Bleeding due to VE or car accident???

[Violet2]

Hello. I'm hoping some of you can help me sort this out. I'm 30w pregnant with my first.

On Saturday we got into a minor car accident. Nothing horrible, but I was slammed forward into my seat belt--the dent is directly behind my seat so I got the worst of it.

As a precaution we went to the hospital to check on the baby. They monitored the heart rate and movement for 20minutes and an intern did a VE to check my cervix as I was feeling crampy.

Everything looked good. Except, after I was discharged I started bleeding.

I attributed it to the VE which was rather brutal. (i.e. I have never tried to crab crawl off an exam table before) My OB had told me before that my cervix was 'friable' so I just figured I'd been manhandled by Dr. Hacksaw and that was it.

The blood was bright red. There were a few small clots. It appeared to stop Sat night but then started up again Sun. The baby was moving normally (in fact she was very busy moving from vertex to breech) so I wasn't concerned. I just put myself on bedrest, kept an eye on things, and called the OB on Monday.

But after being double checked by the OB, it seems the blood may not have been from the VE. Although they aren't sure what happened.

Now I'm questioning my judgement. Everything still looks fine. I had an u/s and an hour long NST with my OB, but was I too cavalier with the bleeding? I'd like to know so I'm sure I'm basing my decisions on the right things.

And I do have to say, the thought of seeing Dr. Hacksaw again was a bit of a deterrent. I much preferred waiting for my regular OB.

V

[MsBlack]

At this point, I would not worry, wherever the bleed came from. If baby is fine, most likely the baby will continue to be fine. These things happen during pregnancy, and most often amount to nothing. Just stay alert and take good care of yourself--and, I'd say, quit having VE's! Yes, friable does mean more likely to bleed.

I myself was in a humdinger of a car wreck at 36 weeks pregnancy, once--but got no VE's, just the NST to check on baby. Nurses were worried about the contrax I was having, but I told em truthfully that I'd been having even stronger ones for a few weeks already, on and off (he was later born on due date). My lil truck was broadsided by a guy going more than 40mph--luckily on passenger side, I was the only one in the vehicle but it was totalled. Took some flying glass in the face, had a pretty bad whiplash--but otherwise, all was well. Pregnancy is well designed to handle some bumps. Come to think of it, same pregnancy a couple weeks earlier, we went to the ocean where I body surfed (silly me). I got into too large a wave, got body slammed into the sand--right on my belly! No problems, tho I did stop surfing then! Ouch...and it scared me, but all was well.

[courtenay_e]

Oh, and a tiny bit off topic and unasked for, but is the baby still breech? If so, I'd say the accident messed with your pelvis, and I'd get myself to a chiropractor today!

[Violet2]

Actually, she didn't appear to like the fetal monitoring and I suspect she was turning to get away from it as she started moving at the hospital. She banged on the monitor quite a bit too and was very active all weekend in her effort to 'run away'.

Then, when we had the monitoring at the OB's, I think she did the same thing. Banged the heck out of the monitor and then started moving, I think back into head down. I'll know tomorrow where she is for sure as I have my regular OB appt (I can't tell myself).

She's just looking for some peace and quiet. Hopefully we're done with the fetal monitoring for now.

My back and belly hurt for a few days, but I rested, did hot packs, massage, and Tylenol. Today I feel fine. Hopefully my pelvis is okay too. I keep doing reverse pelvic tilts to keep it neutral and do my kegels.

V

[mwherbs]

so they didn't do an ultrasound? since you were feeling a bit crampy before the exam- it may or may not have been the VE... that you describe it as rough- makes me wonder except maybe it was hard to reach

[Violet2]

Nope no u/s. Which kind of bothered me at the time but I assumed they knew what they were doing. Hey, I've never been pregnant and in a car accident, what do I know?

Well, my OB was Not Happy. From the OB's reaction, I know the hospital didn't do what they were supposed to. I should've had an u/s to evaluate the placenta at least. They didn't even think the fetal monitoring was adequate.

And it's the OB's hospital where they deliver at. Sad.

V