Bleeding in 1st Trimester - really mean 50% chance?

[Homebirth_Mom216]

I've read in a couple of places that of women who have some bleeding in first trimester, about half will carry to term. If you're interested in sharing, do you think that is true or do you think that a lot of women just don't report bleeding and maybe it is just a lot more common than they say?

[MaerynPearl]

I dont think its more common...

I dont think bleeding means you are going to lose eventually... if you are bleeding and not losing at that moment... then you probably have a higher % than 50...

with my loss, it was a missed miscarriage and still... I started bleeding and lost it within 2 days. Never had bleeding before then.

[JTA Mom]

I had bleeding on & off throughout my first trimester. Lost my baby at 16 weeks. And at last check (3 hours before he was born), he was alive.

Ami

[mama2mygirl]

I bled with both of my girls. I mean I BLED. Bright red clots with dd1 and I poured with babydd. With dd2 I actually started telling people that I miscarried because that's what the ER doctor told me was probably happening.

[BarnMomma]

I personally know a few women who BLED during their first tri and went on to have normal pregnancies and healthy babies.

For me, the blood wasn't what tipped me off to a miscarraige- it was the gripping cramps that felt more like labor pains or contractions than menstrual cramps. I was not able to drive. The bleeding came hours afterward and I miscarried at 6 weeks.

[busymama77]

I bled a little bit - twice but both only lasted just one day - it was a transition in to my 2nd trimester. No clotting, no cramps, U/S was fine and I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow. They could never determine why I bled. I've had a text book pregnancy ever since then.

I even know two other women that went through the same thing that I did and they carried both babies to term - a little past, actually.

[tarasattva]

I don't know anything about actual stats, but I can tell you that I bled during both of my pregnancies (several instances during both, including second tri bleeding with my first preg).

DD is 2yo (a happy bouncy little girl) and I am 18w with baby two (and all is looking good at this point).

Positive vibes to you for a sticky babe!

[WaitingForKiddos]

I don't think I know a single woman who hasn't bled at some point in pregnancy. Most have bled before 14 weeks. I think it's way more common than the 20% I read about. I don't think there can be much link between bleeding and loss. Ya, many losses start with bleeding but many cases if bleeding go to term ( or are lost die to something having nothing to do with that bleeding episode).

[organicpapayamama]

I think it all depends. How much bleeding are we talking about? spotting or soaking pads? how often does it happen? once or throughout the entire first trimester?

with my second and third pregnancy I had bright red spotting. With my second pregnancy it was in the second trimester and it was only because I had a strong contraction that pushed a small amount of blood out. With my third pregnancy I had some spotting in the first trimester...again only once. It was a streak of bright red blood in my cm and it was there with 2 wipes of tp and then gone. That happened because of a slight pocket of blood behind the placenta.

I think spotting is totally more common than not but actual bleeding is another thing.

[lunarlady]

I've been bleeding throughout the first trimester, and I know how scary it is! My OB told me that around 50% of women will experience some bleeding or spotting during pregnancy. So maybe that is the 50% you are hearing? I do know that once you have a positive u/s or confirmed heartbeat, the chance of miscarrage goes down significantly. Not to zero, but around 10%. (For those with bleeding, less for those without). My OB also told me that if I want to be reassured, I should watch that show "I didn't know I was pregnant", as basically every woman on there had bleeding throughout their pregnancy and that is why they didn't realize they were pregnant. I'm not one for reality TV, but I still figure if they can find that many women who are that clueless, and bleeding that often, I must not be the only one.

Good luck and wishes for a sticky babe!

[Dena]

Well, first, I bled on an off during the first trimester of this pg, and am now almost 29 weeks with healthy twins. I had a subchorionic hematoma (small blood clot in my uterus) at 8 weeks, followed by partial placenta previa at 10-15 weeks. Both resolved on their own without any complications or intervention.

Second, like any statistic, I think this one needs to be taken with a grain of salt. There is nothing in this that separates out the reasons for the bleeding (subchorionic hematoma, placenta previa, cervical irritation, to name a few) and ties those specific reasons to the chances of miscarriage. Similarly, the statistic itself does not separate for risk factors in pregnancy. Basically, the statistic simply considers all women who have bled for any reason during any point in pregnancy, and takes the number of those who have miscarried to render its final number.

I think if you really want to know your risk of miscarrying due to bleeding, you need to look at the specific reason for the bleeding, if there is one, and the risk of miscarrying due to that specific reason.

[NicolleLynne]

I've been pregnant three times and had bleeding in all instances. My first pregnancy ended in a medical termination, the second was a missed miscarriage and the third, mercifully, seems to be going fine (I'm 24 weeks).

My OB said I just have a tender cervix. Many women I know have experienced some kind of bleeding and/or spotting during their pregnancies and I'd be shocked if that statistic is correct.

Wishing you all the best!

[tinybutterfly]

I had bleeding the first trimester of my 2nd pregnancy. Ds#2 is 15 and sitting here on the couch with me.

[kalamos23]

I had spotting/streaking with DD and full out dripping bleeding (almost what I would consider a flow) with this one. With both I have had subchorionic hematomas and that was why I bled - the SCH was low with this baby and so was easily irritated. With DD, the SCH was high. I have heard of a girl that had gushing bleed through 2 pads an hour bleeding and it was a SCH as well. They told her she lost the baby and she went in for an u/s and it was fine.

Fwiw, I had an u/s about a week after the bleeding episode with this one and was measuring 2 days ahead and healthy as can be.

[mediumcrunch]

1st trimester bleeding is extremely common but I think the stat 50% carry to term is off and honestly there are so many causes of first trimester bleeding some very benign (such as due to a friable cervix) that making a blanket statement like 'you have a 50-50 chance of miscarrying' isn't fair.

Anecdotally, I've had first trimester bleeding with 6 pregnancies. Most of those were for weeks at a time. One was only from vomiting-I think I broke blood vessels in my cervix-and very sporadic. One was quite a lot and I passed clots also, turned out to be a sub-chorionic hematoma. All 6 of those babies are here and driving me crazy

[BlueIrises]

With pg#2 I bleed heavily around weeks8 and 10...very heavy the first time with big golf ball sized clots and the second incident was less clotted...docs didn't see anything on the u/s...and he is napping upstairs right now...I hope!

[Homebirth_Mom216]

[moxielou]

I bled with 4 pregnancies, and I have one living child. With DD1, my one living child, I bled lightly at about 12 weeks.

Every subsequent pregnancy, bleeding was not a good thing. All for a different reason, but a loss none the less.

I want to see no blood for this one!

[Homebirth_Mom216]

Originally Posted by moxielou

I bled with 4 pregnancies, and I have one living child. With DD1, my one living child, I bled lightly at about 12 weeks.

Every subsequent pregnancy, bleeding was not a good thing. All for a different reason, but a loss none the less.

'm sorry - that is hard. I hope that this one goes better for you!

On our end, the bleeding is still going on and the cramping is starting to get strong tonight so I think the news is probably not good. I'm kind of glad we've had a few days to get ready, though, and I feel like I just want it all to be over if it has to be so that we can pick ourselves back up and move on.

Please pray for us if you think of it.

[Carlyle]

I'm sorry. The pregnancy and birth loss forum was incredibly helpful to me during my miscarriage. I hope it is over swiftly for you. Do be aware that it can feel like labor a bit (but can also be "easier" I've heard). I'll be thinking of you. If it helps, I bled with dd's pregnancy 3 times during the first trimester, but not with my miscarriage's pregnancy (until I was miscarrying, that is).