Someone talk me off the ledge here because I feel like all reason goes out the window when pregnant. Logically, I know spotting, especially if it is brown and not bright red can be normal during 1st trimester. Even while knowing this, I feel like my PGAL brain is in overdrive after I woke up and was spotting the other day. I called my doctor who had me come in and she was able to find the bean's h/b on the doppler. My cervix was closed which was also a good sign...I was somewhat relieved because it didn't take her too long, and I'm still only 9 weeks 3 days. I then had a TV and abdominal u/s which revealed a healthy bean (h/b 184) and no obvious cause for the spotting.
How is it possible to not be able to find a cause for the spotting? Again, logically I KNOW they can't see everything on u/s but I feel like given where we are today with medical technology there should be some sort of explanation. It bothers me that I still don't know anything about what caused this, where it's coming from, etc. and I am just worried this will lead to another m/c (even though I realize all signs I received from the doctor and u/s were positive - thanks PGAL brain.)
For those who have experienced spotting - have any of you been told the reason for the spotting is unknown? If so, how did you deal? How long did you experience the spotting? Was there anything notable you did that you think contributed to it? Was there anything you did, i.e. pelvic rest, bed rest, stopped exercising, etc. - that you think helped decrease it? Luckily I think it is lessening up but I just wanted to hear any other stories from anyone who may have experienced something similar and the outcomes. Thanks ladies!
I've had a lot of spotting this pregnancy. It's been mostly brown with a tiny bit of reddish pink, but everything looks fine. It usually happens after having sex or over exerting myself though. My doctor has just said that I'm irritating my cervix. I do tend to drink an extra few glasses of water and try and take it easy while spotting/the next day.
mandymay - It's been brown and really only when I wipe. It doesn't even go on a pantyliner when wearing one so I would say it's a fairly small amount. That said my back has been pretty sore lately but I don't know if I am linking the two because I am all jazzed up or what. I did take it easy today and even after all the poking and prodding it has decreased. The night before this started I didn't DTD or overexert myself in any way I can think of.
Like I said I know it can be normal but I don't like it one bit. It's bothersome and a mind fuck.
mandymay - It's been brown and really only when I wipe. It doesn't even go on a pantyliner when wearing one so I would say it's a fairly small amount. That said my back has been pretty sore lately but I don't know if I am linking the two because I am all jazzed up or what. I did take it easy today and even after all the poking and prodding it has decreased. The night before this started I didn't DTD or overexert myself in any way I can think of.
Like I said I know it can be normal but I don't like it one bit. It's bothersome and a mind fuck.
It definitely is I hate it every time it happens. I had some cramping with spotting a month or so ago and it really freaked me out, but it ended up being fine. I'm sorry you're going through this!
Love of my life baby boy born 11/11. One and done not by choice; 3 years of TTC yielded 4 MMC and 2 CPs, through 4 IUIs and 2 IVFs. Focusing on making the world a better place instead...and running.
Post by statlerwaldorf on May 12, 2014 22:31:25 GMT -5
I had spotting with both of my viable pregnancies. I was never given a reason for it. I was told to go on pelvic rest and avoid strenuous exercise, but I still continued to have spotting.
During my first pregnancy I had very faint pink and brown spotting on and off starting around 4 weeks that lasted throughout the first tri. During this pregnancy, I had bright red spotting starting at 4.5 weeks that turned brown and lasted a little over a week. It was pretty heavy for a day or two, but I didn't have any clots.
I was put on modified bed rest with my first pregnancy because of 2nd tri spotting with placenta previa and that was really the only time my doctor was concerned about the spotting.
I have had brown spotting a few times. At my first appointment, my MW told me (from the internal exam) that I had normal benign cysts on my cervix that can happen during pregnancy. They're called nabothian cysts and they can bleed easily and cause spotting. The term for an easily bleeding cervix from these cysts is a "friable cervix" and she specifically told me not to freak out if I had spotting, especially after sex or something strenuous. Maybe this could be causing your spotting? Idk if you had an internal exam or not but maybe you could ask if that could be a reason. Hope you're able to get some answers soon and not stress too much. Hang in there!
Post by shekels1222 on May 12, 2014 23:35:32 GMT -5
Hang in there friend. I know how scary and unnerving spotting is. I had it from 5-8 weeks with this pregnancy. I was a wreck every time I went to the bathroom. I'm so sorry you are dealing with it esp after what you've gone through.
But focus on the good right now. You saw your sweet baby with a fantastic hb and growing right on time. That is such great news.
I hope this spotting stops very very soon and you have a boring rest of your pregnancy! Until then my doc said anytime I had an episode of spotting I had a minimum 3 day pelvic rest. Take care hon. I'm thinking of you.
I had spotting with this pregnancy. It was bright red, with clots and I had cramps. I was sure it was over. Nope baby stuck around. I was just told to take it easy and not to lift anything too heavy. Anything heavier than a kid's chair was lifted by someone else and I basically just vegged for a few days.
Post by chickadee77 on May 13, 2014 6:50:02 GMT -5
Ditto what everyone else has said. I had bright red bleeding with this one (like, enough for a diva cup - thought it was a CP at first) and all is well. I've been told, though, with other spotting episodes that some women just have irritable cervixes. Pushing a bowel movement, sex, a lot of activity, a transvaginal u/s - all of these can cause spotting!
So many ((hugs)) Sorry you are dealing with this...I know how frustrating and stressful it is, especially being PGAL. Like shekels1222 said, focus on the positives- your baby is right on track and looking very healthy.
Another "not a good example" but I had spotting for 6 days with my second pregnancy. Went in for an u/s and saw the baby and healthy heartbeat. Doctor said the spotting was unexplained and we would just hope for the best, our chance for m/c was reduced because we saw the hb, etc. Spotting, while not normal, is very common. I did find that drinking lots of water and taking it really easy minimized the spotting. Whenever I did too much it seemed to pick back up.
Thinking of you and praying that your little one continues to grow just perfectly (and praying for your peace of mind as well)! Hang in there- you've got this!
My doctor told me right about 8 weeks - 9 weeks you can have some breakthrough spotting. Sometimes this is left from implantation or just happens. She said if you are going to have spotting it going to be at this week. She had it with her pregnancy.
But also I had spotting when I had a UTI at 8.5 weeks. So of course my PGAL got me all freaked out but they reviewed my UTI pee tests and they identified a issue. 10 days of antibiotics and changing a few things my spotting stop nearly immediately.
The other time I had a pretty bad SCH. It began from week 8 to week 16 off and on with some really heavy flow for a few of those days.
With my son I actually had a broken blood vessel in my vaginal wall that my doctor quarterized at my 8 week appointment. So random. I also had an SCH with him that was brown spotting from weeks 6-12. Hang in there PGAL brain suuuuucks.
I had spotting from about 8-11 weeks, and they never figured out the exact cause. Not knowing the cause really freaked me out, but seeing the hb is a really, really good sign. In my case, they suspected it was a SCH and mentioned that around 8-9 weeks the placenta is burrowing into the uterus to build new veins or something, which can easily burst existing blood vessels and create spotting. I was on pelvic rest and pretty much stopped exercising for a month, and had both brown and reddish blood, sometimes coming out in a gush. It was completely terrifying, but since then I've had a totally routine pregnancy.
I had spotting during week 4 for a whole week. I haven't had my first appointment yet, so I don't even know the outcome, but it has definitely stressed me out. You're not alone in that.
I spotted brown and occasionally bled red from weeks 5-10 with this pregnancy. I went to the ER after a red bleeding episode, convinced I had m/c. The ER found the baby and HB at 6w1d but saw nothing causing the bleeding. They sent me home on partial bed rest with no explanation. A few days later, an u/s at my OB's found a small SCH the ER missed completely. They added pelvic rest and no exercise to my restrictions as well. I was checked weekly during the bleeding just in case, and the baby was fine. Around 10 weeks the bleeding stopped and by 11.5 weeks there was again no evidence of the SCH. Everything has been great ever since. Hang in there! PGAL can be so hard sometimes.
Thanks for the sanity check ladies. I feel a little better today because it is lessening so hopefully I am headed in the right direction. I have a follow-up appointment and u/s on Friday so hopefully that will give a little more reassurance that this is NBD and baby is fine.