Subchorionic hematoma - any experience/advice?

[BlueStarsAtNight]

I had a scan yesterday at 8+4 due to persistent bright red bleeding with some clots, and was absolutely amazed to see little bean hanging in there as I was convinced I'd misscarried.
The bleeding is apparently due to a sub chorionic hematoma; it's about half the size of the embryonic sac (a little over half). The nurse who talked to me about it after my scan was less than helpful and just said "I've seen bigger, expect more bleeding, and go to A&E if it's gushing uncontrollably". This was not comforting to hear.
Do any of you have any experience of this, or know what I should expect, how bad is it, is baby at risk etc?! Thanks

Hi,

I had exactly the same at about 9 weeks and am currently 39 weeks and waiting for this back ache to turn into labour!

Yes, my bleeding was bright red, the size was probably about the same as yours and I bled for about 3 more weeks but it got less and less red and more on and off spotting towards the end. Although still had streaks of red at times. My hematoma was quite near where baby had attached so I worried like hell for ages but all turned out well. I think it just has to bleed out while it heals.

Best of luck, am sure all will be well.

Hi, I am 22+4 weeks and still have one. It was diagnosed at 11+6 weeks when I woke up soaked in blood in the middle of the night and thought I was miscarrying.

I bled for 5-6 weeks (only the one gush then spotting/bleeding of every colour for another 5 weeks).

But I'm hanging in there still, nearly 11 weeks later and my baby is so far unaffected and kicking me non stop.

I'm not going to lie, it has been a absolute roller coaster and very stressful, but the odds are generally favourable with more successful stories than failures.

The biggest issue I think is that every sch behaves differently (some hemorrhage repeatedly, some just the once, some never, some go away fast , some hang around for ages, some people lose clots some don't), and the doctors are very dismissive and unsympathetic because they don't believe there is anything that they can do to change the outcome.

Therefore, you are very much left on your own to "wait it out", facing and uncertain outcome.

Whilst the consultants will not advocate any particular treatment, I have read hundreds of stories and am a member of an sch support group online where other sufferers have shared research from other countries and tips.

The general consensus of actual sufferers is that resting (in my case bed rest), drinking tons of water to stop the uterus getting irritated by the blood, and progesterone (only some docs will prescribe it to support the pregnancy) do seem to in some cases improve the outcomes. At least it he's us feel more in control (just that we are doing something to help).

I wish you all the best and if you want to join a group to go through it together I am on the Baby and Bump sch group which you can google.

My daughter had this, she had a large bleed at 8 weeks and on and off bleeding till 12 weeks when it stopped, very stressful time but good outcome who is now 2years and 9 months and bright as a button :-)

Yes I had this, had two very large scary bleeds between 12-20 weeks due to this. By the 20 week scan the bleeds had re absorbed and could hardly be seen. I'm 27 weeks now and baby is absolutely fine, no more bleeds and everything normal. It is scary but apparently relatively common.
Only treatment I had was lots of rest and extra checks.
So take it easy! Thinking of you

I had this with DD1. At an early scan I was told I had it but I didn't really question what it was. At 12 weeks (literally 4 days before my 12 week scan) I went to the toilet at work and there was bright red blood everywhere. Went to the closest hospital who said I was probably mis carrying but they couldn't scan me until Monday ( this was Friday pm). I went home still changing pads. The next morning I went to my own hospital which has an epu. They scanned me and lo and behold there was my baby heat beating, moving around. I cried tears of joy I was so happy. The sonographer said it was the haematoma that had caused the bleeding. It carried on for a few days, the flow getting lighter until it stopped. Dd1 is now 7! And in subsequent pregnancies I have not had this again.

Baby heart not heat!

Hope all the success stories reassure you OP.

I had this around 7 weeks I think. Big bleed, bright red blood, went to hospital, they could see the sac and heamatoma, which was much bigger. No heartbeat yet.

Told ABSOLUTE BEDREST was the only was I would be able to keep the pregnancy.

2 weeks later I went private for a scan as I was in a state, heartbeat now!, but the heamatoma was now enormous, I could see it clearly, taking up the whole womb. Poor little heartbeat in a corner.

Told to go home and be prepared to miscarry. Horrendous.

More bleeding, again bright red. 'fresh blood'

4 weeks later, back to normal doctor, scan showed heamatoma had shrunk, embryo much bigger.

BEDRESET again!

4 weeks later, heamatoma practically gone, reabsorbed apparently.

5 years on, about to go and pick up perfect DD!

I am in Spain. Bedrest, no lifting, nothing, absolutely vital.
Good luck OP and please don't panic and please take it easy.

I had a small one at 10 weeks- red bleed, followed by dark brown bleed.. they did weekly scans until it resovled itself (2 weeks later). it was only 1cm x 3cm though- she said sometimes they are HUGE and up to a foot long (huh??) but most of them resolves themselves and generally they arent a problem.

Yep, mind was HUGE, yours sounds tiny OP, take great comfort in this.

I had bleeding at 7 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks.

The bleed at 14 weeks was horrifying - fresh red blood everywhere, I was petrified as it just gushed out of me. I was obviously convinced I'd lost the baby but everything was fine - the cause was put down to most likely being a haemotoma. I was so scared it would happen again and was distraught at the idea of possibly losing my baby, but in ever had another bleed and there was nothing to see on my 20 week scan.

Currently feeding my week old baby

Thank you so much for all the replies, I'm so glad to hear so many positive outcomes. I will check out the forum you mentioned FerreroRoche, thanks.

I have definitely noticed that the bleeding gets heavier when I am active and lighter when I'm resting or just sitting at work, so I really will try to take it easy, though it's not simple at all with a bouncy 20 month-old who is at home alone with me 2 days a week.

It's just hideous having all this bleeding, I've been spotting since 4 weeks but proper red blood for over a week - I'm petrified I'll have a big flood of bleeding at work or something. I just want to relax and enjoy this pregnancy! I'll keep my fingers crossed that it resolves itself by 12 weeks like some of yours did, and hope that I won't be doing any harm by not being able to avoid being active some of the time!

I'm really surprised that no-one seemed to think I need any extra scans or checks or anything though, my next scan is the 12 week one. I have my booking point meant with the midwife in 2 weeks so I'll see what she says.

Yes, the hospital tend to take a hands off approach because as far as they are concerned, what will be. But I couldn't cope with the not knowing. I spoke to my gp who said she would refer me for additional reassurance scans if I needed them, and when I saw the consultant (who wanted to just discharge me straight to midwife care, I had to stress that I was not happy to be discharged as a normal pregnancy while I was still actively spotting from a large hematoma. As a result she requested an additional scan at 18 weeks followed by an antenatal appt to review results.

So is worth a try either with your gp, or with midwife consultant. Stress the anxiety you have and reassurance you need.

I had this too. Diagnosed at around 11.5 weeks and was convinced id lost baby. I continues to bleed at varying degrees til around 6m pregnant. Hospitalized on a couple of occasions and badly anaemic due to blood loss.

Positive outcome thank god but it sadly is bloody scary (pardon the pun) and it really can go either way.

I was frequently scanned in the later stages as apparently it can hinder placental fiction or it's a sign it's not working as well as it should or something.

Just rest up xx

My daughter didn't rest, she was due to fly to New York the next day, the dr told her to go any way which she did, thankfully she was fine, fingers crossed for you, x

I had one with DD1. Very dramatic bleeding at around 9 weeks after spotting which started at 4 weeks and ended about 16 weeks. I was under the consultant for something else, and he said nothing I did would influence the outcome, and that the bedrest thing was a red herring. The bleeding more with activity is just a gravity thing I think. I didn't rest as had a full on job, and DD1 is now at school. Good luck.

Did anyone have horrendous period-type pains with their sch? I've been in absolute agony most of the night and still bleeding heavily, I can't see how on earth I can live like this for weeks I don't feel like I can even leave the house!

I had a massive bleed from this at 11weeks. Was scanned immediately but they couldn't see any cause, was scanned a week later (once the bleeding had stopped) and they could see it. The sonographer said they can only see old blood, not fresh. However that blood has to go somewhere so either you'll get more bleeding or it'll be reabsorbed. Mine must have been reabsorbed because at 20 weeks everything was fine.
Just to reassure, my bleeding and spotting only lasted a week. My consultant (high risk for other reasons) said no evidence bed rest helps but to stay off work whilst bleeding. Agree with thermo about the gravity thing - bleeding will appear to slow down if you lie down but it's just pooling instead.

I did get some pain tbh. I was very uncomfortable at times!

I have read an Australian research paper which demonstrated that resting did improve the number of successful outcomes, but ultimately, you do what is right for you.

For me, I am on sofa rest and will stay like that until mine goes because I get a lot of pain/discomfort and braxton hicks from the hematoma when I move about.

If you are in pain, I think it will help you to do anything that eases your pain. If that is resting, do it when you can, if moving helps, move. Just do what is best for you.

Yes you can have pain and cramping while it is there.

OP I booked my private scan because I also was told to just wait for the next scheduled one and I was beside myself, it was likely to be my one and only chance of a baby (husband was about to start chemotherapy)

I didn't get any pain. Pain is not a great sign I am afraid. But I have heard of people having it.

I really would say bedrest OP. I was signed off work (here in Spain) they really, really promote bedrest, complete and utter lack of movement! Hard I know.

My thoughts are with you, it is such a horrible and stressful thing to go through. How are you feeling today?

After my big bleed at 14 weeks I paid to have a private scan. They had checked the baby's heartbeat when the bleed had initially happened but I continued to lose a blood (only light) for the next 4 days. The midwife wasn't particularly concerned but I was out of my mind with worry. I paid £60 for the scan and it was worth every penny to have that reassurance that all was ok. There's no way I could have waited until the routine 20 week scan.

I'm glad to hear some pain seems normal. I'm trying to rest as much as possible and avoid picking 2-stone DS up off the floor though that's hard! DH is being great at doing stuff round the house so I can put my feet up, though worries about tomorrow on my own with DS all day. The bleeding seems to taper down to a manageable level in the day and go crazy in the evenings with lots of clots (and a big lump of liver-like stuff yesterday). I just can't imagine living like this for the next month or more, hoping and praying it finishes bleeding out/gets tea sorbets very fast!

I have my booking appointment with the midwife next week so will see if she can refer me to actually speak to a doctor about it- all the information I have so far is from the internet!

*tea sorbets = reabsorbed

I had one too - I bled for 3 weeks in the first tri. At first I had loads of red blood and cramps and thought it was game over, but it hung on in there.

I wasn't given any advice about resting and carried on as normal. And then after about 2 weeks of continuous bleeding, I got this awful flu that knocked me for 6 and I ended up in bed for 5 days. It stopped after that, so I do think that bed rest might have been the best thing.

I think hospitals are hands off because they can't do anything to change the outcome. The blood that this there just has to come out.