Pregnancy post mmcs - Couple of questions

[Wildwaterfalls]

Hi all

I am pregnant for the third time after two mmcs, and today we saw a heartbeat on an early scan, which was wonderful. I do however have two questions now, which someone may be able to help with.

1. The sonographer mentioned some blood next to the gestational sac, and on the report there is a reference to a 'small subchorionic haemorrhage'. Has anyone had this? How worried should I be? The sonographer did not seem particularly concerned but after the mmcs I tend to worry.

1. Completely separately, if this does turn into a successful pregnancy we are considering private care. Does anyone have any recommendations? We are in London and are considering the Portland (possibly in combination with the Birth Company), or the Chelsea and Westminster (private wing).

Any thoughts on either of these very welcome. Thanks in advance.

I had a mmc last year, and I'm now 9 weeks. I've had some spotting on and off since 5 weeks so I had a scan at 6 weeks that sounds similar to yours - there was a clear hb and fetal pole but also a small bleed next to the sac, which I was told was just 'one of those things', the sonographer and nurse specialist didn't seem concerned, and at least whenever I have any brown discharge I know what's causing it.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

hi sorry to hijack thread, i also had a mmc and now pregnant 7 weeks, do you think its worth having an early scan at my epu? will it set my mind at rest? if theres a hb thats a great sign isnt it? my mmc stopped developing at around 6 -gestation sac was bigger though. Good luck with your pregnancies.

It depends on their policy - I was only offered a scan because of the bleeding, I wouldn't have been entitled to one otherwise. Worth a try though!

I have an SCH, and also had an mmc in September, am currently 15 weeks. I've bled on off since week 7, some heavier than others, and sometimes bright red new blood when it obviously burst a bit. All very scary but had some reassurance from mners. Do a search and it should be on here early December time.

No-one seemed particularly concerned, apart from me.

Hope all goes well

Thanks very much for the reassuring words. It really helps.

Sorry to read about others' mmcs. It does make pregnancy more stressful, doesn't it. Frazzled - I think a scan is a good idea - I found seeing the heartbeat reassuring. My GP suggested it in my case.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancies all.

I think I had a subchorionic haemorrhage in my last pg (currently a healthy 6 month old asleep upstairs), had some spotting that started at 8 weeks and scan showed "a patch of bleeding on the uterus wall", think that's a similar thing? Spotting continued to 14 weeks and I was terrified as had had a mmc previously but all was fine. Midwives reassured me that it's really common and no cause for concern. I found the midwives at my EPAC fantastic, they were willing to speak to me on the phone when I panicked a few days after the scan and rescanned me at 14 weeks when I was still spotting and getting panicky again. Heartbeat on an early scan is a really good sign, all the best for the rest of your pregnany.

I had the same as highheels - a haemmorage on my uterus wall. They explained it was a bit like a graze, and from time to time a 'scab' would come away and it would bleed a bit more, just like when you graze your knee. It bled a huge amount - I didn't find out I was pregnant until 6 weeks as the first bleed was virtually the same as a period, and continued to bleed to some extent throughout the first trimester. After a scan at 7 weeks I had a big bleed with clots (tmi sorry) and really thought I'd miscarried again. Luckily all was well and DD was born exactly a year to the day since my MMC was found. If you are finding your pregnancy very stressful due to your previous MMCs, you can ask to be referred to an additional support midwife, who will have the time to talk things through with you, something you can't really do at rushed antenatal appointments. It really helped me.

frazzled - an early scan might help you, but you will probably have to pay for a private scan unless you are bleeding or in pain. If you do have one, I'd recommend waiting until about 8 or 9 weeks, when the risks of mc drop significantly - something like from 1 in 4 to 1 in 20 once you reach 8 weeks and a hb has been seen, iirc.

I've had three MMCs, diagnosed as having a chromosomal abnormality and did IVF with PGD to get pregnant this time round. Scanned at 6 and 8 weeks they saw a SCH both times, said it was nothing to worry about and that the medical profession generally has no idea how common it is because what almost always happens is that it goes away around 12 weeks. So since most women only get scanned at 11-12w+, they might have had one and never knew.

The more you know, the more there is to worry about :)

Frazzled, all my MMCs stopped at about 6 weeks and I'd say wait till 9 weeks if you want a definitive answer. On my second one I got a private scan at 8 weeks and they were like, well, there's no heartbeat but you might be a bit out with your dates... the NHS EPU didn't even want to know. Of course I was right, I knew exactly when I'd ovulated but it meant I just had to go back and pretend everything was OK for another 3 weeks until the MC started. It was bullshit.

Thanks so much everyone. Really great to read these positive stories.

It is very true: the more you know the more you worry...

Thank you

And sorry to read about mmcs. It makes it all so much harder, doesn't it?

Luckily my GP so far has been really supportive about all this, referring me for early scans and blood tests and phoning to discuss results.

thanks all, EPU have agreed to scan me at 9 weeks which is great, fingers crossed.
wildwaterfalls am thinking of you and have fingers crossed but seeing a heartbeat is very reassuring.

I can only recommend Paul Armstrong at The Portland. He is an expert on mmcs and a wonderfully kind and gentle doctor. Very reassuring. He also seems to be available pretty much any time by telephone so if you are concerned about anything, he will always answer questions. He was very very helpful to me. I hope you have a very successful pregnancy and a happy birth experience!

Thank you frazzled and sweetspice. Fingers crossed for you too frazzled - good news you managed to organise a scan!

Thanks again all for your kind messages.

In case anyone picks up this thread at a later stage & is worried like I was, I thought I should just post to say I had another scan this week (9+2) and the bleeding (SCH) which was seen at my 7 week scan has disappeared. The doctor advised this kind of thing is very common.

Good luck all