Subchorionic Hematoma 7 Weeks Bleeding Again

Okay … concluding of the pregnancy blogs, I promise. Just this is a huge office of our pregnancy journey and one I definitely wanted to share considering when I was going through this terrifying experience, it was so hard to discover ANY positive personal stories. I want women going through this to know that it CAN take a positive outcome.

I do desire to note - parts of this story are graphic and talk about the raw fright of pregnancy loss and I know that can exist really hard for some to read. I am fully aware that the emotions I went through and the emotions someone who has miscarried go through are not the same, and I want to be sensitive to those who've experienced a loss. My centre goes out to you, brave mamas.

I don't have any photos of the graphic stuff and wouldn't share that on the cyberspace anyway, so I'll share a few more of our announcement photos instead (thanks Taylor)! Here we become!

What is a subchorionic hemorrhage?

Kickoff things first - a hematoma is a trample, or a pooling of claret underneath the skin. A subchorionic hematoma is a pooling of blood between the walls of the uterus and surrounding membranes. This can happen when the placenta separates slightly from the uterine wall and that gap fills with claret. A subchorionic hemorrhage is when that hematoma bleeds out - when the blood or clot passes out of the body. I've read that subchorionic hematomas and hemorrhages are more than mutual in IUI and IVF patients (we did IUI). I could never get a clear reply well-nigh why that is, but both of those procedures involve things poking around in the uterus, and muscle tissue is sensitive, and then information technology makes sense …

Hemorrhage #1

So I actually experienced ii unlike subchorionic hemorrhages during my pregnancy. The get-go was at six weeks. We were at the lake with some close friends and that dark after we'd shared the news, I felt the sensation that I'd peed my pants a trivial. I idea, "Wow, that whole loss of bladder control matter sure happens quick!" until I looked downward and saw the crotch of my shorts was vivid red. Everything you read nigh haemorrhage during pregnancy says that stake pinkish or night brown blood isn't much to exist concerned almost, merely vivid ruby is not adept. I ran to the bathroom and more than vivid crimson blood came out. I felt so foolish, But having told our friends a few minutes before, and thought for sure this meant the worst. But we were in a tiny lake boondocks with no hospital, I wasn't in any hurting, the bleeding had stopped subsequently one trip to the bathroom … there wasn't much I could exercise and I knew going to urgent care at that point would be pretty pointless. That was a Sat. Our first sonogram appointment was the following Wednesday, so we just decided to wait things out. Nosotros went in on Wednesday with the everyman expectations and were shocked to hear a heartbeat. Our half-dozen.5 week baby was merely fine! They saw the hematoma, which was tiny at that point, but they didn't seem concerned at all, and by our follow up at ix weeks it looked like information technology had cleared upward! Which meant we definitely were non expecting what happened next…

Hemorrhage #2

I was 12 weeks along, standing in the kitchen cooking a belatedly dinner when out of nowhere, I just started gushing blood. Similar to the first fourth dimension in that I had no cramps and no hurting, simply dissimilar in that this wasn't a little bit of blood - it was a total-on stream. Like if yous'd turned on a water faucet to where it goes from slightly more than a drip to a steady catamenia - coming out of me, non-stop. All over me, all over the flooring. I screamed for Andrew to come from the other room and we immediately went into problem-solve manner: grab an old towel! Telephone call Jareka! (our nurse practitioner friend). Once Andrew got off the phone with Jareka and told me she'd said to become to the ER, the panic set in. I was sitting on the kitchen floor (which at this point looked like a crime scene) only bawling my eyes out, telling Andrew I was so sorry. I knew I hadn't done anything to cause this, only all I could think to do was apologize because I was sure our baby was gone.

Passing a Subchorionic Hemorrhage Clot + Haemorrhage Out

I managed to get to the toilet and more than blood but dumped out, along with a gigantic piece of what I thought was bodily tissue. A thick piece of tissue resembling muscle, near the size of my palm and at kickoff glance, I thought the absolute worst. I couldn't bear to await closer - I but screamed. Andrew looked more closely and reassured me information technology was just a blood clot from the hematoma, but I idea there'southward no way in hell something that large could come out of me and my baby even so exist okay. Absolutely no way. I bawled and he hugged me tightly for a few minutes earlier we gathered more towels and headed to the ER.

Walking up to the ER at the hospital, I had a towel stuffed in my shorts and could still experience claret coming out of me every few steps - still crying and thinking the worst. The ER was packed that night and because I was only 12 weeks along, this bleeding wasn't considered urgent, so they gave me some maxi pads, told me to take a seat and expect. So we did, for two hours, until I could become an ultrasound.

The ER sonographers technically aren't allowed to say anything to patients in this state of affairs, and he warned me of that earlier he started. This wasn't like the OB'south role where they project the sonogram onto a Television screen in front of us. All he could practise was observe, tell the doctor his findings and the doctor would go over things with me after. Except when I laid downwardly on the table, staring at the wall, he leaned over to me and smiled and said, "I'm really non supposed to tell you this, but your baby still has a heartbeat." He turned his screen to us and we saw infant moving effectually. Cue more than sobbing - this time, tears of (dislocated) happiness. Andrew and I have never been more relieved, but we still didn't know if our baby would be okay and why all this bleeding was happening, again.

Multiple Subchorionic Hematomas + A High Gamble Flag

We left the ER that night having learned I'd developed another hematoma - a much bigger 1 this time - and when that giant clot broke loose, I'd hemorrhaged. That whole dark, more claret kept coming. Non simply a few drops here and there only profuse gushes. I was truly amazed that I could lose that much blood and not feel pain or dizziness of any sort, only I guess since it wasn't technically part of my blood stream (or the babe's, thankfully), losing information technology didn't affect me straight. They advised me to get into my OB for a follow upward the next day, and that sonogram made things more obvious: a pool of blood about half equally big as my amniotic sac. A couple of weeks later at another ultrasound (my OB wanted to keep a shut eye on the state of affairs), the claret pool had gotten fifty-fifty bigger. Non as big as the sac, notwithstanding, which was a good thing, only for sure the size of our babe, which was terrifying. She referred me to a high take chances OB at that bespeak and I before I could get out the parking lot post-appointment, I lost it. Hearing you lot're considered high-risk is scary. I called one of my all-time friends who had a high-risk pregnancy herself and she immediately calmed my fears, assuring me I would be in the BEST hands possible from now on.

I don't have a sonogram pic from when the clot was at its biggest, but the black area outlined in cerise shows the claret pool at fourteen weeks - 6cm long - near the size of Baby!

Bedrest for Subchorionic Hematoma + Hemorrhage

Both my regular OB and the high risk OB told me there was technically nothing I could exercise to assist heal a subchorionic hemorrhage, but bedrest was brash and couldn't hurt. So I rested. For 5 weeks, I did nothing except go from my bed, to the couch, to the bath, dorsum to the burrow, back to bed. I did what work I could from my laptop downstairs then I didn't take to climb the stairs to my function. I took a hiatus from photography and made sure not to elevator annihilation remotely heavy (one time I did selection upward a full gallon of milk and immediately felt blood gush out - non fun). Even just walking with the subchorionic hemorrhage would cause me to bleed sometimes. I tried just to lay on my side as much as possible (my hematoma was on the upper correct side of my uterus, so I laid on my left side then the hematoma was elevated - not sure if this was the best mode to lay with a subchorionic hemorrhage but it was a mentally helpful thing for me). Andrew stepped upward SO selflessly and took care of everything around the house for u.s.a.. Sweet friends sent care packages and meals and made us experience so, then loved.

For 5 weeks, I wore Depends AND a maxi pad (how attractive does THAT makes yous experience) and sat on quondam towels on pretty much every surface of our firm. I laid a sleeping bag over my spot in the bed because there was no way I was ruining our brand new mattress with this bleeding nonsense.

How I Knew my Subchorionic Hematoma was Healing

From the day the "big bleed" happened on July 11 until Baronial sixteen, I bled every unmarried 24-hour interval. I had a feeling the hematoma was healing when I started bleeding slightly less and less each mean solar day, but information technology was virtually six weeks before I went a whole day with no blood. I had an date with my high risk OB on August 19th and felt hopeful!

Finally, at our eighteen week ultrasound, afterward a very reassuring anatomy scan where our infant showed to exist developing right on target despite five solid weeks of bleeding, my high run a risk OB went all over my stomach with the wand and couldn't see a thing. The blood had vanished. At one indicate around xvi weeks, the clot had grown to 10cm ten 2cm ten 2cm, and now information technology was gone - what I hadn't bled out had been reabsorbed by my torso. I was amazed, but really wasn't too surprised this time - merely elated. We'd had so many people praying for us and I truly felt those prayers covering us. I have zilch doubt they made a departure.

Staying Optimistic

What's on the net regarding these things can exist scary - yes, they can lead to complications and pre-term labor. Aye, once a placenta separates from the uterine wall, that spot doesn't reattach and that tin can be risky.

Simply just similar I proclaimed good things in God's proper noun while we were trying to get pregnant, I continued to proclaim good things during this ordeal. I KNEW this was something God could heal. Bedrest sure didn't injure (although information technology wasn't fun), and I do think staying off my feet as much as possible helped. I'm at present at 23 weeks, and so thankful and relieved to exist at the indicate of viability, and we are very optimistic! Grateful doesn't even begin to encompass it. Thanks Lord for this miracle!

FAQ About SCH

Since originally writing this post, I've gotten messages from SO many mamas going through this. If you're dealing with the fearfulness and unknowns of an SCH during pregnancy, know y'all are not alone! I am not a dr. or medical professional person so delight don't accept annihilation in this mail service every bit medical advice. This is all just either from my personal experience or research via trustworthy sources (Mayo Dispensary, etc.). Every pregnancy is different, so consult your OB or Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctor - but these are the common questions I've seen.

How long does a subchorionic hematoma have to heal?

From what I've read, sometimes subchorionic hemorrhages heal and resolve after a few weeks, some take a few months, and some never resolve throughout the entire pregnancy. I bled heavily for about 4 weeks and and then less and less each twenty-four hour period - about half dozen weeks total.

Were you prescribed any medication for subchorionic hemorrhage?

No. Both my regular OB and high take chances MFM told me there is no medicine to heal SCH. I did take progesterone at the very kickoff of my pregnancy to go along my hormone levels where they needed to be to sustain the pregnancy (at the direction of my fertility medico after doing IUI to become pregnant), but I finished taking the progesterone pills earlier my SCH ever happened. I don't think there are whatsoever prescription medications specifically aimed to heal hematomas - maybe that will alter i twenty-four hour period!

When does a subchorionic hematoma become dangerous?

My MFM told me we wanted the SCH to stay smaller than the amniotic sac (not the size of the baby but the size of whole sac itself). This is something I prayed about specifically!

Are in that location any foods to heal a subchorionic hemorrhage?

Not that I'thou aware of. I just tried to swallow as healthy equally possible. Toward the end of my pregnancy, afterwards my SCH had healed, my MFM recommended drinking Ensure shakes daily or twice daily to assistance with baby's growth.

Does passing a clot mean a subchorionic hematoma is healing?

I passed a big clot on day 1 - my "big bleed." My understanding is that passing a clot causes the hematoma to starting time bleeding and technically then it becomes a hemorrhage. I think this is probably dissimilar for anybody. I've heard of some women not ever passing any clots at all, merely bleeding.

Signs a subchorionic hemorrhage is resolving?

Personally, I knew my SCH was healing when I started bleeding less and less each twenty-four hours (around week iv after the big bleed). The claret got darker (more brown than reddish) also. I notwithstanding stayed on bedrest until the haemorrhage completely stopped, and fifty-fifty afterward that, I continued to not exercise or lift heavy things throughout my entire pregnancy.

Will y'all have another subchorionic hematoma you lot if you lot get pregnant once again?

Perchance. My MFM said in that location's no fashion to know if it will happen again, but in that location is a decent gamble and if I exercise get pregnant again, I will be considered high risk from the showtime and will exist monitored more frequently.

Was your baby ok in the cease?

Yep! Meet our update below :)

UPDATE

It's May 2020 - our baby is at present 4 months old! Let me preface this with EVERYTHING IS FINE. Just I did want to be totally transparent and share the balance of our journeying with a subchorionic hemorrhage. After the drain disappeared at xviii weeks, we continued seeing our high risk OB oft to monitor her growth, since placenta issues at any betoken during pregnancy tin hinder growth. I went in for non-stress tests twice a week to make sure her heart rate was okay, and did ultrasounds every other calendar week to measure her. All was relatively good until mid-third trimester, when she wasn't making the progress she should've been and she was labeled as having IUGR - intrauterine growth restriction. All the second trimester bleeding had damaged my placenta (her source of nourishment) and her measurements dropped from the 10th percentile effectually 28 weeks to the 6th, to the 4th … until at 34 weeks nosotros went in, saw she'd dropped to the 3rd percentile, which meant she was really not growing at all, and our OB said "You're having a baby tomorrow!"

We went in for a c-section the side by side 24-hour interval (34w5d) with a team ready to take her direct to the NICU, only she came out crying, breathing on her ain and weighing iv pounds, 10 oz - 12 ounces more than they thought she'd counterbalance! She never had to become to the NICU at all. She was tiny but otherwise perfectly good for you and we got to go domicile 3 days later by the grace of God.

She was born with a small infantile hemangioma (red birthmark) on her cheek, which grew pretty rapidly until our pediatrician referred the states at two months to a pediatric dermatologist, who put her on oral medication to start shrinking it from the inside out. We've been told it will eventually fade and not exist very noticeable. If you google "infantile hemangioma placenta theory" you tin can read about several studies that link placental abnormalities (i.due east. subchorionic hemorrhages) to the development of hemangioma birthmarks. Information technology's fascinating!

Patently not every subchorionic hemorrhage state of affairs will cause a birthmark and honestly, this superficial result is not actually even an issue at all. We're just and then grateful for a healthy, growing baby. At 4 months, she's completely defenseless upwardly to other babies her age both growth and development-wise. She overcame quite a flake and we're then proud of our potent, tough girl!

If you're going through a subchorionic hematoma or hemorrhage situation, I promise hearing our story can aid yous stay positive and optimistic. Stay off your feet equally much equally possible, don't lift annihilation heavy at all, ask for assist, and if possible, get a referral to a maternal fetal medicine specialist (loftier chance OB) who tin can continue a close eye on things, fifty-fifty if the initial hematoma does articulate up. You've got this, mama!

I'd love to connect with yous if you're going through this! Observe me on Instagram @kaitlynbullard_

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Source: https://www.thebigandbright.com/blog/2019/9/19/my-subchorionic-hemorrhage-story

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