HELP! Bleeding in Early Pregnancy - 4 weeks and I’m freaking out 😥

[teaandtoastfairy]

Does anyone have any POSITIVE stories re. bleeding in early pregnancy? I’m freaking out 😥

I got my faint BFP last week at 9DPO. Tests continued to get darker each day, but on Friday (11DPO) I noticed brown discharge when I wiped. This made me anxious so I phoned my GP and they said to see how I was over the weekend.

There was nothing on Saturday, but then yesterday morning (13DPO) I had bright red bleeding and then a bit of pink bleeding for about an hour. This totally broke me and I was certain I was miscarrying. I went to out of hours and he said I was still testing positive and that it could be a threatening miscarriage, but he couldn’t confirm anything.

I went home and cried for about 3 hours straight. To make things worse, every time I look at my phone, I seem to be surrounded by pregnancy announcements, including people I’m super close to. I want to be happy for them, but when you’ve been trying yourself for so long and then something like this happens, it just makes me feel numb. That sounds so selfish of me, I wish I could pick myself up and move on 💔

Anyway, I've sidetracked… I’ve not (touch wood) had any bleeding since yesterday morning and my discharge has gone back to being clear/milky. I’ve only had dull aches, no cramps as such… yet. Not like I get on my period. I am 14DPO today and tests are still dark, but I’m dreading going to the toilet and finding blood. I was absolutely convinced I’d lost the baby yesterday and have been praying for a miracle, but I don’t want to get my hopes up when my worst fears could well be true.

I’m waiting to be seen by the EPU tomorrow for HCG blood tests and they’ll be repeated again on Thursday. They said they would then look at possibly scanning me next week.

Has anyone else had red bleeding in early pregnancy? Around 4 weeks and everything still be okay?

It was probably less blood than I thought it was, I wish I’d taken a photo… but at the time it seemed like a lot. Not super heavy and long like my periods are, but like a short heavy burst (sorry TMI). Tbh, I’m not really sure what ‘spotting’ looks like but I definitely think it was more than spotting, like it was a little pool of bright red blood when I wiped and then some pink spotting after that.

I don’t know whether I should be looking for reassurance or whether I am just clutching at straws and need to just move on. If anyone is able to share their experiences, I’d be so grateful.

This is my second pregnancy btw, I have a 2.5 year old and have been on letrozole for this round of TTC as my husband and I were diagnosed with secondary infertility last year.

TIA and sorry for the long story, I just needed to get it out! x

Bless you, I know how you're feeling with the bleeding. To be totally honest, I have positive and negative experience with bleeding. I've had five pregnancies and have two children. I have bled in all five pregnancies and three of them were miscarriages. My last pregnancy (my lg who is one now) was the fifth and I bled throughout the pregnancy with her. Sometimes really really heavy as well. I had a sub chorionic hematoma with her, but it's apparently quite common. Please don't Google, you'll drive yourself insane!! Good luck with your next scan, I hope everything is ok x

@rainbow616 thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with me, and I am so sorry to hear of your losses. It’s an absolutely horrific waiting game and I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. Do you mind me asking, when you did have your mc, was the bleeding consistent or stop start, and did you have cramps? The midwife I spoke to this morning said the fact I’ve only had brown discharge, and then som short bleeding yesterday without cramps, and my discharge has returned to ‘normal’, are both ‘good’ signs, but again I don’t want to get my hopes up in case this is just the start of what could be to come 😔💔 x

I’ve had many chemicals and everytime the tests became negative almost as soon as the bleeding started. I’d say it’s a good thing you’re still testing positive! I know you can still test positive after you’ve miscarried but the HcG levels at 4 weeks would drop quite quickly and return to baseline making the tests negative.

It's not a problem! I had three miscarriages in 2021. Me and my husband had been trying for 15 months with no luck for a second and then in April 2021 we had an early miscarriage, July 2021, we had an ectopic pregnancy, which I had to have an injection of methotrexate for which meant we couldn't try for three months. We then had another early miscarriage in December 2021. We then got pregnant in May 2022 with our lg. the bleeding with all of them was pretty consistent. To start with it was quite light and then it turned into a sort of period. I will say one of them the cramping was bad and with the other two it wasn't all that painful. I did have horrendous cramps with my lg and it felt like I was losing her, but everything was fine! Cramping is very common especially in the first trimester.
It's complete torture and you have my full sympathy x

I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through this. I’ve only had one miscarriage but on that occasion the pregnancy tests had turned negative before the bleeding even started, and I just knew something was a bit ‘ off’, and then when the bleeding started, it didn’t stop. I don’t want to give you false hope but I do think still testing positive is a good sign. I know people who have had big bleeds and the pregnancy has been fine. I’ll keep you in my thoughts x

Hey hun, hope you're okay! Could easily be implantation bleeding! It's really impossible to say until your bloods are repeated or you get a scan but I wouldn't rule yourself out seeing as the bleeding has stopped and you're still testing positive. Usually hcg drops before you miscarry and as you're so early on id imagine the drop would be enough to change the results of the tests if it was worst case scenario x

I completely feel your stress. It does sound different to my chemical pregnancy that I had at around 5 weeks. My tests weren't progressing at all, really faint lines and I knew they weren't strong enough. I tested at night and got a negative and a not pregnant reading on a CB. My hcg shouldbahve been high enough for it not to matter about the time. I then just knew it wasn't going to continue, I started cramping quite badly the next morning and was just waiting for the bleeding which came the next morning. I got pregnant the following cycle and am now 35 weeks. I really hope this sticks for you and I do think it sounds like it will xx

Thank you all so much for your replies, I really appreciate you taking the time to help calm my nerves!

Can I ask your opinions on my tests/line progression? These are my tests from the last few days… I took two yesterday as the dye seemed to bleed on the first one. Does the line still look dark enough? I’ve just done one this morning (at the bottom) and I’ve analysed these tests so much I just don’t know anymore 🥺

Don't forget pregnancy tests don't test the progression of the pregnancy, I had lighter lines after a certain amount of times but everything was fine. Having said that, the lines look good to me x

Looks a lot stronger than any of my chemicals!!

Good luck with the epu today x

Hi in the early days of my pregnancy I had bleeding, but only for around 24 hours. Nothing was wrong with the pregnancy and nine months later I had a healthy girl.

Your tests are stronger than my miscarried pregnancy.

I've had two bleeds this pregnancy, one small and brief, one that was quite alot of blood and went on for a couple of days. Baby is totally fine, 14 weeks now, seen baby 3 times. When I bled there was a small bleed visible on the scan but she thought most of the blood was from my cervix being delicate.

Okay so I’ve just had my bloods back. I can’t remember the exact results as I was so anxious, but she said my HCG was around 920 and my Progesterone was at 83. She said it doesn’t ’scream miscarriage’ but they need to repeat the tests again on Thursday.

Also, I know I shouldn’t keep taking tests but the lines now are getting lighter from this morning 😥 I don’t know what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t as reassuring as I hoped it would be.

I am literally driving myself crazy, I can’t concentrate on anything else right now 😔

It's so hard isn't it. Stop taking tests!! It's only going to make you feel worse. Are you talking about the test you posted a pic of this morning, because that one looks fine? X

I know, I’m my own worst enemy. I took two more at lunch time and they were much more faint than this mornings… and I have no idea how to read my HCG/progesterone results, it means nothing to me xx

How far along are you? X

@teaandtoastfairy bless you, it is very nerve-wracking especially after previous losses/struggles. First, like others who've had early losses, my tests for my CP never got as dark as yours in the pic. If the lighter ones were midday, they were likely more diluted and you can't compare them. Your blood result sounds really hopeful for the gestation you're at. Like others, the pregnancy I Iost at 4+5, my tests turned negative before the bleeding started.

Please read this next bit in a kind voice as that's how it's intended... But as someone who had 3 losses last year, you're going to drive yourself mad if you stay at this pitch. There is no easy way to cope with early pregnancy, but the truth is, the outcome of this one is likely already written into the DNA etc and the wheels are already in motion. You can find stuff to worry about at any and every stage, but you're not doing yourself any favours going down that road. I'm currently 17wks with my rainbow baby and it has been very anxious at times - especially before scans - so you honestly have my sympathy. I've also had a couple of bleeds/spotting incidents and I know how scary that is to see. But you do have to trust yourself and your body too. In my case, I had to tell myself that if it was bad news again, I would be able to pick myself up and carry on. I had to be a bit fatalistic and trust that what will be, will be. The sad truth is, if it ends badly, there is time to be sad and process that after it happens. And you would if you had to. You would find strength you didn't even know you had. But for now, try not to borrow too much trouble while you don't need to.

Again, I hope that doesn't come across nastily as it's really not intended that way. I would suggest you also consider support from the perinatal mental health team if you find yourself constantly going down dark paths - you're not alone in finding this stressful and there is lots of support out there to help. I had a session with a MH support midwife after my last loss and found it really comforting and helpful. She then supported me through the most anxious early days of this pregnancy. Might be something to consider asking about. 💗

4+1 (15DPO) x

Your hcg seems pretty high so that's good. Have you had any bleeding today? X

@SnookyPook Wow, thank you so much for your message. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that and it’s not been taken nastily at all. You have such a strong and brave outlook on this process and I know you’re right, there really isn’t anything I can do and worrying isn’t going to change the outcome, only how I feel, and I too need to try and be strong. I am so sorry for your losses, but congratulations on your rainbow baby, that’s fantastic news. Thank you ever so much xx

@rainbow616 no, no bleeding since Sunday morning (touch wood). I’m not sure what unit the progesterone was measured in, but she told me it was quite high and that was a good sign… but inconclusive until Thursday. I know there’s nothing I can do, and I need to stop testing. The waiting and not knowing is just the worst part. Thank you for letting me splurge! xx

I bled in all three of my pregnancies; the first ended up being a miscarriage but the two following pregnancies are currently downstairs eating an after school snack. I lost a lot of blood with my DD- full on clots and everything. The dark lines sound like a very good sign, hope this little one sticks for you.

Good luck and let us know how you get on on Thursday if you can. Feel free to vent to us in the meantime! X