Miscarriage or not 😞

[Stressymam]

Currently 10 weeks pregnant with 3rd child. Had brownish spotting when I wiped on Tuesday night. Just went to bed and stayed there till next day. Same throughout the day but as the day wore on it got darker and heavier. I put on a pad and by the next morning I had filled that pad.

Rang midwife who told me to wait for an appointment at epau but if I was concerned I could go to a and e and be seen there. I decided to go to and e in the hope I would get an early scan to see if I was miscarrying or not. I got as far as the triage nurse who sent me on my way and told me if it got worse I should go back and would be seen.

Got to Friday evening and the cramps had kicked up a notch and the bleeding was getting worse. Seen the triage nurse and he sent me to gynecology (spelling is awful with that word) to be seen by a registrar. He checked my cervix and he said it was closed and there wasn't much blood being lost so he told me epau would be in touch Monday morning.

Has anyone ever had this and gone on to have a healthy pregnancy and baby at the end or is this definitely a miscarriage. I've had a miscarriage before 2 years ago and didn't bleed anywhere near like I am now and there was no cramps.

All I keep getting told is don't panic just relax. I can't relax because I don't know whether my baby is alive or not. I get they have limited resources and medical professionals that can perform an ultrasound but it's frustrating that they would make me wait to find out. I an dreading that scan next week. I still feel pregnant. Bloated belly and hard above my belly button, sore boobs and can't stop drinking and eating. I know there is a 50/50 chance of it being good or bad news I just want to know can this end up our happy ending or is this definitely a miscarriage.

Thanks for reading

Hi, I am no expert, I am just 8 weeks pregnant with my first child, but my mum experienced very heavy bleeding throughout her pregnancy and all was still fine, here I am 27 years later. I'd say just take it very easy and drink plenty of water and do everything you have been, just see the outcome at the scan. I know we all fear the worst before it's even happened but lots of women experience a bleed that was just from a build up around the uterus and you just don't know, all could be perfectly fine, you have to think positive too. I hope baby is healthy for you xx

I don't want to upset you but the NHS now don't do scans etc until 12 weeks. I bled at 7 weeks and paid for private scan. Would this be an option for you?

I bled at 5 weeks and at 9 weeks in my pregnancy - now 34 weeks and all is fine, so it isn't necessarily doom and gloom. The thing is, no one over here can tell you with any certainly or not whether it's a miscarriage. There's just no way they'd be able to. Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear when you're upset and everything feels in limbo.

When I bled first time around, I had to wait for just under a week to be seen at the EPU. My GP referred me and when she spoke about the wait being so long, she gently told me that in any case, even if I did get rushed through with a scan, if I was beginning to miscarry there's very little that can be done to prevent it anyway. That felt awful but it was also realistic. She said if it got significantly worse, really heavy bleeding etc, to go to the hospital for treatment but otherwise I'd have to wait. It was a horrible one but her words about there being little they could do in any case, harsh as that sounds, did mean I just had to accept it was out of my hands and try to carry on. I'm not saying it was easy because it really wasn't, but that was all I had.

Pay for a private scan if you can afford it and it will ease your mind, but to summarise, there's little that can be done at this stage anyway, so they probably won't investigate further with urgency unless it gets a lot worse. But it really isn't necessarily the end of the road for you. Good luck and sorry, it's not a nice experience

In my experience EPU will scan you ASAP with early bleeding. PPs are correct though that they won't be able to do anything if you are miscarrying. FWIW I had heavy bleeding around 5weeks and continued to bleed lightly for a further four and all was okay (baby now nearly three!!)

Thank you for your responses. I know that if it is a miscarriage then there isn't anything they can do. Nature will take its course. I'm glad things worked out OK with other bleeding. Sort of giving me a teeny bit of hope.

I am trying to take it easy and as I said I can't stop eating or drinking anyway so plenty of that happening. I will be keeping everything crossed that I see a tiny heartbeat. Thanks again everyone xx

Regina the NHS will scan before 12 weeks if there is medical reason (bleeding like the op describes would fall into this) but you might have to wait until your epu can fit you in (I waited 2 days with suspected ectopic because I wasn't in severe pain). I had 3 early scans with my last pregnancy and 2 with this one in the NHS.

Good luck with your scan op bleeding doesn't always mean bad news. I wish there was more advice on the NHS website on what to do in these situations. I remember turning up in A and E with my ectopic because I didn't know I could self refer to our epu and sitting there for 4 hours

I had a huge bleed at 14 weeks with my 3rd, soaking right through pads. They saw me as an emergency at the maternity hospital and when I heard the heart beat I told the midwife I hadn’t thought that was possible.. She said ‘we get girls in here all the time with big bleeds and the baby is fine.’

Of course we can’t know what’s going on in your body op but at least have some hope it could all be ok.

Of course you will be scanned at the EPU. That's what the EPU is for, if they wouldn't do anything before 12 weeks it wouldn't exist.

@Regingaphalange I think you've been misguided a little. The NHS absolutely do give early scans. I had one at 6+4 due to bleeding (everything was fine).

Hi, so sorry you are going through this, can be extremely worrying!

I am 6+2 and have experienced brown bleeding for over a week now. I went to a&e when I first saw bleeding and EPU was closed, however I asked if they could give me an abdominal scan in a&e, which they did as they do have the abdominal ultrasound machines available, could you not ask for this to be done? It would involve another trip to a&e for you but if it could put your mind to rest then it's worth it.

Also, I was told by DR that brown blood is not usually seen as an immediate cause for concern. She said red blood with clots and heavier than your normal period flow was more indicative of miscarriage.

Let us know how it goes x

I had a few MC all with early spotting/ bleeding, in my last one (a successful pregnancy) I also with bleeding until the second trimester. If it is dark brown (not bright red), this can cause by implementation (apparently quite common in the first trimester).

if any worry, please go to see your local EPU for a piece of mind. It depends on where you are, some EPU can be self- referred and some needs to be referred by the GP or midwife.

I once went to A&E at where the EPU doesn't accept self- referral, i was in the waiting area and not been seen while miscarrying. I asked for a bedpan from the reception (the receptionist gave me a look and was very reluctant go give me one) and collected my own tissue in the toilet. This A&E also messed up my tissue sample which in the end couldn't be tested. What I am trying to say is, from my own experience, i would avoid going to A&E at all cost and go to your local EPU.

Please do take rest and relax, hope all goes well!

I bleed heavily first month of pregnancy and i though i was having a miscarriage. I had a scan and found out i was expecting twins. I bleed on and off for 1st trimster. I was told some women bleed during pregnancy and especially when they are due there periods

The NHS definitely do early scans. I had an ivf pregnancy and had big big bleeds at 6 and 8 weeks. The 8 week one was so bad they kept me in overnight. But the baby was one tough little cookie and both scans showed his little heart still hammering away. I bled on and off until about 14 weeks. H'es 3 years old now x

I have had 3 scans with NHS before 12 weeks so far (currently 10 weeks). One to rule out ectopic, one a week later to check growth. One due to bleeding.
My bleeding wasn't as heavy as yours, but everything was fine. Bleeding does not always mean miscarriage - I know it's hard to stay calm in this situation though. I hope you get answers soon.

Thank you every one of you for your kind words well wishes and reassurance. I have a scan booked for tomorrow morning at the epau at 10am so I'm keeping everything crossed that it's just my body being a pain in the backside and causing this stress and panic. Thank you once again. Means the world that so many people can make you feel better in a bad situation.

I’ve had this a few times and it has gone both ways. I went on to have a miscarriage, but the exact same symptoms and I had a perfect baby.

Wishing you lots of luck!

Keeping everything crossed for you.
My little 'bleeder' and source of much pregnancy worry is now 2yo and snuffling away.

How did you get on @Stressymam? Been thinking of you x🌸

Hello everyone

So had a scan and the woman said that the yolk sac is measuring at 7 weeks plus 2 days however a heart beat couldn't be detected. Wasn't what I wanted to hear. However after we left I felt I had unanswered questions. Wrote a list and phoned a midwife. Lovely lady. I explained what had happened at the scan but we recently found out that twins are due on both sides of the family. Midwife said it's possible that I could be losing one and twins tend to be smaller so would be difficult to find a heart beat with external scan. (wasn't offered an internal)

She said I could be earlier than I thought because we weren't trying so wasn't tracking anything or keeping an eye on cycle lengths. Plus my periods over the last 6 months have been all over the place. Anyways after that convo I felt a bit more hope.

Bleeding started slowing down. I got my appetite back. All in all I still felt pregnant. Over the moon. However this morning I was woken to really intense pains in my stomach and the bleeding was like running out along with big clots. (sorry tmi) I am totally beside myself. I'm currently at home with a 5 and 7 year old who, bless them, are being complete angels and I am hiding every 5 minutes because I know in my heart of hearts this baby has gone. How can I not feel that way. The midwife has said to just relax I don't know its gone but I do. I can feel it. Although we were preventing this baby couldn't have been more wanted.

I have a review scan on Tuesday to check what is happening. I know am not the only one to have gone or is going through this. Its so devastating though. We are a cursed bunch us women. It's never easy for us. I'm cursed I'm convinced of it. My last 3 pregnancies have ended this way in the end but this is by far the worst. Pain wise and bleeding wise. I'm just going to relax as best I can at home today with my girls and pray to all above that things will go right. I thank each and every one of you for your support, kind words and thoughts. I couldn't be more grateful.

@Stressymam I'm so sad to hear this. I'm glad your girls are being angels, look after yourself x

So sorry to hear about this op