11 weeks and bleeding, EPU refusing to see me

[Rainbowhunter89]

Hi all. I'm 11 + 1 with bleeding today. In the early hours of last Friday I went to the loo and filled the toilet with blood. Had a little spotting but it seems to stop completely by around 10am. I had a scan that afternoon at EPU where everything with baby was fine and they said there was no reason for the bleed. Saturday I had no bleeding but on the early hours of Sunday I woke to having soaked my underwear in blood. I have been bleeding since, a mixture of red blood and brown sometimes with tiny clotting, into the toilet, onto a pad and on wiping, enough to have me very worried.

I called EPU yesterday who just fobbed me off with "put a pad on and go to a&e if it gets bad, we won't see you as youve been in 2 days ago". As I'm still bleeding today I called the maternity line who told me to call EPU hmm but said they would probably say the same thing again.

I have my 12 week scan in a week's time but I feel like I am just being fobbed off and left to suffer at home. I've already had 2 miscarriages this year and have been offered no help or support in regards to those and so obviously my anxiety levels are high! I'm not having cramping which is a good sign I guess but no one has offered to even check for an infection which is worrying.

Does anyone have any advice? I don't know how I can cope with this until next week, fearing the worst. I don't see any point in going to a&e as I think they'll just send me straight back home!

Can you afford a private scan op?

Unfortunately many EPUs are not overly interested in early pregnancy because there's nothing they can actually do to help.

Sorry my lovely you must be beside yourself. So when they told you to call the epu again, did you do that? Can't quite figure it out from your post.
If you haven't, do that anyway. But if they won't help, go to a&e anyway.

Before 12 weeks is a bit of a no mans land in terms of care. If they scanned you 2 days ago and saw no reason for bleed then I can see why they wouldn't want to scan again in a hurry? I would go to a&e though if the heavy bleeding continues over the next few hours

Is there any other hospital with EPU nearby? You don’t have to be a patient with that hospital to contact their EPU. Fingers crossed everything is ok

@HolyBuckets

Can you afford a private scan op?

Unfortunately many EPUs are not overly interested in early pregnancy because there's nothing they can actually do to help.

Hi, yeah I could go for a private scan but I'm 2 weeks into a new job that don't know I'm pregnant so don't think I could get at an appointment out of office hours this week 🙈

I know there's nothing they can do to 'help' but I feel like to just basically tell me 'no sorry we're not interested because you've already been in, just put a pad on and get on with it' is highly unacceptable. My first miscarriage they refused to put me in for a scan, a and e sent me home and then that same day I practically went into labour on my living room floor.

From my previous miscarriages and this pregnancy I feel like NHS care is totally lacking and they just don't get what emotional trauma they are putting mothers (and fathers !) through.

@Meomeomeo

Is there any other hospital with EPU nearby? You don’t have to be a patient with that hospital to contact their EPU. Fingers crossed everything is ok

Didn't think of that! Thanks, I will take a look. Not sure if it will work as my local EPU isn't accepting self referals because of covid so no doubt they would see my notes from my local EPU 🙈

I had a similar experience. I would recommend contacting your GP or going straight to A&E.

OP, I'm so sorry you aren't being listened to. I second what a previous poster said about contacting a different EPU. I did that when my local one wouldn't see me and got outstanding care at a hospital slightly further away.

Sorry to add, when I called the other EPU I explained everything to the lovely lady on the phone and they told me to come in. They were shocked my local hospital wouldn't see me.

Sorry you're going through this op.

I'd get a private scan if i were you, most are not just open 9-5, i had mine at 8pm on a Tuesday night.

A lot of private scan clinics won't see you if you're experiencing pain or bleeding. I would try another hospital as others have said, go to a+e if the bleeding is still happening or try EPU again and hope you get a nicer person on the phone. Explain the bleeding is worse than previously.

Sending lots of love xx

I would go to A&E after work as that way you’ll get scanned and work won’t find out. Good luck xx