Hello Ladies!
I know spotting is a big topic so I wanted to give my experiences and I know these threads pop up on internet searches, Lord knows I've read every single one of them!
Basically, I had a missed miscarriage last Halloween at 12 weeks. Found out at 12 week scan baby was only measuring 8/9 weeks and had died around then too. MC occurred naturally that same night.
Found out I was pregnant again in February at around 3/4 weeks. YAY. But the day of the positive test I had some pink spotting, convinced myself it was an early miscarriage and that was that. But baby held on. First scan was at 6 weeks, tiny heartbeat. The spotting continued. Pink blood when wiping on occasions, clear discharge with red streaks on others. Another scan at 8 weeks showed baby was healthy and growing as should be, and still the spotting continued.
My visits to the EPU for reassurance scans became almost weekly, the spotting continued right up to my 12 week booking appointment and beyond. No explanation ever found, but a Cervical Erosion was assumed. No examination was ever done, they didn't see it necessary to go hoking about up there when baby was doing so well. The term Cervical Erosion was mentioned at a smear test I had about 5/6 years ago so as an explanation it fit. At my 12 week scan my midwife told me that the spotting would probably tail off into 2nd Trimester.
There wasn't any pattern to the spotting as far as I could see, any activity would set it off, be it lifting a heavy box, climbing the stairs at work too many times, even bending down to shave my legs in the shower started the spotting off one evening!
It would always be a few streaks or spots of blood or bloody mucus when wiping, never on a pad or clothing, and would disappear as quick as it arrived. Sometimes it stuck around for a full afternoon, but would be gone again by the evening. Resting seemed to make it stop too. I also put myself on voluntary pelvic rest too (eek) so no sex from conception! Poor hubby!
The spotting HAS started to tail off now that I'm in 2nd trimester. I think week 15 was completely spot-free but today, at 16+4 it came back. Starting with dark brown blood (assuming old blood has gathered up there for the week of no spotting) eventually leading to pink discharge with some pink spotting and little blood clots. I took these to be signs of blood that has been "sitting around" - and by the evening the discharge turned back to clear as if nothing had happened.
Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this and been okay? The further I get into pregnancy the more I worry about my badly behaved cervix being weak and possibly headed towards an incompetence. Baby seems to be A-OK though, every scan is healthy and active and I have a doppler at home (naughty) and I have no issues at all getting the little galloping heartbeat with a rate of about 160-165 each time. Hoping I have a little trooper in there!
I also hope that this helps to ease someones mind who might be experiencing spotting along the way. I've spoken to doctors, midwifes, consultants...everyone along the way and they just tell me it can be "one of those things" and I hope that I can come back in November and report that regardless, my baby was born healthy.
Fingers crossed, ladies.
XXX