What on earth could be happening?

[heartmoonshadow]

Hi,

Just a bit of info I am 7 weeks plus 1 today and had a scan at 5+4 which indicated a heartbeat. I have been having nausea and tiredness since the day I got pregnant but yesterday I had two tiny spots of brown blood (smaller than 5 pence pieces) on my panty liner. Since then my symptoms have gone - I am not peeing as much I have no nausea and relatively little fatigue - although I have been off lunch and yawning in the last hour or so. Problem is I have been madly thinking about 'what if' possibilties, I called the midwife and she said it should be nothing to worry about without cramps or bright red blood but I am paranoid the baby is dead. I have spoken to GP who sees no reason to refer me for a scan and I have to wait another 5 weeks until my 12 week one.

I guess what I want to know is if you have had a miscarriage did it start like this or was it full blown blood and cramping straight away. I am petrified now for the next few weeks.

Hope someone has an idea.

Thanks HMS

My mc started with a tiny bit of pink when I wiped, then built up over the week as red or brown, with no cramping. A scan confirmed the embryo had died about 3 weeks previously, and the day after the scan the mc actually happened, with period cramps (nothing that 2 ibuprofen couldn't handle) and heavy bleeding.

However I have had a lot more bleeding with this pregnancy (now 35 wks) - bled throughout the entire 1st trimester, so bleeding isn't necessarily anything to worry about, and there are loads of non-dangerous reasons for it.

I wouldn't focus too much on the symptoms, they can come and go at this stage. Being off your food is probably due to anxiety, and energy levels, nausea etc seem to vary according to how tired you are, what you have eaten, iron levels, hydration, anxiety, and which particular part of the embryo has developed that day.

If I were you, I would try not to worry too much - they have found a heartbeat, which gives you a better chance of everything being ok. Keep an eye on the bleeding, and if you get more over the next few days, or if it's bright red, give your midwife or epu a call.

I had brown blood at around 7 wks and all was fine - I'm now 25 wks I've had no symptoms really other than tiredness and constipation (which came later in the second trimester).

It's hard but try not to worry, I would agree with your MW - unless you have red blood and cramps, the likelihood is it's just a normal part of pregnancy.

Ria x

Eary mc for me was brown when wiping, followed by pink and then red with cramping from the start.

Things sound good from your post with seeing a heartbeat ect and symptoms often come and go. Wishing you all the best!

Sometimes it helps to exaggerate your symptoms if you want to have a scan and peace of mind.

Go to the GP and tell them you have bad cramping - perhaps say it is on one side (so they'll worry about an ectopic), and ask specifically for a referral to the early pregnancy unit at your local hospital.

Best of luck! The most likely thing is that this is some perfectly normal bleeding, and your pregnancy is fine - if it's brown it means it's old, so it may even be a bleed which happened a while ago.

Could you afford to have a private scan to put your mind at rest?

I had about that amount of actually quite bright red blood at 6 weeks. Nothing else, no further problems. I was really worried at the time but the percentage of pregnancies where people bleed a little bit is very high - I can't remember the figure but it's maybe 30% or so? Most of the time there's nothing to worry about at all. Fingers crossed for you.

UrbanStuff I think that is really poor advice. There are only so many scanning appointment and if the OP takes one it could mean someone with genuine ectopic symptoms doesn't get scanned before damage is done.

OP, please don't worry too much about your symptoms coming and going. I (and no doubt many others) spent many sleepless nights worrying about my nausea disappearing, and my boobs not feeling painful etc and, while we all know it's so easy to worry about your little bean, all that stress does you no good at all.

Keep an eye on the bleeding, and perhaps ring your local community midwife for advice and reassurance. Be reassured by your positive scan result, and fingers crossed all is well :) I'd echo what Eurochick said too.

I have just spent three horrible weeks panicking about having no symptoms, never had many but they all faded totally at six and a half weeks, only to see on a scan today my cheeky little monkey waving at the camera so dont worry at all about that lol, brown blood is something that you read a lot about on here and seems to be something a lot of people experience in the early days, can happen with all sorts like when the placenta develops etc so please try not to worry too much, if it changes to pink or red then thats the time id be looking for a scan, hope that helps x and if you ring your local early pregnancy clinic quite honestly they are often more than happy to fit you in without any need whatsoever to make up or exaggerate symptoms

Thanks for all the positive replies I think I will keep an eye over the next few days if it is a miscarriage I know I can't do anything about it but I will hope for the best.

HMS

I had no symptoms at all in the first 12 weeks with my first pregnancy and I was the same as you and kept thinking the worst and everything was fine with my 12 week scan. it's naturally just a really worrying time. Good luck with everything.

I'm 7+1 today too. I have had odd bits of light pink and brown when wiping over the last week or so. My personal, unscientific opinion is that, as I've been quite constipated I have had to, ahem, strain a bit on occasion, and I think perhaps this causes little blood vessels to burst or something because I always get the pink and brown sometime afterwards.

I could be way off the mark of course, but it certainly seems to be following this pattern.

I had lots of dark red when I wiped at 5+6 in my last pregnancy and am pretty sure that followed a particularly long session in the toilet

Hope everything is ok for you.

I had brown light spotting on and off from 7 weeks and it was from a missed miscarriage at 6 weeks I never properly miscarried until I had an erpc at 13 weeks. When I spoke to the mid-wife she said that there is a 50% chance of mc with early bleeding. Unfortunately, I was in the wrong 50% but there is a good chance it will be ok and of the people on mn with spotting at around the same time as me, probably half got a good outcome.

Take it easy and hopefully it will all be ok.x

i would go in to A&E or phone the early pg unit yourself and ask for a scan

I went through the same thing at 7 weeks also. Lot's of reading of older posts on here reassured me that this was what they call 'implantation' bleeding.

If you've had no further bleeding since then, and especially if you've had no fresh (red) blood I would take a deep breath and relax.

The wait up until the 12 week scan is always horrific and you'lll probably be a constant worrier untill you see baby again! No advice to prevent that I'm afraid, it's just the way it is. (by the way I'm 32 weeks and still worrying all day everyday!)

If you do have any further bleeding then get straight onto your midwife, but otherwise try to relax!

eurochick Point taken. I'm sorry I shouldn't have said the thing about ectopics, it does seem selfish when I reread it. The NHS is a marvelous thing and in no way am I suggesting being profligate with it's services.

But, here is my experience & why I suggested it: I drive myself mad mad mad with worry, so when I had brown bleeding, I said to the GP I had mild cramping as well and he referred me for a scan the same day, which was an enormous relief as I couldn't have stood not knowing a moment longer (although in my case it actually did turn out to be the start of a miscarriage, so it didn't work out in the end).

The EPU at my local hospital sees people in order of priority, so if you have mild cramping you will never get in the way of someone who has more severe symptoms, who will always be seen first.

Yes, surprisingly the EPU does prioritise people according to their symptoms. harsh as it may seem, if you are miscarrying having a scan that day or the next day will not alter the outcome. Lying about your symptoms and getting a quicker scan can not save a failed pregnancy.
If you actually are in severe pain, detecting an ectopic that day or the next day may save your tube, or even your life.
Just because you are really really worried does not make you a clinical priority, the EPUs primary role is not just to reassure people.
I have been in that situation myself, I know how agonising the waiting is, and how horrible it is when it doesn't work out.
In any case the OP has already had a scan which has excluded ectopic.
I do not advocate anybody lying to their healthcare providers whatever the reason.

OP I hope it turns out to be nothing. Early pregnancy after miscarriage is such an anxious time and the waiting game is so hard. Lots of people have some bleeding and it is often nothing major. We have a "freak out room" on Conception where people in exactly the same situation share their worries, spotting, symptoms or lack of etc. Loads of women on there have had the things you describe and generally all has been ok.

Sorry OP forgot something. You could bypass your GP, if you are bleeding the EPU may see you direct. Or ask your midwife for an early scan, mine was happy to refer me. 5 weeks is a long time to wait and hopefully you will get a scan sooner.

Try not to worry.. I had this at around the same time and it turned out to be nothing, my baby's fine. Keep tabs on what your body is doing, but worry won't solve a thing.