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JMarie
08-17-2002, 09:30 AM
Now, I've read "What to Expect" and thought I was prepared for anything. Then on the day I went to twelve weeks, I started bleeding like a dam had burst - it was never that heavy even on my heaviest days! It slowed down after an hour and after a couple very large clots passed, and the doctors just had us come into the office in the morning for our first ultrasound just to be sure everything was okay (we'd already heard the heartbeat two weeks earlier and it was ten o'clock at night). Sure enough, the ultrasound showed the baby was just fine, jumping around like a little gymnast, heartrate strong at 150 bpm, placenta intact, cervix closed. You'd think that would be a relief. It would be if the bleeding would just stop! It's not like I'm soaking pads - only liners - but it's been three days! It's not really darkening, it's still bright red, and I'm still worried. Has anyone else gone through this and am I just blowing this out of proportion? I guess I'm more annoyed than anything, but this still isn't the happiest time for us... Thanks!

JMarie
EDD 2/28/02

Momof3Labs
08-17-2002, 09:55 AM
I haven't personally experienced this, but have a few friends who have. It is called a subchorionic bleed, and although scary, doesn't hurt the baby. It does take time to pass, but most people don't experience any bleeding once it is over, and the baby ends up just fine (doesn't even seem to notice what is going on in his/her little happy home!).

Now here's some advice - pitch that What to Expect book. It blows a lot of things out of proportion, and is very lacking in other areas. Some better books are A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy (light-hearted) and Your Pregnancy Week by Week (not great, but not bad, the developmental information is interesting). The Mayo Clinic Complete Guide to Pregnancy and the First Year is wonderful - but very heavy - and free through State Farm (you don't need to have State Farm insurance, but if you don't and are interested, let me know and I'll get the info on how to get your copy).

I'm glad that all is well and wish you an easy remaining 28 weeks!

Lori
due 10/12 w/ #1

jojo2324
08-17-2002, 11:25 AM
I second the tossing of What to Expect...I read that thing and thought my baby was in constant peril based on my consumption of ketchup and canned soup. I loved the Girlfriend's Guide; it didn't offer hard medical fact, but it was a relief to read something about pregnancy and be able to laugh. I also read the Sears' pregnancy book; I appreciated the facts listed in it, but was (later) turned off by their whole idea that the medical community is out to get you. But those are things you'll encounter (and decide about) later. I have no advice on the bleeding, but from what Lori said it seems perfectly normal, and since the doctor gave you the okay, I wouldn't be TOO panicked (of course I would be a fair amount:) Enjoy your pregnancy...it really does fly! Good luck!

egoldber
08-17-2002, 03:08 PM
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the world, but I LIKE the What to Expect Books (I wish they were organized a little differently, but that's different). I never considered their discussion of potential issues to be out of proportion and liked having a discussion of all things that can and do happen in pregnancy. I read through most of the pregnancy books that were out there and this was the one I liked the best by far. But I always found their info to be helpful and completely in line with what my OB's were telling me. (I did think the What to Eat stuff was pretty over the top, but I understand that they have modified this in the latest edition.) I used the WTE book to pack when my water broke unexpectedly at 36 1/2 weeks and I was scrambling to pack a bag at 2:30 am, and my DH and I referred to it throughout my labor and delivery and postpartum. What kind of book you like depends a great deal on your personality. There are a lot of different books for all diferent people. So if What to Expect works for you, then keep it. If not, then find something else.

I also loved What to Expect the First Year and now the Toddler Years. Again, almost all that I have read in these books has been consistent with info that my peds have given me and that I have read in other research based child development books. (My mother-in-law is a child psychologist with a specialty in early childhood development. This has been both a blessing and burden, let me tell you. Every visit with my in-laws, I know that Sarah is being "evaluated" for any developmental delays.)

I also greatly enjoyed the Girlfriends Guide, but a lot of the information she gives in her book is folk wisdom and is counter to many things that my OB and ped have said. She doesn't pretend to be a comprehensive, scientific, research based guide (as she states in her intro) and is not meant to replace one.

Glad that all is well with your baby. I had bleeding at 7 weeks. While it was scary, baby was just fine and I had no further bleeding for the rest of my pregnancy.

HTH,

laura_winckler
08-17-2002, 04:28 PM
I had bleeding for most of the first trimester of this pregnancy. We had two early ultrasounds just to make sure that all was well, which it was. At that point, my doctor said not to worry about it unless I soaked a pad an hour(!) and to try to rest. Needless to say, it was scary, especially since I didn't have any bleeding with my first pregnancy. If your doctor has told you that all is well, try not to worry too much. I'm at 38 weeks now, and the baby is doing fine.

spu
09-05-2002, 07:56 PM
I had alot of bleeding too. It started pretty much right from the beginning, in fact I was surprised to learn that I was truly pregnant! (pg. with twins!) It lasted until at least 13 or 14 weeks. I was soaking liners too. Most of it was darker reddish/brown, and I was constantly looking up what it might have been which only made me paranoid. The dr.s and nurses were reassuring, as were the ultrasounds etc. My feelings were it was my cervix. It was looking great (4+ cm, and closed) until around 18 weeks when I went in for a level 2 ultrasound - it actually started to funnel open. It didn't shorten, but it dilated. They put in a cerclage and sent me on strict bedrest til 34 weeks. I ended up being induced at 38.5 weeks, and the babies still didn't want to come out so they did a c.

Not to alarm you, but just thought I'd share. The outcome was incredibly successful and I'm sitting here now with my 2 6-week old baby girls. If they didn't spot the funneling when they did, I would have had a midtrimester miscarriage. Sounds like you're in great hands. Keep close with your dr's. Maybe they can schedule your appointments more frequent just to be ahead of things.

The best advice my dr. gave me (which, of course, I didn't follow) was to read fiction and put down the pregnancy books.

best of luck to you.
susan

Hallie_D
09-06-2002, 12:58 PM
Hopefully all has turned out well for you, and weeks ago--I just wanted to let you know that I also had unexplained bleeding at 12 weeks. I bled for 18 days--started out with heavy bleeding and clots, and gradually slowing down to stained pantyliners until one day it just stopped. I had an ultrasound after the first 2 days and everything looked fine.

I delivered a healthy, full-term baby boy in May.

It was very frustrating to me that the doctors couldn't give me an answer as to what was happening or why, and very scary at first when I didn't know if it was "something" or "nothing."

JMarie
09-06-2002, 04:18 PM
Well, the bleeding is still off-and-on, and I've had appointments for the past three weeks. Heartbeat is still strong at 150 BPM, baby moves around like a little jumping bean, and I'm wondering if I'm starting to feel a little movement - it's a very odd sensation, so I'm not sure. I'm still working, since it's a sit-down job, but no working overtime and once I get home, I'm strictly forbidden from standing for more than 15 minutes. DH is such an angel! He's doing all the laundry, dishes, housekeeping, and grocery shopping. I'm very lucky to have him. He's even starting to cook, although most of it is grilling. At least I'm getting enough protein! Otherwise, all is well. I miss not exercising and hopefully the doctor will let me start a little yoga - I feel so stiff from sitting all day, so I just want ten minutes a day! I have picked up knitting though, and I've almost completed a baby blanket - very basic, but I'm a beginner still! I just try to keep myself relaxed and not think too much about something going wrong. That, and I had DH hide all the pregnancy books! Thanks for all your well wishes!

JMarie
EDD 2/28/03