Spotting/Bleeding: "Is this normal" or "am I having a miscarriage"
Hi all,
We have noticed an influx of posts (including pictures) of bleeding/spotting at various points of pregnancy, often asking "is this normal" or "am I having a a miscarriage"
Obviously pregnancy is a time just full of anxiety and unknowns. However we want to be very careful not to slip into medical advice. We would hate for someone to be unnecessarily worried or reassured based on advice given on this sub.
As a general rule OP will be signposted to this post.
- Nobody is able to tell you if you are having a miscarriage. Unfortunately spotting (and bleeding) can be a feature of both normal pregnancies and miscarriage.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11806467/
https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/your-body/vaginal-bleeding-or-spotting-during-pregnancy\_3081
- Bleeding in pregnancy can be due to changes in the vasculature of the uterus and cervix, or due to hormonal cases. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/common-symptoms/vaginal-bleeding/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22044-bleeding-during-pregnancy
- In the majority of cases, especially in early (<12 week) pregnancy, there is nothing that can be done about a threatened miscarriage***. You may get medical advice to "wait it out" at home, which may be cruel but may also be your only option. Unfortunately some providers seem to be more empathetic than others :(
*** NHS and tommy's guideline state that if you have an intrauterine pregnancy and history of at least 1 previous miscarriage (early miscarriage including chemical) and you are bleeding in current pregnancy, then you should be prescribed progesterone pessaries as they might reduce the chance of miscarriage.
"If you have had 1 or 2 miscarriages, taking progesterone in early pregnancy may increase your chances of having a successful pregnancy by 5%. If you have had 3 or more miscarriages (recurrent miscarriage), taking progesterone in early pregnancy may increase your chances of having a successful pregnancy by 15%."
https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj.n2896
"Progesterone should be offered to women who experience bleeding in early pregnancy and have previously had a miscarriage, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended"
If you should be eligible for progesterone please try advocate for yourself (or ask your partner to) and ask for EPU referral and progesterone.
- If you are worried about abnormal bleeding, please:
* Call your midwife
* Call your maternity triage
* Contact your GP
* Call 111 for advice
* Visit your local EPU (early pregnancy unit). They may have rules on who they can or can't see (for example, you may have to be over 12 weeks, or they only see people on weekdays).
A&E is a bit hit and miss depending on your trust, some hospitals are very dedicated whilst others will tell you to come back another time, or tell you that you need to be seen by maternity in a week, for example
- Red flags that mean you need attention now:
"You're pregnant and bleeding and:
*You have severe pain in your tummy (you cannot focus on TV, read a book or do daily tasks because of the pain)
*you have pain in your shoulder
*you feel sick, faint, dizzy or lose consciousness
the bleeding is heavy (soaking a period pad soon after putting it on)"
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/common-symptoms/vaginal-bleeding/
CALL 999
- Please know that in the case of an early miscarriage: it is not your fault. In the vast majority of cases miscarriage is due to random chance caused by some genetic error in early development. There is nothing you did, or nothing you could have done to prevent it. Please seek therapy or counselling if you are struggling 🫶
We will be closely monitoring any posts, especially those with pictures, and making sure nobody is receiving comments that could be construed as medical advice.
Edit: other subs that count be useful: r/cautiousBB r/AskDocs