subchorionic hemorrhage / large retroplacental bleed

[Frazzlerock]

I've been diagnosed with this and wondered if anyone has any personal experience?

After several huge bleeds with clots I've had two scans and both times baby has been fine. I'm now 9+2 weeks and I saw a lovely wriggly baby yesterday, but the bleed is much bigger than 10 days ago. It's measuring 4cm and baby is only 2.27cm at the moment. I'm scared to bleed again and it take baby away with it. I'm hoping it will dissipate after reading some info online. But I know it doesn't always end well.

I just wanted to hear some of your experiences, good and bad. I don't want to go into this blindly thinking all will be okay.

Thank you!

Perhaps this is not as common as I thought!

When I researched it for hope theres loads on subchronic haematomas. Hope all stays well x

Thank you @CharlieChip93 I might give up with this thread and do a search instead

I had a SCH (well, a bloody huge bleed anyway, didn't actually look connected to the placenta). To reassure you, I described my 5cmx4cm bleed as 'huge' to a sonographer and she said 'that's not huge! I've seen them be 20cm'. Which reassured me that although it is concerning it certainly wasn't concerning them as much as me.

Eventually (after 6 weeks of haemorrhages) it stopped and baby was fine at 12week scan. Assuming all still fine and now 15 weeks.

There was talk of it being better if the bleed was below the baby (closer to the cervix) as much less likely to wash the baby out when it gushes.

@October2020 thank you. That does sound good! Thank you for sharing your experience.
This is mine, I've no idea if it's close to the cervix or not? Just looks massive to me

I've no idea - I can see your lovely jelly baby on that scan but nothing else. I imagine they would have told you? All you can do is rest where possible and try not to stress (which I know is impossible). How many weeks are you now?

I'm 9+3 today. We've lost our 4 last babies just before 9 weeks so never got this far (except with my two big DC from previous marriage - never had any probs then!).
Just so typical that we get this far finally and we have this new issue to deal with

I worry because it looks like the bleed is right next to the sac. I just hope that if I bleed again, baby will cling on for dear life

It is so nerve wracking especially with previous loss. This baby is IVF so I'm horribly anxious every day.
I can't say a lot to reassure you but I've had some huge bleeds - one estimated at 3 pints in less than an hour - and baby has hung on so far. Even when I thought it would be absolutely impossible. A nurse said to me that they'll survive things that'd kill us.... which was sort of reassuring?!

I had one with Dd. Bleeding carried on for a while. She was early, but not sure if it was linked to this as I had a previous pre term birth.

We sadly lost our daughter at 20 weeks due to a subchorionic hematoma. My advice would be rest as much as possible

Hi @Frazzlerock, I was diagnosed with a SCH. Mine was an IVF pregnancy.

Sadly, it was sitting on top of the placenta and underneath and it was a very large bleed. I bled quite badly on a number of occasions, had to be signed off from work and was put on bed rest. I did end up miscarrying at 10 weeks but I was told at the beginning that it wasn’t looking good so I didn’t get my hopes up high, in fact I was pretty lucky to have reached that far in my pregnancy. I’m sorry you’re going through this, I know exactly how nervous you are. I’ve heard of very good positive stories of this happening and people having successful pregnancies. I’m keeping everything crossed for you x

I had a subchoronic haematoma and my baby is now 7! i had a private obstetirican for recurrent miscarraige so did not necessarily follow standard NHS guidelines - he prescibed HIGH does of progesterone pessary and I stopped the low dose aspirin I was on. Subsequently medical research out this year has proven that progesterone can help support a pregnancy when there is a history of recurrent miscarriage.

Wishing you all the best OP.

Hi, I had SCH with 2 of my pregnancies. Scary times but my DC are fine. My bleeds often showed up as bigger than the actual baby on scans. I don’t know if it’s possible for a bleed to take the baby with it, as they’re separate. The bleeds are in the walls/folds of the uterus, and the amniotic sac is obviously where the baby is.
I was told to only worry if I had pain as well as bleeding. I never did. My bleeds stopped at about 18 weeks. But, with both these pregnancies, I did go into early labour. Sometimes, the bleeds can weaken the sac. 3 other friends had SCH and none of them went early. Overdue, infact. So it doesn’t always mean that will happen

I see that you've already had four losses; you would fit the profile for someone who would benefit from progesterone pessary - was this offereed? Here is the Tommy's research but the medical articles are easy to find on google if your Dr needed more scholarly support
www.tommys.org/our-organisation/about-us/charity-news/hope-many-couples-progesterone-shown-reduce-risk-miscarriage-some-women

No heavy lifting, no orgasms, as that contracts the uterus. Just rest as much as possible xx

Thanks all

@youwillbefound and @ChaiTea1 I'm so sorry to hear of your sad news.
I can't tell where the placenta is in my scan picture. I'm not sure if any of you can? (see above). I think it is to the right of the baby but what do I know?
My actual diagnosis from Sonographer was "Large retroplacental bleed" but my midwife said that's the same thing as a subchorionic haematoma.

I'm just worried at the size of it and how it wraps around the left side of my baby's sac

I'm resting as much as possible. I'm already taking progesterone (have done in my last 2 pregnancies but it didn't save them). I've stopped taking low dose aspirin after I asked my RCM consultant if I should continue and she said best to stop for now.

@Huntmychicken I read about the 'pelvic rest' this is one of the many reasons I want it to go away quickly

@Huntmychicken it looks like the SCH is right next to the baby's sac, rather than in the wall?

I had a large bleed at 9 weeks and was convinced I was miscarrying.
Was scanned and told it was a subchorionic haemorrhage. That baby is now a happy four week old snoozing on my chest. Good luck with your pregnancy, even though it's such a special time it's also completely terrifying x

Hi OP,

So sorry to hear of your losses and scary bleed in this pregnancy.

I have had SCH in 2 pregnancies.

#1. Bit of brown blood at 8.5 weeks followed by a great torrent at 9w. Spent the night sobbing convinced I had miscarried. Diagnosed with a SCH which had disappeared by 12 week scan. That baby was born at full term and is now 7.

#2. Had no bleeding but at 20w anomaly scan they saw a large bleed. I was concerned it might cause placental abrupt ion but luckily it resolved too and was gone by the time I had a scan at 35w. Baby also born at term and now 4.

If I hadn’t had that scan I would never had known I even had one the second time. Who knows how much more common they may be. In the majority of cases they resolve and the blood is absorbed again.

Good luck OP!

Mine was attached to the babies sac, after 2 miscarriages I was petrified. Mine was a subchronic hemorrhage apparently but also got referred to as what your all talking about. I poured with blood and clots from 7 to 17 weeks but baby was fine shes 1 next month! I was also told not to worry unless I had bad pains with the blood. They were really good at scanning me as often as I wished aswell and even told me to get a doppler for my mental health (I knew how to use it properly and that even a heartbeat didnt mean baby was 100% ok but it did me good also not recommending) speak to your midwife if your anxious especially with your history. Take care x

I also had a Doppler. Every time I had a bleed I’d use it. Just to reassure myself that baby was still in there! Midwives obviously don’t recommend them, but I loved mine

@Frazzlerock I would see if you could double up the progesterone does : I had also been on it (I had 6 MC in total) and doubled it after the first bleed. My SCH pregnancy was the successful one!

Oooh, I'll ask her @JustOneSquareofDarkChocolate, but my consultant generally laughs off my suggestions. No harm in asking though. My previous MMCs weren't related to an issue with progesterone mind you. At least two of them were a chromosome defect so extra progesterone wouldn't have made a difference.

I had a small amount of bleeding in early pregnancy (if we weren’t ttc I probably would have thought it was a light period). Doctor (ob/gyn) put me on progesterone and it stopped. Then I had a massive bleed at 8 weeks- a scan revealed a heartbeat, and a large sub haematoma. I bled a few more times until 10 weeks but never huge amounts, and often after being too active.

My doctor told me that in most cases, if the baby is healthy it will survive the bleed (obviously depends on the location). If the baby has a defect, it will often cone away with the bleed. So it is a positive sign that your bean is still wriggling away!

Try to rest as much as possible and I send you lots of good wishes!