If you have experienced bleeding during pregnancy (about 20 weeks). Help please?

[emcap]

My friend from Norway asked me to see if the hive had any insight for her situation.

 

About a week ago she started bleeding and losing water, went to the hospital and was told that baby was well but there was only a slight chance of survival. She has been in the hospital since then and baby is still well and recently the bleeding stopped. The doctors have been trying to send her home for a day or two but she didn't want to go because their home isn't easily accessible by ambulance should the need arise. Now the doctors are telling her to get up and walk around. She is nervous because friends are telling her that's crazy and she needs to stay in bed. It does seem odd to send her home or get her up and about.

Her husband is of course doing his research, in the meantime they're just looking for personal experiences or knowledgable opinions.

I hope this is clear. I'm at dinner in ikea with five kids on my phone, not conducive to clear thinking!

[Guest]

How could they say the baby is "well" but with only a slight chance of survival? 

 

If she has broken waters at 20 weeks, my understanding is that is a crisis. Did they do a sonogram? 

[wapiti]

i agree with Quill - the water is the bigger issue, not the bleeding, at this point.  Has the leaking stopped?

 

(yes i have experienced major bleeding and all was well, sort of, but that's a long story)

[claluck]

I have heard of people losing their water and having bleeding and continuing with a pregnancy.  I think the concerns would be that if they did a sonogram that there is not a tear in the placenta (major cause of bleeding).  She could reasonably go home but I would encourage full bed rest until there is not leaking of waters and no bleeding for at least a few weeks and be prepared to go back with new bleeding or new gushes.  I can understand them wanting her to go home and maybe walking around a little before she does (not over doing it) just to make sure it is safe to go home.  You know like if she can walk around a bit and not have more gushes then hopefully that is encouraging.  I would be super leery and keep my butt in bed most of the time though.

 

I did have a friend who had a HUGE gush in her teen weeks (18?) and then continued episodes of bleeding.  The drs could find no cause and there was essentially nothing they could do.  She just stayed off her feeet at mush as possible and carried the baby til 37 weeks when she came on her own (early for my friend who normally carries her babies til 42 weeks).  So it can end alright.  But I definitely wouldn't be up on my feet resuming normal activity.  

[emcap]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, they did sonograms to check on baby and they are definitely viewing it as a crisis. I think by well they meant still alive. I believe she stopped leaking water and they are encouraging her to drink lots to help rebuild her amniotic fluid I guess.

I got the impression the docs wanted to send her home to miscarry because they held almost no hope. I am hopeful for her though, she is 42 and this is her first pregnancy and oh how she wants this baby!

[mumto2]

I think one of the big concerns with water leakage is infection. They thought I was leaking at 18 weeks with ds so went through lots of consultations on this. I had funneling but no leaks, supervised bedrest was the result for me. I have heard of cases where with antibiotics a good result can happen. I think almost complete bedrest and great monitoring for signs of infection would be needed.

 

Praying for a good outcome!

[Flowing Brook]

Have they ever heard of an amino patch? Not very many doctors do them.  I wonder if it is a option for them. With the bleeding she should definitely be on bed rest.  At the first signs of bleeding she might want to lie down and drink cinnamon tea. At this point it does not appear they can do anything for her in the hospital.  She should of course get plenty of rest. She should drink plenty of water and watch for signs of infection. 

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, they did sonograms to check on baby and they are definitely viewing it as a crisis. I think by well they meant still alive. I believe she stopped leaking water and they are encouraging her to drink lots to help rebuild her amniotic fluid I guess.

I got the impression the docs wanted to send her home to miscarry because they held almost no hope. I am hopeful for her though, she is 42 and this is her first pregnancy and oh how she wants this baby!

Drinking water does help rebuild amniotic fluid, but also bedrest, so you don't expend fluid. I had low amniotic fluid with ds9 (no leaks, just critically low amounts) and they put me on bedrest. 

 

It does sound like the doctors are expecting her to miscarry, which is terribly sad. I would be worried about infection, though, if the sack is broken at all. That could threaten her life, too.  :grouphug:

[emcap]

I do know that they are monitoring for infection also, I forgot to mention that. None so far, and her temp is good. Thanks again, I'll forward her the replies in a bit.

[melmichigan]

I have heard stories of women who have had PROM before 24 weeks, from what I can remember at 24 weeks the doctors will consider intervention because that is often the age of viability.  Until then they were told to just wait and see but all I can remember where on strict bed rest.

[shanvan]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, they did sonograms to check on baby and they are definitely viewing it as a crisis. I think by well they meant still alive. I believe she stopped leaking water and they are encouraging her to drink lots to help rebuild her amniotic fluid I guess.

I got the impression the docs wanted to send her home to miscarry because they held almost no hope. I am hopeful for her though, she is 42 and this is her first pregnancy and oh how she wants this baby!

Oh, my!  Now I really want her to have this baby.  Please update us on her situation when you know more.  Praying for mom and baby.

[Melissa in Australia]

:grouphug: :grouphug:

[SKL]

My sister had this happen around 20 weeks.  The hospital put her on bedrest.  She was not supposed to walk around except to go to the toilet attached to her room.  She and the baby developed sepsis and the baby was delivered by C-section at 26 weeks.  It was a rough ride, but they both survived, and baby (now almost 3) is healthy and very bright!

 

I'm no doctor, but I'd be afraid they are trying to get that baby to miscarry rather than do a lot of intervention to save it.  Just my gut reaction.  I don't blame your friend for being skeptical.

[mumto2]

FYI, I think each hospital has it's own viability numbers. For ds it was 22 weeks 6 days (I was privately told they would consider 4 days because one other hospital had achieved that).

 

I also suspect they are preparing her to miscarry. I do wonder if she tells them she is more than willing to do the bedrest etc if they might offer different advice. I was on bedrest at home with dd. I started bleeding with her the same exact day that I had previously miscarried on. The first time they said two days bedrest then resume activities which for me did not lead to a positive result. I was fine one minute then not for about two weeks. With dd when I openly discussed my willingness to do whatever I needed to it became first trimester complete then modified where I could sit for part of the day.