Bleeding During Pregnancy - Easton,PA

Updated on June 28, 2009
L.A. asks from Hamilton, OH
12 answers

Hi moms, Question about my sister's pregnancy. She is 4 months along and for the past 2 1/2 weeks she has been bleeding, it started out as spotting but is now bleeding. She has been passing clots and goes through pads sometimes ever hour. She will have a good day with little bleeding and then a bad day with lots of bleeding and big clots. She has been to her doctor and the er several times and they say bleeding during pregnancy is normal. They have done testing and ultrasounds and say the baby is fine and hear a strong heartbeat but can't figure out where she is bleeding from. My question is do you think she should go to a specialist or what? And should it be for her or the baby? And how much blood can she lose before it starts affecting her and the baby? She doesn't want to keep calling her doctor but we are now worrying about what this is doing to her. Any thoughts or similiar experiences are welcome.

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E.F.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I, too, had Subchorionic Hemotomas when I was pregnant (though mine resolved by 4 months) and bled a lot and had a healthy baby. I bled less when I was on bed rest-- the more I did, the more I bled. There really isn't anything you can do-- if multiple doctors (hers and the ER docs) have said everything is fine, I'd believe them if for no other reason that what can you do? Tell her to stay off her feet any time she can, eat very healthy (lots of iron and B12) and hope for the best. It is SO scary, but if the fetus has hung in there this long, it will probably be fine.

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B.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

I bled through both of my pregnancies and both my children were born healthy. they said i have polyps. I saw a speacialist but if the beeding gets heavy she should rest and elevate her feet. Mine was mostly pink or brown spotting,

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S.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

That happened to my sister as well. She went to a specialist, I believe, and they had her stop all really phisical activities for a little bit. She had to just take it easy for a few weeks (not bed rest). It was something on her uterus that would get irritated every time she moved a certain way. Finally, it absorbed itself and the bleeding stopped. I would look into it more because if she is really stressed, that can't be good for her or the baby. It might not be the same thing as my sister but I hope that knowing that other people bled and still delivered healthy babies gives her a little peace of mind. If she doesn't want to go to a specialist, then it is fine to keep bugging her dr. That is what they are there for! My Dr. said that anytime I had doubts to call or come in. I didn't want to call because I did not want to seem annoying or crazy! But after a while I thought, who cares, as long as I have a healthy baby, I don't care what it looks like. Sometimes you just have to do things until you feel comfortable. Best of luck!

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P.R.

answers from Reading on

I agree with you, that much bleeding doesn't sound right. I suggest that your sister see a different doctor.

A.J.

answers from Williamsport on

This happened to me at 3 months and lasted over 2 months. I learned from the whole process that it happens to a LOT of people for a LOT of reasons, and is usually fine. In my case it was a low placenta causing the bleeding, but they would have seen that in her ultrasounds. My doctor reassured me not to worry about the bleeding, but since I was also having chronic cramping, I was put on bed rest for 2 months, but it passed and the whole scenario turned out fine-I'm due the 16th!
My nurse said she had profuse bleeding for a few weeks in her pregnancy that turned out to be rupturing blood blisters not related to pregnancy-forget what she said exactly, but she was bleeding heavily for weeks and all turned out well. I have several step sisters who bled at various times during their pregnancies.

Here are the main things to remember:

1)This is common

2)There is nothing you can "do" (according to my doctor) as in medications etc, so the only choice is to wait it out.

3)You have tons of blood, so even if you're losing a lot, don't be alarmed the baby has plenty.

Tell her to relax and wait, call her Dr whenever she wants to-never feel bad- and stay off her feet whenever possible if any discomfort starts.

I agree she should see a different specialist if she feels something more serious is wrong, also, I found out my cramping was due to "irritable uterus) which my friend discovered, and was dehydration. Even though I drank a lot of water, I needed MUCH more, and the pain stopped almost right away. Keep activity minimal, and drink drink drink!

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S.P.

answers from Philadelphia on

She definately should be calling her doctor! I agree that it is time to see another doctor. There are reasons that she could be bleeding, such as placenta previa, that is something that should be diagnosed and monitored. She needs to get answers and tell her that he doctor is getting paid to take her calls and monitor the pregnancy so don't be afraid to call. Being afraid or embarassed to call can only lead to something getting missed. Help her be her own advocate and get the answers she needs!

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D.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

I am surprised they did not send her to a perineonatologist who is a specialist. She could have some type of tumors that are benign and could make her bleed while she is pregnant. I saw something like this on a discovery show channel. It will not harm the baby they need to keep an eye on it.

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R.C.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I'm not sure if this will help or not, but, my son is now 8 months old and my daughter is 4 yrs old.
When I was pregnant with my daughter I had what felt like the ideal pregnancy minus the major "morning sickness" that lasted 2/3 of the pregnancy (first and last trimesters).
I had absolutely no bleeding and nothing to cause concern, except she never turned so we had to opt for a c-section. During the delivery they discovered that I had a bicornuate uterus. Which if you are like me, I didn't know what that was...my uterus is split into two separate chambers. Which contributed to my daughter never turning...she simply ran out of room to turn.
However, when I was pregnant with my son, I had bleeding. It scared me half to death. I was, however, blessed that it only lasted one small time and one hefty time then it went away. But when I saw my doctor, he said that it was caused by my bicornuate uterus. He said that for the most part the one side of my uterus did not know that I was pregnant in the other side, so the "clueless" side continued to try to have a period. He also said it would be absolutely normal if I went on having "mock-periods" throughout the entire pregnancy.
I'm not sure if it would make any difference or not, but your sister could request that her doctor's check her for a bicornuate uterus. If she has one, it may be a case of one side being "clueless." (for lack of a better word...)
The doctors told me that usually bicornuate uteruses are detected through ultrasounds, however, mine wasn't detected till they were in my belly doing the c-section.
If they are looking for the bicornuate uterus, they should find it easier than if they are looking blindly.
I'm sorry to be so long winded, but I wanted you to have the whole picture. Good Luck and God Bless!

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D.G.

answers from Philadelphia on

I had something similar with my last pregnancy called a Subchorionic Hemotoma (SCH) There was a blood pocket between the wall of the uterus and the placenta. I, fortunetly had a mild case, and mine resolved by 12 weeks. I used to belong to a forum on Yahoo groups and there were women who had massive bleeding and passed lots of clots from theirs and still went on to deliver a healty baby. They really should be able to see where the bleed is coming from on the ultrasound. I would suggest she look into seeing a Maternal Fetal Specialist and get an upper level ultrasound. I really suggest she try to keep off her feet and take it as easy as pobbible. I found that my bleeding was directly related to my activity. Also tell her to drink a lot to stay well hydrated. Dehydration can caused the uterus to contract which will cause increased bleeding. Pelvic rest is also a must! I took vitamin c to help promote healing, you can not take too much c, it will be excreated in your urine and is completely safe. I hope this helps and that this resolves for her soon and that she is able to enjoy her pregnancy for a little while.

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J.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

Some insurance companies request a dr authorization before seeing a specialist, plus I'm not sure who she can go to. I think spotting is ok but I have never heard bleeding out clots is fine. I am surprised they see a strong heartbeat. Is your sister on bed rest? I would think she should be admitted for this. I wonder why her dr is so ok with it.

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N.K.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi L.--I'm sorry to hear this, it sounds very stressful. If it were me, I'd get another opinion, and likely go to a different type of caregiver for it. It sounds like she's with an ob, so maybe try a different obgyn, a midwife, and also as someone else suggested, a maternal fetal medical specialist who can do a closer look at her with ultrasound. For a second opinion, you also really need to go to a different practice, not just a different doc in the same practice. Good luck.

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K.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I went through something similar, but not as much bleeding during my 4th month. I have, and had endometriosis. Sometimes, I guess that the tissue still goes through a cycle. If she's had a history of endometriosis, it could be that. For me, the bleeding only lasted about three weeks or so. As always, you need to be comfortable with what you are being told. Maybe, see if another OBGYN can see her. Peace of mind for her and her child is very important. Stress isn't good for either of them.

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