5 wks and bleeding....

[bumpitybumpbump]

I have just had bleeding similar to period type bleeding - bright red. No cramping. I think I must be miscarrying...but do I leave nature to it's course or do I need to go and see a doctor? I haven't even notified GP of pregnancy as was so early so don't have any Midwife contacts at all. Should I buy another pregnancy test and does anyone know if that will confirm so quickly? Thanks everyone. I'm fine - disappointed but fine. If negative will have an enormous gin and tonic tonight.

Really sorry to hear you are bleeding bumpity. It really could go either way. Some women get early bleeding and the pregnancy is fine, others get early bleeding and yes they are miscarrying.

It's also swings and roundabouts with the hpts too. I carried on getting strong positives for ages, I only got BFN after my first period at the end of the cycle after I had bled for two weeks. Other women test negative really soon after their mc. So taking a pregnancy test and getting a strong positive is not necessarily a positive sign unfortunately.

My advice would be to take an hpt and see if it's still reading a decent line. If it is make a doctors appointment and tell then how far along you are and that you think you are miscarrying. They might send you for a scan, they might decide to do some bloods and see whether they tie in with your gestation and if they are doubling.

It's a good thing to get the pregnancy and potentially the loss on your record as in the future you may want to push for investigations. Also there is a chance of infection and/or retained products and you could need further treatment.

Thanks NewEra, I couldn't wait and just did a HPT which said Pregnant 2-3 weeks. So I think I'll try and get an appointment with the doctor asap on the basis this doesn't mean I haven't MCed. I guess I should assume if heavy bleeding continues tonight/tomorrow then I've definitely miscarried? Apart from one bleed (just before I posted earlier) there hasn't been anything else but I do feel a bit period-achey around the back area... :-( .

Thanks so much for responding so quickly.

No I don't think you should assume you've miscarried if the bleeding continues tomorrow.

I have heard of women where they bleed and their pregnancy continues and of women where they bleed and the pregnancy ends.

With me my mc was very long and drawn out and dragged on for weeks. I got my BFP on 10dpo and started spotting on 14dpo. This stopped and then I had a tan discharge for days which went dark, then disappeared again, then went tan again then I got lots of bloody mucus and eventually I started bleeding like a period at around 6 weeks. Never got any cramping.

I experienced very similar things during this pregnancy at around 5 weeks and was sent to the EPU for an exam and a scan. Having had previous MC's I assumed the worst but thankfully all was fine. they assumed I was experiencing implantation bleeding. I bled mostly when I went to the loo and had slight crampy period like pains and the bleeding continued for around 4 days, although it lessened in volume over time.

All still looking positive for us, at 14 weeks now, despite my complicated medical issues and hopefully it will be the same for you too. Iv experienced bleeding with both outcomes in early pregnancy and I know it's hard but try not to assume the worst. It's very easy for me to say, as I didnt manage it at all. It is important to get checked out however to rule out any complications. I hope all goes well for you. xxx

It might be the start of a miscarriage but it might not. I would call your doctor. I experienced bleeding at the same time and my pregnancy continued fine; I'm 13 weeks now. You might be able to get a quick telephone appointment with your doctor and they might be able to refer you to your local early pregnancy unit for a scan. They may tell you to wait a day or two to see if the bleeding stops and might not want to scan you until you are 6 weeks as at 5 weeks often only the sack is visible, not the embryo in it, but at 6 weeks the embryo can often be seen. But it is definitely worth getting in touch with your doctor ASAP to see what they can offer you.

NewEra is absolutely correct that pregnancy tests should not be used to test for miscarriage. You can get a positive result during and for a few days following a miscarriage.

Bleeding with period type pain rather than sharp pain or severe cramping is usually more typical of an implantation bleed rather than a miscarriage but unfortunately our bodies don't play to a set of rules. If you don't want to take the 'wait and see' approach then best thing to do is see if you can get yourself an appointment at EPU for an early pg scan. All the best OP.

Thanks everyone for your encouraging messages - still no more bleeding. I guess I am assuming mc because it was one episode with enough blood to soak through my pants and lightly mark my tights and was bright red. I had a tiny tiny bit of blood earlier in pg that i thought was implantation, but fingers (and toes) crossed that I don't get any more - I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much again.