In the dark about Sub-Chorionic bleed!

[strawberryserene]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to mumsnet and hope some of you might have some experience in this topic!

I had a private scan yesterday where they told me that i had a sub-chorionic bleed measuring 0.46cm x 1.57xm x 1.05 cm. I am currently 7 weeks pregnant and baby is measuring the correct amount (8.6mm) for 7 weeks.

As it was a paid for early scan, they just gave me a leaflet which basically said to pay for another scan with them in two weeks time, which i didn't find very helpful.

I previously had a miscarriage, so am obviously very sensitive to anything going wrong in this pregnancy. I just want to know if those measurements are big or small for the 7 week mark? I've had no bleeding so far, so is this a good sign?

I've tried contacting my local hospital pregnancy helpline, but can't seem to get through. I may well be panicking, but if anyone has experience of sub-chorionic bleeds, it would be good to hear your thoughts on my measurements and if i should just wait it out, or be proactive and get another scan? Just feel very in the dark and Google is a scary place!

Thanks everyone and look forward to your replies :)

Hello, and sorry to hear you’re having this worry. Also sorry that I can’t remember what my SCH measures when I was admitted with heavy bleeding at what I thought was around 7 weeks (turned out to be 11), but I remember the doctor gently telling me that I should prepare for the worst as it was extremely large - if memory serves correctly, it was almost as large as the sac itself. To make a long story short, I bled very heavily every day for another 13 weeks or so (terrifying at the time) and was scanned regularly throughout but the baby was always completely fine, growing as normal, and he’s now a very vocal three year old that I’m about to collect from nursery!

I’m not dismissing your worry at all - any issue is terrifying, particularly when you’ve had problems in the past, but just trying to reassure you that SCH doesn’t necessarily mean anything will go wrong with the pregnancy, so try to stay positive.

As for further scans, I want to say that there’s not much point at this early stage as it won’t influence the care or treatment you’ll receive in the first trimester, but if you’d feel more reassured having them, then there could be some value in doing so.

Hope that ramble made some sense! Sending and

I had one picked up at my 6wk scan. I had some brown discharge around wk8 which they warned me could happen (or I’d reabsorb it). Currently 15wks.

I had an SCH, detected just before 7 weeks. I bled and spotted from 6 weeks until well into the second trimester. The baby was born safe and well at term and he's due to start junior school in September :-)

I won't say don't worry, but distraction is definitely a better friend than Dr Google. I'm so sorry for your previous loss. It is going to be an anxious time so regarding scans I would do whatever you think will be most helpful to you. Some people find scans after a previous loss particularly anxiety provoking in which case you might prefer not to put yourself another one before 12 weeks. If knowing what's going on feels like it would help you, particularly in case you experience some spotting or bleeding, having a scan date booked in your diary might be a helpful thing. I had the extra scans as for me the "not knowing" was worse, but of course it does only reassure in the moment.

My understanding is that the odds are very much on your side with an SCH of any size. IVF clinic and GP both advised me to carry on with normal activities, plan things to distract myself from worry, and to be hopeful (which I guess is advice to wait it out).

Like the previous poster I can't remember the measurements of mine but I think a large SCH is taken as one that is at least half the size of the gestational sac, or larger.

@Ilikecakes

Hello, and sorry to hear you’re having this worry. Also sorry that I can’t remember what my SCH measures when I was admitted with heavy bleeding at what I thought was around 7 weeks (turned out to be 11), but I remember the doctor gently telling me that I should prepare for the worst as it was extremely large - if memory serves correctly, it was almost as large as the sac itself. To make a long story short, I bled very heavily every day for another 13 weeks or so (terrifying at the time) and was scanned regularly throughout but the baby was always completely fine, growing as normal, and he’s now a very vocal three year old that I’m about to collect from nursery!

I’m not dismissing your worry at all - any issue is terrifying, particularly when you’ve had problems in the past, but just trying to reassure you that SCH doesn’t necessarily mean anything will go wrong with the pregnancy, so try to stay positive.

As for further scans, I want to say that there’s not much point at this early stage as it won’t influence the care or treatment you’ll receive in the first trimester, but if you’d feel more reassured having them, then there could be some value in doing so.

Hope that ramble made some sense! Sending and

Thanks for your message, sounds like you had a tricky pregnancy, but so pleased it's all worked out for you :)

I think you're right about scans, I will leave for now, but if i need reassurance i can always revisit.

@Anon08

I had one picked up at my 6wk scan. I had some brown discharge around wk8 which they warned me could happen (or I’d reabsorb it). Currently 15wks.

@Anon08 Okay that's good to know thanks. From the sounds of your message it seems like it hasn't been too much of a problem for you? Hope that is the case anyway :)

I had one that caused a massive bleed at 6 weeks, at 7 weeks I got a scan and it was the same size as the sac, I wasn't given measurements other than that info, but thet weren't overly concerned about it. The bleeding has already gone to brown blood, so they prescribed progesterone and rescanned in 2 weeks. I still had brown/pink bleeding for about 5 weeks after that, follow up scan showed it was starting to heal but was the same size, by 12 weeks it was gone.

Get sorted with hospital scans rather than paying for more private ones.

@Ceara

Like the previous poster I can't remember the measurements of mine but I think a large SCH is taken as one that is at least half the size of the gestational sac, or larger.

@Ceara Thanks for your reply and reassurance that odds are in my favour. And pleased to hear it also worked out for you too :) I am definitely trying to carry on as normal, it's a good distraction from worrying!

Hi, I didn't want to read and run. I had a subchorionic haematoma that was present from about 9 weeks to about 20 weeks and then eventually absorbed and disappeared. The Midwives seems quite relaxed about it but I was obviously up a height. There is a really good support group on Facebook I joined (and now left) because my baby was born healthy with no problems at all. Best of luck x

Sorry you are going through this. It is a worry.

I had spotting at 6 weeks and a few days, scanned, all fine. A week later I bled so heavily I was convinced I had had a miscarriage and I bled so much I had to go into hospital in the middle of the night.

Consultant on call had to look through what I had brought in (sorry TMI I had huge blood clots) and said there was nothing in that to confirm a miscarriage but the bleeding was a worry. I stopped as I got to hospital, typical.

I had to return 2 days later for a scan and was told then I had a SCH. It was considered large due to being over half the size of the sac. I was put on immediate he's rest due to the size of the SHC and the amount of blood I had lost. I was told no sex, no orgasms either, no walking, no lifting especially my toddler. I had that for 13 weeks until my 20 week scan.

That baby is now 15 years old.

Just try to take it easy. Rest as much as you can.

@Garman

I had one that caused a massive bleed at 6 weeks, at 7 weeks I got a scan and it was the same size as the sac, I wasn't given measurements other than that info, but thet weren't overly concerned about it. The bleeding has already gone to brown blood, so they prescribed progesterone and rescanned in 2 weeks. I still had brown/pink bleeding for about 5 weeks after that, follow up scan showed it was starting to heal but was the same size, by 12 weeks it was gone.

Get sorted with hospital scans rather than paying for more private ones.

@Garman Thanks for your reply. It's reassuring to know that they weren't overly concerned about it. I hope everything has worked out for you since :) I think if any bleeding starts i will ring EPU, but it's good to know about progesterone as well.

Private scan was more of a convenience thing as I started feeling like my symptoms had gone away, but i think it was just previous miscarriage anxiety tbh and they had a slot on that day where both my husband and I were off work (it's rare for us to have days off together).

Immediate bed rest.

@hassletassle

Hi, I didn't want to read and run. I had a subchorionic haematoma that was present from about 9 weeks to about 20 weeks and then eventually absorbed and disappeared. The Midwives seems quite relaxed about it but I was obviously up a height. There is a really good support group on Facebook I joined (and now left) because my baby was born healthy with no problems at all. Best of luck x

@hassletassle Thanks, will check out the FB group. And pleased to hear of another positive story :)

Hi, so sorry to hear that you're having this stress. My bleed site was 4cm x 4cm (just went back in my text messages to double check) so absolutely huge!! I was bleeding bright red blood. It was really scary. My gp told me to take it very very easy and complete pelvic rest. So no heavy lifting, straining, orgasming, anything that could shift things around. It took about 5 weeks for it to clear up. And now I have a 9 month old baby sleeping on me.

Please try not to stress - easier said than done I know, but I read up a lot on these when I had one, and it very often goes away. Especially with yours being fairly small. I was scanned by the EPU every 2 weeks until it was totally gone. It's worth speaking to them, definitely. I hope everything works out for you ❤️

I had one, had some spotting around 8 weeks. DD is now 2.5! Was picked up at an early scan, seen again at 12weeks, had one extra scan at 14 weeks and then it didn't cause any hassle.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom

Sorry you are going through this. It is a worry.

I had spotting at 6 weeks and a few days, scanned, all fine. A week later I bled so heavily I was convinced I had had a miscarriage and I bled so much I had to go into hospital in the middle of the night.

Consultant on call had to look through what I had brought in (sorry TMI I had huge blood clots) and said there was nothing in that to confirm a miscarriage but the bleeding was a worry. I stopped as I got to hospital, typical.

I had to return 2 days later for a scan and was told then I had a SCH. It was considered large due to being over half the size of the sac. I was put on immediate he's rest due to the size of the SHC and the amount of blood I had lost. I was told no sex, no orgasms either, no walking, no lifting especially my toddler. I had that for 13 weeks until my 20 week scan.

That baby is now 15 years old.

Just try to take it easy. Rest as much as you can.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom Thanks for your reply. So glad this turned out to be okay, as sounds like you had a tough time. Luckily i have already found out SCH before any type of bleeding, so will be ringing EPU if bleeding does occur or is troubling me.

I've been taking it easy, but good to know about the extremes of taking it easy if i need to go down that road!

@otterbaby

Hi, so sorry to hear that you're having this stress. My bleed site was 4cm x 4cm (just went back in my text messages to double check) so absolutely huge!! I was bleeding bright red blood. It was really scary. My gp told me to take it very very easy and complete pelvic rest. So no heavy lifting, straining, orgasming, anything that could shift things around. It took about 5 weeks for it to clear up. And now I have a 9 month old baby sleeping on me.

Please try not to stress - easier said than done I know, but I read up a lot on these when I had one, and it very often goes away. Especially with yours being fairly small. I was scanned by the EPU every 2 weeks until it was totally gone. It's worth speaking to them, definitely. I hope everything works out for you ❤️

@otterbaby Thanks so much for your reply and letting me know measurements. I think i will continue taking it easy and get down to EPU if i'm worried, though maybe i should speak to them like you said, as it may be worth getting their opinion, even if no action needed atm. So happy it all worked out for you :)

I had SCH with both my pregnancies. With my first I had bleeds on and off throughout my pregnancy. He's 4 now.

With my second, I had a huge bleed at 9 weeks abs then some smaller ones later in the first trimester. She's now 2.

I had scans at my local EPU and you can be referred to them by your GP.

@Starshapeddreams

I had one, had some spotting around 8 weeks. DD is now 2.5! Was picked up at an early scan, seen again at 12weeks, had one extra scan at 14 weeks and then it didn't cause any hassle.

@Starshapeddreams Thanks for your reply - another positive story, music to my ears :) Glad it all worked out for you, hope the same happens for me!

@Twizbe

I had SCH with both my pregnancies. With my first I had bleeds on and off throughout my pregnancy. He's 4 now.

With my second, I had a huge bleed at 9 weeks abs then some smaller ones later in the first trimester. She's now 2.

I had scans at my local EPU and you can be referred to them by your GP.

@Twizbe Thanks for your reply - glad it worked out for you :) Having read your comment and a few others, i will probably ring EPU just to have a chat and see if they recommend scanning again in a few weeks. (Luckily i don't need to be referred by GP as everything is self-referral in my trust).

Huge bleed at 13 weeks, ended up in a&e. Convinced it was miscarriage but no, baby was fine, just a subchorionic haematoma bleeding out.

@strawberryserene yes all fine and not mentioned at 12wks so reckon it’s gone as expected. I didn’t panic as the sonographer was chilled about it, it’s first pregnancy for me so I’m clueless and I thought it was pretty normal based on her reaction. I didn’t even google it 😂