We had an unexpected ultrasound on May 23rd. I had some spotting the day before, it was mostly brown but did seem to have some clots and tissue in it. I was scared and nervous but kept telling myself it was the empty sac. When they did my first ultrasound, they found 2 sacs, one with a heartbeat measuring correctly and one that had stopped growing at 5 weeks, 2 days. I just thought it was the second empty sac trying to pass. But, of course with everything I had to go through to get this far, there had to be another bump in the road. What they found was a subchorionic hematoma or SCH for short, I actually have 2 of them, one over each sac. I was put on strict bed rest, no work, no play. Come back in 2 weeks. From what I have found on the internet, this is very common in pregnancies, especially twin pregnancies. Baby bean looked wonderful, heartbeat of 161 measuring right on track. None the less... anxiety and worry followed me around everyday like they thought we were best friends. At this point the doctor would have prescribed, baby aspirin and progesterone, but I was already on those. The concern was, the hematoma was over the baby, if it decided to break loose... there was a chance that it would take the baby with it.
So at 8 weeks, bed rest it is!!
I would like you to meet my friend
What it is: Also called subchorionic hematoma, subchorionic
bleeding is the accumulation of blood within the folds of the chorion
(the outer fetal membrane, next to the placenta) or within the layers of
the placenta itself. These bleeds, or clots, can cause the placenta to
separate from the uterine wall if they get too large, if they develop in
a bad spot, or if they aren’t eventually reabsorbed.
How common is it?
A good 20 percent of pregnant women will experience some kind of
bleeding early in pregnancy, though it’s often hard to tell what’s
causing the problem. Subchorionic hematomas are even harder to pick up
because they don’t always result in noticeable spotting or bleeding,
especially when they’re small.
Who is most at risk?
There don’t seem to be any specific risk factors for developing a
subchorionic hematoma in the first place, but if you do wind up with
one, there are factors that can make you more — or less — likely to have
a positive outcome.
What are the symptoms? Spotting
or bleeding may be a sign, often beginning in the first trimester. But
many subchorionic bleeds are detected during a routine ultrasound,
without there being any noticeable signs or symptoms.
Should you be concerned? You
wouldn’t be normal if you didn’t worry when you see blood, no matter
when it occurs in your pregnancy. And that’s actually a good thing,
especially if it prompts you to get in touch with your practitioner, who
can make sure there’s nothing amiss. While most subchorionic hematomas
dissolve on their own, it is possible for the clot to get in between the
placenta and the uterine wall, resulting in miscarriage.
Here’s
the encouraging news: More than half of women who bleed during their
first trimester go on to have perfectly healthy pregnancies. But because
subchorionic hematomas have been linked to increased risk of placental
abruption and preterm labor, you don’t want to ignore signs of spotting
or bleeding.
What you should do: Call your
practitioner; an ultrasound may be ordered to see whether there is
indeed a hematoma, how large it is, and where it’s located. Depending on
the findings, as well as on your practitioner’s preferences, he or she
may put you on strict bed rest, insist you refrain from lifting heavy
objects, and avoid exercise. In most cases, you’ll be asked to avoid
sexual intercourse until the hematoma dissolves and disappears.
~Kristen
