Please help! Spotting with clots and cramping - normal or miscarriage? *TW graphic photos*

[TTCbabyHosking]

Hi everyone,

I am approximately 5-6 weeks pregnant. I have experienced intermittent cramping (menstrual-like) pretty much since I found out I was pregnant but my midwife assured me this was normal as the uterus is growing. Over the last week the cramps seemed to have got a bit more intense but not agonisingly painful.

On Wednesday I started spotting - rusty/brown/pink colour discharge with what seemed to be some stringy lining-like tissue. My GP took some bloods on Thursday which came back as HCG 9358 iu/L and Progesterone 29 nmol/L (which I believe is quite low??). I also had an early scan at the EPU where they found gestational sac (all in right place), yolk sac and fetal pole which measured 1.3mm (is this too small for my estimated gestation). No heartbeat was detected but they also told me it could be too early so they have booked me in again in 2 weeks time.

In the meantime the spotting seemed to come and go but occasionally I would still pass a small amount of stringy tissue. I was extremely worried about my progesterone being low so I contacted my private gynaecologist who offered to prescribe me some progesterone pessaries (even though this is my first pregnancy and I’ve never miscarried). He said it wouldn’t help if a miscarriage is already due to take place but at this point I was willing to try anything that could help keep baby.

A few hours after inserting my first pessary I experienced some more cramping (fairly painful), went to the toilet and passed another brown clot. This was approximately the size of a 1p coin. It was also surrounded by some jelly-like clear mucus but I’m not sure if this is just some remnants from the pessary? The spotting seems to have stopped after this.

Is this likely to be miscarriage or the start of it from anyone’s experience? Should I call triage again or just wait and see if my symptoms change/wait until scan in 2 weeks? This is the scariest thing I’ve ever been through 😢

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my essay. I’d be so grateful if anyone can help/advise me ❤️

Well, some women do have bleeding in pregnancy and it turns out ok. But yes, my miscarriages started out as you have described.

If you have a lot of fresh blood then you should go to A and E for your own health. But there is nothing they can do to stop a miscarriage, so on that point you will have to wait and see at the scan .

Good luck. I hope it turns out ok x

I wish I could tell you it will be fine, but might not be, unfortunately 💔

I had brown spotting and stringy discharge (on and off) for around a week before my brown turned pink, then red and then into full bleeding. EPAU refused to see me as I was only 5 weeks at the time and told me to take another pregnancy test in week to confirm miscarriage, which I did. So, the brown was a bad sign for me. 😭💔

Howecer, I found out I was pregnant again just 4 weeks after the miscarriage started. After 2 days, I had some bright red spotting, which came out of nowhere. I was convinced it was another miscarriage as I was only around 3.5 weeks pregnant. However, it soon turned pink, then brown and cleared up. I had more spotting at 7 weeks (light pink and brown this time) and a tiny bit more recently (again pink/brown but this time just discharge). I've had two scans where I was dated at 5-6 weeks and 8+2 and both times a strong heartbeat could be seen! 💗

I'm still anxious and terrified but the bleeding in this instance doesn't seem to related to a failing pregancy, so there's definitely hope for you too! 💕

Here are some pictures of what I’ve been getting the last couple of days 😞

I think in these situations you just have to ultimately wait and see, I know it's absolutely anxiety inducing and heartbreaking to not know 💔 however, I had brown stringy discharge like this at around 6-7 weeks and am now 34 weeks pregnant so it could all be fine

I had same in both my pregnancies.

First one until about 12 weeks, second twin pregnancy right until the end.

Both pregnancies I was over due. Dd16 and dd11, ds11

Oh and to add, when I was about 6 weeks with dd16 I had absolutely terrible period pains. I was at work and in agony in the toilets, looking back they were like labour pains!

I would contact triage, hopefully they’ll agree to see you again 💛

@TTCbabyHosking , can I ask what the outcome of this was, please? I similarly have quite low progesterone (38.9) and am worried of what this could mean. Hope all worked out ok for you x

@ali2021 currently 18w+5d ❤️ all going well apart from being told I have low papp-a (placenta hormone) which puts me as a “high risk” pregnancy (also with my PCOS and previous hypertension). I don’t know if what I experienced early on/progesterone is even linked to this but I’ve been told it’s unlikely to cause any significant problems anyway. Could just mean baby is born early and/or small but majority of women go on to have healthy pregnancies, I’ve just got to have extra growth scans.

It sounds like your progesterone level is actually fine, it’s within normal range for first trimester, if that helps ease some anxiety. Praying all works out for you lovely. Any help or support I can give you I’m here, I can remember how stressful it was experiencing all of this x

@TTCbabyHosking omg what wonderful news!!!! Huge congratulations to you. I can't tell you how much your post has reassured me. That and I went to my GP for reassurance and she said that she wouldn't be very concerned about my progesterone at all, that betas are much more important and telling.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and for putting my mind at ease. Wishing you a very happy and healthy pregnancy and little bub ❤️