Freaking Out

RDHMisty

So I started having a light brown discharge last night and then this afternoon at work it was red in color and I had cramping. I am about 5 1/2 weeks pregnant. I called my doctor and she said I could be having a miscarriage and to call her if it gets so heavy it soaks a tampon per hour. She said in about a week I should have a blood test to confirm if I'm still pregnant. My husband wonders why they didn't just tell me to go to the ER for an ultrasound today to figure out whats going on. What do you all think I should do... what a week and see or go to the ER? My pregnancy is high risk due to Factor Leiden V and Prothrombin gene mutations. I haven't started Lovenox yet. 

Misty 

easjer05

There really isn't any reason to go to the ER.  The most they could do would be an u/s, which isn't going to show anything at five and a half weeks.  Blood tests are the best monitoring until you have a chance of seeing the heartbeat next week.  And even if you did have an u/s today, whether or not they saw something, you would have to go back again for blood tests and further u/s in a week.  It's simply too early to visualize things.

Additionally, an ER + radiology bill is not cheap.  And what are they going to do?  Unfortunately, they can't stop a miscarriage in progress.  And if they don't see anything, it may or may not be because of a miscarriage - it may be because it's too early to see anything.  Going to the ER isn't going to reassure you.  Even if they do see something in your uterus, it doesn't mean you aren't having a miscarriage.

I know how scary it is right now for you, and how much you want an answer about what the bleeding means.  But the reality is that the ER isn't really going to tell you.  If I were in your shoes, I would call the doc and ask for an immediate blood test and a follow up in two or three days to get a sense of whether the betas are rising, stalling or falling.  That's about the best info you can have at this point in time.  Beyond that, it's simply a waiting game. 

The best thing you can do right now is rest, put your feet up and monitor your bleeding.  I wish you the best.

smacb

There's nothing they can do at this point.  If you're having a m/c, they can't stop it.  I'm sorry you're dealing with this.  Hope your baby is ok.