2nd Trimester Bleeding

[Adgray20]

HI,

I am having my second baby in August and were having a UC, at 17 week's I had some bleeding it was a couple day's after sex so I thought maybe that could be the cause? i'm now almost 21 week's and still bleeding it's been on and off never bright red and just spotting somtimes it look's like some clots or somthing gupy? anyway's baby is moving non stop and I have a fetescope and been checking heart tones and my instincs tell me everything is fine but i'm wondering if anyone eles has gone threw this? I didn't want to do utrasounds but I thought at 35 weeks I would get one to make sure it's not previa. Any suggestions or experiances would be wonderful!!! I have heard some women bleed and everythings fine but i'm just curious if anyone eles has gone threw 2nd trimester bleeding and still went on to uc, how did you handle it?

thanks so much in advance!

[MJB]

Personally I would go get second trimester bleeding checked out. If it is a previa you should be monitored, or it could be a sign of preterm labor or placental abruption. If it turns out all is fine, you can stop worrying, and if all isn't fine, you can get the care you need to have a healthy baby. 

[MeepyCat]

I would not wait until 35 weeks to try and rule out previa - so many previa cases result in pre-term delivery that I think it's really important to know before that.

It is true that some women bleed and everything's fine, but it's also true that bleeding in the second half of pregnancy is nothing to fool around with.  I'd recommend u/s to see what's up.  If it's nothing, you'll have peace of mind, and if it's something, you'll know what to do.

[mamagrits]

Bleeding in the 2nd trimester is not normal, I'd definitely get it checked out!  Hope it's nothing, but if it is something that needs attention you & your baby can get the help you need.

[sunshinemoma]

I had bleeding at 27 weeks in my last pregnancy, so just on the cusp of 2nd trimester.  I resisted the urge to go straight in for a check up.  I now believe that extra stress and taking on extra physical work just prior to the incidence is what caused some contracting and possibly just a minor lifting of the edge of the placenta(very partial placenta abruption which is the placenta pulling away from the uterine wall) and therefore the bleeding.  

Although, I did resist the initial desire to go into the hospital and find out if everything was okay or not, I was not taking it lightly.  I  put myself on bedrest for 3 days and then continued to take it easy as well as abstaining from intercourse.  I don't think the hospital would have done anything better for me than that.  I mean if I'd gone in, I personally may have continued to have high stress instead of the rest that my body obviously needed.  I did not UC and on my next appt upon telling my doctor the details.  He said that's the best thing you could have done, (re:staying home and bedrest), but, given the information, he needed to order an "emergency" ultrasound to follow up that the placenta and cervix are looking ok.  It did give me peace of mind to get the US and confirm that things looked normal but I AM glad that I waited till I was well rested- so getting the ultrasound which meant getting out the house/bed wasn't at a time when what I really NEEDED was to rest and take it easy.

I should note that the bleeding was not extensive.  It was red and stained through panties and through to my jeans and wasn't noticed till I sat on the toilet and saw the water and my tp was bloody.  I changed panties to a light color and laid down for the night.  Checking my panties regulary I did not need to change them again but over the next few days there was brownish blood that would randomly spot my panties (most likely blood from the same initial bleed but browner as it was older by the time it made it out).

Bleeding can mean miscarriage or preterm labour of a baby who is not developed enough to survive on its own.  I would not take any advice about bleeding lightly without considering things very carefully. 

Good luck