Subchorionic hematoma

Schattel

Hi all,
I'm a FTM, First time poster and long time lurker. Thanks in advance for reading this.
Looking for some insight. I'm 16 weeks 4 days and have had 4 or 5 bleeding episodes. I mean make you queasy, rush to the ER fresh red blood bleeding. No obvious cause could ever be found, theories from an SCH to just cervical bleeding were thrown around. Baby has always been fine. Yesterday it happened again and this time on ultrasound a collection of blood/SCH 10 cm long and 1 cm wide was seen. I find it strange that it wasn't noted before and slightly concerned as I was told new SCH wouldn't develop after 12 weeks. Are any ladies still dealing with these? Now I'm in the old, brown blood stage and kind of crampy uterus which for me will probably last all week. Any insight would be great, just looking for people to commiserate with as I'm worried the further I get along the more risk there is to my baby.

YouMe&Bax

I had a SCH that took quite awhile (at least, it seemed that way to me) to get rid of.  It started around week 11/12 and I finally stopped bleeding around week 15/16.  I went to the ER twice for bright red blood - the second time they told me to call my OB the next morning to go in to get check.  The OB told me she found a SCH, the measurements were around 3.09x1.17 (or something like that).  I was put on bed rest for 2 weeks, checked, it was still there, bed rest for another week, checked and it had fully absorbed/bled out.  I think the bed rest and the amount of hydration (90 oz a day) were the key players in helping it go away.  Also, I still don't lift anything over 3-4 lbs.  

My doctor told me I was in the clear for this one but it could happen again - so I'm assuming they can happen at any time in pregnancy.  

 Good luck, I now how scary it can be - just rest, put your feet up and stay hydrated!  

cwl3530

I have no insight, but just wanted to let you know that I'll be thinking of you and hoping for the best.  I had two episodes of bleeding with cramping at 7 and 9 weeks and it is rather scary to say the least. My doctor never determined a cause, just said some bleeding behind the sac and put me on pelvic and best rest both times. Stay positive )

SwimSurfSmile

I had bleeding with my first son until I think 17 weeks. I thought I miscarried him twice but he is a healthy two year old. I believe resting and drinking a crap ton of water made all the difference. It is soooo scary but common. Take care of you!!! 

TurtleErin

I also had one that took almost 9 weeks to resolve. Bleeding that was heavier than a period and many, many trips to the OB (they were always good about getting me in right away). Pelvic rest, a TON of water (100+ oz/day) and taking it easy seemed to help. My OB said that some women have them their entire pregnancy and go on to deliver a healthy baby. Take it easy and hope yours gets better soon!

Mailmans Baby Momma

I bet it's been there the whole time. I went to the ER with so much blood at 13w 2d and they wrote me off as a miscarriage until I demanded an US, which showed the baby was fine! However my bleed did cause my cervix to funnel and shrink to 2.6. My OB put me on bedrest and LOTS of water and my lil sack of blood and cervix have improved immensely. I'm no longer on strict bedrest, but I'll be taking it super easy so my body can continue to get better. He said what happens is that your body will slowly leak it out (I have brown blood every day) and that your body's white blood cells will eat away at it until it's gone, best case scenario.  

If I were you I'd have an US of my cervix with the number of bleeds that you've had just to make sure it's holding up.

GL! 

kris10bishop

My doc found a very large one at around 6 weeks after multiple bleeding episodes, and it was gone by week 12. I know that there are some major differences between our stories, but I wanted you to know that, in most cases, they heal on their own without causing any problems. In my research (I was terrified at first and spent way too much time on Dr. Google), I actually found that the later the SCH is discovered, the better. Apparently, much of the risk is caused by the size of the hematoma in relation to the size of the baby. It sounds like when you consider the overall size of yours (rather than just the length), it would be smaller than the baby at this point. 

Rest as much as possible. I was never on my feet unless I had to be, I stopped having sex, and I quit exercising during that time. I hope that this helps (or at least eases your concerns for the time being) and that you'll keep us updated! 

Schattel

Many thanks for your replies with stories and encouraging words. My cervix was also checked via ultrasound and tech said no funneling and 3.5 cm long, which I think is good. My doc has yet to actually interpret the results, the on call doc just said yep, there's a bleed and take it easy. Not sure exactly how easy I should be taking it but I will rest as much as possible and continue to suck down the water. I'm trying not to google, especially since I know my doc won't be available until Monday. Again, thanks for the replies.

jetskreemr

I had red bleeding at 17 weeks, was in the ER, and they did discover a SCH, but they actually blamed the bleeding on my placenta previa. None of my docs has ever seemed too concerned about the SCH at all, so I haven't been too worried about it either. I am just told to take things easy and not lift anything over 10 pounds.

Mailmans Baby Momma

Schattel:

Many thanks for your replies with stories and encouraging words. My cervix was also checked via ultrasound and tech said no funneling and 3.5 cm long, which I think is good. My doc has yet to actually interpret the results, the on call doc just said yep, there's a bleed and take it easy. Not sure exactly how easy I should be taking it but I will rest as much as possible and continue to suck down the water. I'm trying not to google, especially since I know my doc won't be available until Monday. Again, thanks for the replies.

Ooh that makes me feel better that you've had your cervix checked! My OB said mine funneled and shortened because there was so much blood in there that it created pressure on my cervix. Its amazing what bedrest and water can do. Hope you get some answers from your OB on Monday!

LuciiLovesHanz

I had an SCH earlier on in my pregnancy, at about 13 weeks. I had a bleeding episode at week 9, and they had the same theories as your doctors did.. bleeding of the cervix, or an SCH. Baby was fine, and the placenta was not involved in the bleed, thank GOD. I took a week off from work at week 9 just to be sure that everything was healed and healthy.

All has been good since then. I had light spotting, from bright red to yucky brown, but no major bleeds after that. I did experience minor cramping, but otherwise everything felt pretty normal. At our anatomy scan, I asked the tech to check and see if the SCH had been reabsorbed, because they told me I may pass a lot of blood and blood clots as my body gets rid of the SCH, or it may just be reabsorbed. The tech said everything looked great, and that the SCH had totally resolved itself.  I  was so happy, as the SCH had been a big source of worry for me throughout my pregnancy.

As long as your doctor thinks everything is okay, I think you are good, especially if the placenta is intact. I, of course, am not a doctor, but if you are worried maybe call your doctor's office and ask to speak with a nurse. They should be able to answer any questions you may have. Easier said than done, but try not to stress about it too much.