15wks - 3 bleeds and feeling fed up

[fixuplooksharp]

hey all :)
I am really looking for some positive advice or experiences from anyone who has maybe had this or is in the same boat.
I am now 15 weeks, I have had 3 bleeds, the last two quite big and it's really making me feel deflated and quite fed up. I never have any warning before it happens and it always make me feel nervous and obviously worried about the baby.
I have had a scan and everything was fine and they couldn't see a reason for the bleed, then when it happened yesterday I went to the midwifes (they have said to call them or A&E each time it happens) they listened in and found the babies heartbeat, so that was reassuring but it doesn't make me feel any less nervous about something going/being wrong, and also the nightmare of randomly bleeding when at work or out and about.
This is my 3rd child, I didn't have this with my other two DS which is why it's all a bit strange for me.
Sorry for the totally negative vibe, I am just a bit fed up today.

Hi fixup, I am 21 weeks tomorrow and have had 6 or 7 bleeds! Most times just spotting or when I wipe, one lot over night which went through a pad and a couple of 'half a sanitary towel full' occasions. Each time I have been Checked there is no problem but doesn't really ease my mind. On one examination they said I had an ectropian, which is a like a straggly end of cervix sticking out which may bleed now and then but don't know of that would keep Bleeding. After calling the midwives so many times I feel a bit like I'm over reacting- but what else can you do? You can't ignore bleeding can you? It does cheese me off and I think stops me getting attached to baby as I worry it may all go wrong, mean surely blood is not good? Probably not much help but just wanted to let you know you are not alone I this. I find all this worry and wiping and knicker checking exhausting and actually wonder whether by the time is up I may have just wiped my way to baby and may not need to actually give Birth. I am going to MW base to listento heart beat later this afternoon. Again! I hope you get some reassurance if not answers soon. X x

Hey OP, just wanted to say sorry you are going through this it is not fun. I have had spotting throughout my pregnancy and it is annoying because there is no definite reason why it is happening. Doctors mainly go with the 'you have a sensitive cervix' approach, but it still makes me worry everytime it happens. My SIL who is 4 weeks ahead of me suffered from very heavy bleeding up til about 16 weeks. She had clots, bright red blood and was bleeding through numerous pads a day. It was a very very stressful time. The scan showed she had a clot and that it was just trying to pass through her which was causing the bleeding. Luckily all is well and she is now nearly 34 weeks!
I completely understand why you would be fed up! Is it too much to ask for a boring uneventful pregnancy!? ha! Big hug, remember to always call the midwife if worried though :D

Ah thank you soooooo much both of you for replying, and being so lovely :)
It is nice to know I'm not on my own and it seems we all feel the same about it, so I know i'm not over reacting and being a maniac!!
The second bleed was really heavy and bright red so pretty scary, yesterdays was heavy but really dark, almost purple!
The MW I saw yesterday was lovely and she did reassure me that I should be calling them everytime I get a bleed as it does always need checking, so at least I know I'm not being a pain.
nurseP don't worry, just call the MW each time, you need the reassurance and to hear the heartbeat otherwise it makes you worry even more.
leanne thank you!!! Also really glad your SIL has reached 34 weeks and is well, that sounds very scary and has obviously been awful for her.
I really hope this doesn't continue throughout the entire pregnancy, especially as there's no warning, I'll pop my new maternity white skinny jeans back in the wardrobe I think, I don't think I dare wear them this spring! LOL!!!

Hi OP,

I'm 21 weeks tomorrow and have spotted on and off every few weeks with brown blood, and have always been told not to worry unless it's fresh red blood. Well, at 19 weeks I got up in the morning and had a huge gushing red bleed, so much that I called an ambulance thinking I was haemorrhaging (roughly a pint came out in less than 30 seconds) They kept me in overnight as the bleeding had caused tightenings, but cervix was closed and heartbeat strong so they sent me home on bedrest. I had a very scary wait until last week when I had my anomaly scan, they found a small area where the bleed came from but I was told it's just one of those things, and it will probably be reabsorbed, baby healthy and growing as he should be. I am now spending my days doing not much and being constantly on the alert for blood, scared every time I go to the loo and constant pant checking, so I completely sympathise. Fingers crossed for you it doesn't happen again, apparently 'some women do bleed'... but yes, it doesn't make it any less terrifying!

Thanks Bigkicks, sorry to hear you have had to endure it too!! But really glad things are going well for you.
That's the other thing isn't it, the worrying when you are out and about that you will have a sudden bleed, it's a nightmare!! Obviously the worry and uncertainty is the main concern but it's horrible to think that you could be anywhere and have a bleed that then becomes public knowledge :/

I know what you mean, feel a bit like a ticking time bomb! I guess just take each day at a time and deal with it if it happens, but hopefully little one has worried you enough for this pregnancy!

Hi OP,

I had this too, so far 4 major episodes of bleeding, no warning. Once I was stood in the middle of a supermarket with my OH and suddenly felt like I had wet myself, looked down to find blood streaming down my legs in spite of wearing a night time sanitary pad. OH was stressing about the cream leather in the car getting me to hospital! Lol

Another time I was giving a presentation to over 100 people, again felt like I'd suddenly wet myself but luckily was wearing black and near the end of my talk. Went to bathroom straight away afterwards and I was covered in blood.

Third time was just at home and 4th literally woke me at 3am feeling again like I'd suddenly wet myself, bed was covered in blood like something out of a horror movie!!

Every time I rushed to hospital, got fast tracked through A&E and every single time my two little twins waved back at me as if nothing was going on.

Doctors never found out why I have these bleeds, no haematoma present, too much blood to be cervix so they think I have one placenta with an edge next to the cervix as opposed to a true placenta praevia, but they can't prove it as scans show main bit of both placentas is a short distance from the cervix.

Has spotting in between these bleeds, first one at 11wks, last one was at 17wks. I was just told to drink lots of fluids, no severe exercise gentle slow walks only for short distances and keep my legs elevated above my hips whenever possible to take the pressure off the womb exit.

Now I'm 22 + 2 days, reading in bed whilst I have each twin booting me on either side!! So don't worry OP - my consultant said after 12wks the risks of bleeding causing an actual MC is very small and although they always checked me out just in case, she was never overly concerned. Said although this is not common it is definitely not unheard of and most of the time just suddenly stops as quickly as it started

Bex174 Thank you!!!!! So pleased all is going well for you and your twins :) And the advice about drinking lots and keeping to gentle exercise is brilliant, and I have taken it in. I have two active boys and we are quite busy so maybe I need to slow it down a bit.
I can't believe you managed to continue your presentation so smoothly, with that going on, it's horrible isn't it, I do dread it happening at work.
Alpaca Thanks for your comments, it is reassuring to know I'm not alone, you could be on to something with the UTI theory, I have had two in the last few weeks which have been treated with antibiotics,. so that could be a factor too.
I am looking forward to my 20 week scan, have just over a month to wait, arghhh!!!
And how are you both managing to be up after midnight!! haha!!! I was flat out asleep, kindle still in hand by 11!

Wow bex that must have been scary! I have been back and forth to MW with bleeding and once to the hospital assessment unit Had a bit more bleeding overnight bit they said unless more than previous to come back Friday. They are always very nice and happy to see you and listen to baby. Still scary even though every time so far they have not been concerned. I my 20 wk scan last week they said placenta was a bit low and at the hospital, following an examination they saw ectropian, like a straggly bit of cervix sticking out which could possibly be the cause. All such a worry as I just feel so helpless and can't do anything about it.

Morning Nurse :)
Do you have to keep feet up as much as poss with low placenta, or it that an old wives tale?
I had more bleeding last night but was dark and not as much as the day before so rather than sit in A&E for 5 hours I stayed at home and it did stop, tiny bit of spotting this morning, I'll see how it goes today. I have a consultant appt on Monday anyway so can discuss with him unless I have another heavy bleed before then.

They havent said anything about feet up! I work full time so hope not! If placenta covers cervix then towards the end you'like need to be careful and may end up in hospital for last month or so. Have you not got numbers on your notes to call MW ot labour suite? Would that not let you by pass A&E? I've been told to ring them if worried - it'll be community MW in office hours though they may suggest you contact hospital and labour ward out of hours. I have consultant monday too. Hope all goes ok for you. Xx

Last time I had a heavy bleed in the evening I called labour suite and they said because it was early pregnancy I had to go to A&E, which I did. This week when it happened it was during the day so that was nice and easy, I just phoned MW and she said to pop straight to her at health center.
Monday is my 16wk consultant appt, then Tuesday 16wk MW appt, so hoping to feel nicely reassured after that :) Hope yours goes well too xx

It is scary isn't it and like NurseP said I think it's because you feel quite helpless.

The feet up thing was due to them thinking my placenta was possibly slightly low as I mentioned and also why they said reduce exercise so as not to aggravate it. If you think about your legs moving forwards and back all the time doing mini splits around that area each time you walk, it kind of makes sense. Looking back mine did always seem to fall after quite an active day - Christmas evening was the first, last was after a dog walk over the Peak District. Would be difficult for you to rest much though I guess with two little ones already.

But like I said, every medic I've seen with this said it's really not unheard of and most of the time doesn't mean the worst is going to happen at all.

Something quite reassuring they also said to me which helped me rationalise things a bit in my head and stop me panicking so much:

If it's brown blood it's old blood, so the bleed has already happened some time ago. Therefore if you're not in pain with it, you should be all good as the insult has already passed.

Bright red or pink blood minus any clots is blood from you, not the baby so again you have a lot to spare and try not to panic even with the volumes seen (and believe me, it can a be a lot!!! This was the type I always had).

They said only bleed type that gets them concerned is when it is heavy with clots or tissue in it plus of minus cramping pains. That's possibly baby related and so they need to do something ASAP

Now I just look back at all these episodes and just think my twins must be little posers, wanting their pictures taken more often than normal babies! I've had 7 scans already by 22wks. If they could write a birth present list themselves I'd bet it would include a selfie stick each!!

The selfie stick comment has made me laugh , alot!! Brilliant :)
The bleed colour info is great to know, mine of late has been very dark, so must be related to the earlier weeks one which was bright red. God it's so good to chat to people and get experiences and advice isn't it, I feel so much better now, thank you!!!!!!!
Are you excited about having twins? How lovely!!!

Twins must be so exciting! The colour of blood stuff is good to know, thanks. I am 21 weeks today so getting to the threshold where more can be done/ will be attempted if there is a problem. What a stressful time we put ourselves through! my husband is a worrier so I must try not to let that rub off on me! X

Twins is definitely exciting, they're my first as well! So I have some hectic times ahead. Trying to take things as easy as possibly and enjoy the "rest" while I can as I certainly won't have much spare time coming up.

I agree fixuplooksharp, so good to have these forums, really helped me reading some others experiences when I was going through this the first time around too as I obviously dreaded the worst. By the fourth I was a little old hat at the whole thing, but it's just a bit worrying when the whole of the maternity ward and consultants know you by name already, with the scanning department not even needing me to give my name to them when I arrive anymore!

Hopefully plain sailing from now onwards as I've been blood free for a few weeks now, fingers toes and another two belly sets crossed :)