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Pregnancy & Baby 
  |  Pregnancy  |  Loss  |  Risk of further miscarriages
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Risk of further miscarriages

by Dr Howard Lee

question
I found out I was pregnant this weekend (after two positive pregnancy tests). I have been having lower back ache and lower abdominal pain off and on for the past week and last night had a small bleed. It was fresh bright red blood - about a dessertspoonful. Since then I haven’t bled again. My GP today told me I shouldn’t have done a pregnancy test so soon as I had not missed a full period (I am four weeks pregnant). He also said I just had to wait and see and to put my feet up. I am very worried as I had a miscarriage at 13 weeks, two months ago. Do all pains and small bleeds lead to miscarriage?

answer
I hope I can offer you some reassurance. As you may know, fertilisation of your egg has taken place in one of the fallopian tubes. The development continues whilst this now fertilised egg continues its journey towards the ‘relative’ safety of the womb lining. This means that it’s still possible to have some slight bleeding from the womb lining itself for almost the first 10–12 weeks (often around the time when a period would have occurred) then your developing egg implants itself. Sometimes, of course, there may be a problem, and the fertilised egg shrinks and is rejected. This, too, can give a ‘brown’ loss (which is actually stale, old blood, that was lost many hours previously) If the pregnancy has not continued the prepared womb lining will eventually be shed too, and the ‘brown’ loss will become ‘red’ and appear like a heavy period. This will, of course, mean that you have miscarried. Not all slight bleeds mean you will have a miscarriage. However, continued bleeding and pain is not a good sign, I’m afraid.

You don’t have to go to bed. This wouldn’t really help. In fact, it can make you unhappier because you just lie around worrying. Carry on as normal but don’t do vigorous exercise and avoid making love as this could disturb a fragile pregnancy. I do hope things go well for you.

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