of you going in as and when you bleed and you feel like it? Also, how have you coped with your daily life, have you managed to have a break at all and have you been on bed rest at all?

I feel pretty left out alone by the hospital in all this but then I know they are stretched at the best of times. No one has really made any assessment of the problem - it's just go home, next scan is on x date and rest until then... and so on. Maybe I'm expecting too much but I had hoped by now after a month of serious on off bleeding and pain that they would have found someone to make a bit of a more detailed assessment. The last time I was in I saw 5 nurses in the EGU running up to my scan, by the time the last one asked me "so what seems to be the problem?" I thought I'd thump her but just smiled sweetly and told her I feel like a broken record. Why can't they just read the file!?

I also have a loving DH at home and two lovely DC who distract me very well! I've been told this week and next to be on full bed rest so that's a little hard to say the least as not keeping busy makes the days go so slow. On the plus side I work 4 days a week though so being signed off sick am able on my normal work days to relax while the kids are looked after and then I only have Fridays to get through on my own. With eldest at school now it means it's not such a hard day.

Have you had any pain or discomfort as well bye the way? They are pretty convinced it's my fibroid but just wondered what you had experienced. I got myself a prescription for a stronger pain killer today as I can hardly walk!

Good luck, I suppose every day and week longer it gets closer to the milestones. Crossing fingers for you.

Sorry for the million questions, just pleased to find people to chat to about this :)

I had one that was picked up at 16 weeks at a private gender scan, I made the mistake of googling and terrified myself! Mine resolved itself by week 20 and both the midwife and sonographer told me that the vast majority do get better. I know it's easier said than done but try not to google! I know how worrying it is but chances are everything will be fine..

Thanks Magic8ballhastheanswers for your post - so sorry to hear about your loss and thankyou for posting. I have wondered about my iron levels but the midwife who I saw on Tues didn't seem bothered - she was relying on my booking bloods from 4 weeks ago.I did ask her whether we should retest after all my blood loss but she said no. My Mum has given me some brewers yeast tablets from the health store which they say is a natural source of iron so I am going to try those. Maybe I shoudl ask to have another blood test too.
Thanks too Onnororo, glad it resolved with you :)
I'll be honest I don't need google to terrify myself, by body is doing a fine job of that on it;s own along with every nurse I speeak to at the EGU who says "oh yes, it is a big one isn't it" when I tell them about the SCH and they look up the notes.

hi whizzy just be careful to don't take too much iron as this can be harmful too.

Some other suggestions I can think of for the bleeding is get some maternity mats so sometimes you can lay in bed without a pad on, which can be a little more comfortable (especially when you have been bleeding for many weeks). Call your midwife at the drop of the hat if you think you are having any type of cramps (even if you are not sure) although I know before 20 weeks they can sometimes show a complete lack of interest (well mine did). Get yourself a good easy read book, stack of mags, puzzle books, start a blog and welcome any visitors!

Please keep us posted as to how you all get on.

you could ring your GP and ask them for a blood test btw,.....don't take any notice of your booking bloods as this wont be correct now if you have been bleeding for 4 weeks.

Hi thanks I think I'll go down to the GP route for the blood test. I'm also booked in to see someone at the antenatal clinic next Friday and if I get that far I'm going to ask if I can be transfered to the midwives at the hospital as I know the unit there deals with higher risk pregnancies. My local team, whom I have experienced in previous pregnancies, will provide no continuity (never yet seen one midwife twice through ANY pregnancy!) and are not great even with an uncomplicated pregnancy. I think I'll just be more comfortable with a team used to dealing with complications. We'll see what they say - may get told to sod off but if you don't ask you don't know do you!
I'll keep you updated and am well on my way with your suggestions - have made my DH start buying magazines as well as the Daily Mail for the puzzle page!
I think at the EGU they have clearly already decided my cramps / discomfort are down to the fibroid. Not sure I agree but not a lot I can do except take paracetmol and now the prescription I have - if they start to come and go then I think they'll be more bothered.
Thanks again, nice to chat

Hi, I had one in my first pregnancy. Large bleed and cramps at 10 weeks. I was in and out of EPU for the next few weeks. The bleeding continued, but I would just go in if it got much heavier, or if I couldn't cope with the pain (I had dihydrocodeine to take at home). The bleeding stopped completely at around 20 weeks, but I wasn't so worried after about 15 weeks when scan showed that the baby was now bigger than the clot. The pregnancy was fine after that, and he is now 2 and not showing any ill effects from all the morphine he had at such a young age!
It is scary, especially as there's not much information around- and I agree with not googling too much! I used towels under bedsheets, but maternity mats sound a better idea. We just tried to get through it a day at a time, any distraction welcome. Its hard, wishing you lots of luck

Hey, I had this when pregnant with my DD. I bled from 6 weeks to 17 weeks constantly, with massive gushes of blood that required me to get to hospital within 15 mins of they were going to call an ambulance.

I was scanned every week as the clot was way bigger than DD.....and it eventually stopped, just petered out to nothing. But that was almost half my pregnancy I bled through!!

DD is now three and is currently romping around the living room. She was very ill when born, but it was nothing to do with the haematoma.

Good luck!

This happened to me too at 16 weeks and I am now 24 weeks. I bled constantly from 16 to 20 weeks and made lots of trips to the hospital for them to send me home with the instruction to come back if the bleeding got worse.
I was scanned at 16 weeks and they found a blood clot the size of an orange and a low lying placenta, at my 20 week scan the blood clot was still there but my placenta had moved up, hooray!
I was signed off work and am now resting until week 28 when I have my next scan/consultant appointment. Keeping my fingers crossed that the clot has gone as I have now had no bleeding for 4 weeks.
I'm starting to go a little stir crazy at home as I am not allowed to drive but it will be worth it if everything is ok at next scan.
Try to keep positive and rest as much as possible, I know how it feels to dread going to the loo each time in case there is more bleeding!

Thanks all so much for replying, I'm feeling a little more positive today - this has really been so hard not to get totally obsessed. I know it's one day at a time.
catathome know how you feel about being at home going crazy, the days go pretty slow don't they. Good luck and really hope things improve again at your next scan.
I wish they'd offer me weekly scans but I know that's a big ask as the NHS would probably be overloaded with scan appointments! Just so hard to bleed for so long and be uncomfortable but they have pretty much made it clear that it's only if it gets a LOT worse that they'll see me.
Here's crossing fingers for those of us in this situation.

Hello Everyone,

I too have been diagnosed with 2 SCH's after having a huge gush of blood at 11 wks 2 days pregnant. Initialy I feared the worst as I'd a miscarriage only 3 months prior to this. Anyway after a trip to the EPU I was diagnosed with two small bleeds. My question is that since that initial gush which lasted about an hour with cramps I have had a lesser bleed then constant brown dicharge since. I am now 12 wks 5 days. I am not due for another scan until I'm 21 weeks. Does this sound normal. I'm led to believe that the brown discharge is a good sign. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Debbiej395
I had the same question as you but there doesn't seem to be a clear answer other than hopefully it is a good sign.
My major bleed was 5 weeks ago now and I have been bleeding ever since then but it does seem to be slowing down. For the last week or so it has just been like you say mostly brown discharge.
I've been told that even if the bleed is resolving (which obviously I hope it is!) I could bleed for another month. The EPU have also been seeing me but have said they can't predict what will happen and call them up if I have more bright red heavy bleeding or really bad pain.
I'm due back in hospital on Friday and hoping will get some more reassurance but I know how hard it is to go through each day wondering what is happening in the tummy - stick in there, it does sound like things have settled.
I'm 15 weeks now so each day hoping I creep a little closer to this resolving - all I can do is hope! Mine is quite a big bleed so hoping to see signs it has reduced in size on Friday but since I'm booked into an antenatal clinic am not sure they'll even do a scan.
Good luck and pop in for a chat if you ever feel like it :)

Hi Loopymumsy as well - only just noticed two new posts :) good luck with your next scan

Ladies, am keeping up with you all and wishing you the best of luck with everything. Brown blood is generally old blood so I hope things are slowing down for you and fingers crossed resolving x