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Original poster

Breakthrough bleeding @ 6 wks?

30 replies

Salme101 · 24/10/2007 20:25

Hi, I know this is a really common question, so I hope you will forgive me...

I am 6 weeks pregant, first pregancy and in the last few days I have started to get on-off 'spotting'. I understand that this is not unusual and does not necessarily signify an impending m/c - I've had occasional mid-cycle bleeding in the past, and put it down to hormone flutuations, as a gynae exams showed nothing wrong. I'm 31 years old and in good health.

What I really want to know is this: Is there are point in consulting my GP about this? I don't need to go the surgery to be reassured that everything is probably fine, so I just wondered if there is any meaningful examination or test that can be done at this early stage to check baby is ok?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

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EmmaL6 · 24/10/2007 21:24

Hello.
I've been going through the same thing - am 7 weeks into my first pregnancy. If you are concerned about the spotting then your doctor can refer you to the early pregnancy unit at your hospital for a scan where they will be able to see if all is well with the baby (I'm only presuming that all hospitals have this - I don't know). I had this last week and found it very reassuring - but you sound like you are coping much better than I have been!
Hope this helps

orangehead · 24/10/2007 21:38

Firstly i bleed when pregant with both my boys, sometimes it was just spotting and sometimes heavy like a peroid and this continued through most of the both the pregancies and everything ok. However bleeding obviously not always ok, so I dont think it should be ignored u should mention it to your doc. To put your mind at rest they may offer yuo an early scan or blood tests, if a pregancy is continuing normally the pregancy horomone doubles approx every 48 hrs. I hope everything ok with both you and emmal

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 24/10/2007 22:16

I'm 6 weeks too and had pink blood when wiped last night and this morning, then nothing and got again this evening. I phoned my Dr first thing this morning to say I was worried (symptoms gone too and had mc in the past - although that was bright red spots for week and half then proper mc followed). I'm off for a scan on Friday morning because if it's all over, I need to know asap for my sanity!!

Some people have spotting or heavy bleeding and have healthy babies after, others have mc. I think you should definitely speak to the GP and get advice to be on the safe side.

Fingers crossed we'll both be fine xx

elvisgirl · 25/10/2007 02:56

Yes, do get it checked out. Even if it seems to have cleared up on its own there is a chance it could indicate something is amiss & even if unfortunately it does indicate a m/c may occur & there is nothing to prevent that, at least better to be a bit forewarned. I had repeated bleeding & I hated the thought of being poked & prodded, but that only happened the first time cos it was middle of the night & I got an overenthusiastic dr. Other times it was just a scan & the medics were really nice.

Original poster
Salme101 · 25/10/2007 16:13

Thanks for all your advice - I have got an early scan appt for tomorrow morning.

New question: I notice that the referral letter from my surgery is split into 2 parts - one part is asking for a 'viability scan', as you would expect. The other part gives my due date, and then states: "I would be grateful if she could be booked for consultant unit delivery". Does anyone know what this means? I have already booked first antenatal appt at hospital - is this part of the letter just a formality, or is my GP suggesting that I be treated as a high-risk case and specifically allocated to a consultant-led unit? I am only 7 wks pregnant today, and didn't even see my GP to get this referral, so surely they can't make such an assumption?

Sorry, I probably sound like a right ungrateful cow. The surgery and hospital have been great, really helpful - it's just this is all so new to me, and I am really hoping for a straightforward pregnancy and birth...

OP posts:
orangehead · 26/10/2007 11:18

salame- how did yuor scan go? Im not sure about the leeter

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 26/10/2007 12:59

How did it go? Sorry can't help with the letter. I had mine this morning (2 hrs there) and I have to go back next week as sack measuring 5+5 and couldn't see baby but may be too early.

Hope you get some good news! xx

orangehead · 26/10/2007 14:26

bloodsuckinglooney- I bet that frustrating having to wait. How you doing?

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 26/10/2007 17:02

Yeah it is, TRYING not to think about it too much. Would help if some of my symptoms came back!!

orangehead · 27/10/2007 17:03

bloodsuckinglooney- thats the best thing, hope u ok. let us know how yuo get on.

salame- please let us know how you got on

fawkeoff · 27/10/2007 17:09

hi bloodsucking hope your doing okay, i know its horrible having to wait until next week,did they offer the internal scan??? only asking because i had one of those with dd because i was very early on and they are more sensitive

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 27/10/2007 19:05

orangehead - I've decided it's over, I'm pretty convinced and the way I deal with this better is to plan what the next steps are. So I've been getting advice in other sections as to what way I can go forward after Friday i.e. another ERPC etc. I know some people say it isn't over and to wait but I know my body and I know it was over last week, just wish I didn't have to wait AGAIN for confirmation!

fawkeoff - they offered it and I begged them to YES, do it. Unfortunately it showed the same as the normal scan and we just have to wait til Friday for confirmation.

fawkeoff · 27/10/2007 21:45

BLOOD (((((((hugs))))))) i know exactly how you feel hun. i had my last miscarriage 3 and a half years ago,i had been going to the hospital for 5 consecutive weeks with no sign of a heartbeat....i knew deep down that it wasnt a viable pregnancy and got so frustrated with the docs and nurses telling me to keep coming back.eventually i told them that i had had enough and that i wanted the D&C, mainly because i wanted closure on the whole thing because i felt that it was prolonging the inevitable.Everyone is differant though and things may turn out fine for you, dont be so down hearted yet and im crossing fingers that everything works out fine for you x

Original poster
Salme101 · 27/10/2007 23:16

Hi everyone, thank you soooo much for all your kind enquiries. I am delighted to report that everything was fine at my scan. No attributable cause for the spotting, but I wasn't really expecting them to know... I was amazed by how clearly visible the heartbeat was and I feel incredibly privileged and lucky.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to go and get the scan, it was definitely the right thing to do. Visiting the hospital for the first time made me feel really confident that I made the right choice, too (it's halfway across the city and much more in demand than my local one!)

bloodsucking: hope you are ok, and that you get better news next week. Take care.

OP posts:
orangehead · 28/10/2007 16:36

salame Im so glad everything ok.

blood- Im sorry you feel things are over. I have had 3 mcs, didnt want to mention b4 as didnt want to be negative. My 2nd I just knew at 5 and half weeks, one minute I felt preg and all of a sudden the feeling had gone, I felt so convinced I felt like going to hospital but didnt as no bleeding or anything. One week later I started spotting so I went and the scan showed no baby just a sac that measured about 5 and a half weeks, they said I probably had my dates wrong and wanted to rescan in a week, but I knew it was because the baby had already died. The day before I was due to go back I mcd at home. Im not saying the same has happened to you. But I understand how you feel and the waiting is horrible. I hope you ok. You sound like you had previos mc's?

HelenCS · 29/10/2007 14:20

Hi everyone

I had the same bleeding problem, last wednesday it started and i ended up going to a & e that night (even tho it was small amounts) and the next day i was in the early pregnancy unit and i had an internal scan which showed that everything was in the right place and looked fine.. only thing is im really worried because im only 6 weeks gone but i couldnt see the actual baby.. they said i might not be able to because it is so small is this right?? the small amount of bleeding which i had when i went to the toilet stopped on saturday, i had no stomach cramps or anything. They said bleeding happens in early pregnancy but im just worried because i couldnt actually see the baby

orangehead · 29/10/2007 18:52

hi Helen, have they offered you another scan? Noramally if they cant see the baby they arrange for a second scan a week later. Noramlly the baby is visible on a scan after 6 weeks, if your dates are out even by two days you may not see the baby. The measurement of the sac is also very important, did they mention what the sac measured at? Its really difficult at the stage and it is a case of waiting. Although I lost 3 babies I have also gone on to have 2 dss and when I was pregant with both of them I bleed on and off all the way through the pregancies and everything was fine.Try not to worry I know that easy said than done. Hope you ok.
Bloodsucking, how your doing?

HelenCS · 29/10/2007 20:03

hey

yeah i have another scan on monday 5th november, they said to wait 10 days so hoping everything will be fine then.
They took blood and when i called up for my results they said they showed that all the blood levels were normal so im really hoping things will be ok. Its just so nervous waiting for the scan!!

should i be able to hear my babys heartbeat at just over 7 weeks??

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 29/10/2007 20:05

Helen - orangehead is right, you should have been offered a scan a week later. I had scan on Friday and am now on the LONG week wait as couldn't see my baby there.

orangehead - been having trouble dealing with it all tbh but then I put a thread on here about my loss of symptoms and worry and I'm not the only one and I've been given hope so you never know. TRYING to stay positive, hard though.

Upsidedowncake · 29/10/2007 20:09

Looney. I'm sorry. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Did they offer to do blood tests? [hugs]

HelenCS · 29/10/2007 20:10

thanks bloodsucking - i think my dates are out by a few days so im hoping thats why i couldnt see it!

i had the scan on thursday morning... was really hoping they would offer me another one this week but because its so early they said best leave it a few extra days.. feels like the longest wait of my life!!

orangehead · 29/10/2007 20:14

oh I symphathize with you both I remember it all so vividly, it horrible.
Helen- if they have already taken some blood you could ask them to take some more to compare, if a pregancy is continuing normally the preg horome doubles every 48 hrs. They dont rountinely do this you usually have to ask.

Blood- true preg symptoms dont always mean anything.
Hope the next week, or 10 days go fast for both of you

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 30/10/2007 08:14

Upsidedowncake - they didn't offer but I went on and on about blood tests as I'd had one on the Tuesday - he even checked with the registrar and they both said it wouldn't actually confirm anything and that it would only give me uncertainty I said about hormones doubling and if they aren't then it's probably over and he didn't agree

HelenCS - It's horrible isn't it. I hope your next scan goes ok {{hugs}}

orangehead - I'm now TRYING not to read too much into the lack on symptoms - hard though

Upsidedowncake · 30/10/2007 19:56

Helen CS - good luck your scan. Good news about your bloods. Sorry I missed you yesterday. When I was having bleeding checked out, they really made the point that a lot of people do bleed, and that it is frightening. Just a horrible experience.

Looney - keeping my fingers crossed for you, missis. A friend of mine is an obs and gynae registrar and she thought her symptoms had disappeared three times up to the 12 week scan, so had three scans. All was fine, but she, with all her experience, managed to convince herselgf it wasn't, if you see what i mean.

bloodsuckingLOONEY · 30/10/2007 20:04

Upsidedowncake - isn't it strange! I suppose it doesn't help reading all others on anti-natal thread being really ill, makes me think somethings wrong. Gosh.....hurry up Friday!!!

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