Understanding Early Pregnancy Bleeding & Concerns

Question
Hi...I am 21 years old and I have a healthy 5 month old daughter. Two weeks ago I took a home pregnancy test and it (along with 6 others) came out positive. About one week after taking the tests I started spotting. I got nervous but quickly dismissed it because I bled with my other daughter and she was fine, but the next day the bleeding got worse it went from brown to pink to red. That night I passed some clots and I'm not sure what it was. I saw my Doctor two days ago and he did an exam and an ultrasound he did not see anything but some endometrial tissue. My cervix was closed and soft. He ordered some blood work on me to check my hCG levels. My count for Monday was 122 I went back today to see if they went up or down I won't know until tomorrow what the results are... What do you think? I'm still showing a very dark pregnancy result on tests. I am still bleeding but very lightly like a small period...no cramping and I'm not passing anything else....??????   I am very nervous and I would like to know your opinion.... Please let me know soon... Thank you,

Answer
Dear Bethany,

It really will depend a lot on what that hCG level comes back at. If it comes back higher, ideally 244 or above, then that would be a positive sign and I would say that the vaginal bleeding was nothing to be concerned about at this point in time. Vaginal bleeding can occur frequently in the 1st trimester of pregnancy and may not be a sign of problems. Bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage but does not mean that miscarriage is imminent. Studies show that anywhere from 20-30% of women experience some degree of bleeding in early pregnancy. Approximately half of pregnant women who bleed do not have miscarriages. And you most likely are just too early in the pregnancy for them to see anything on ultrasound. But if the hCG comes back lower or about the same, then that would most likely indicate a problem with the pregnancy and that a miscarriage may be starting.

I'm sorry I can't give you anything more definitive than that, but that hCG level is an excellent indicator of the health of the pregnancy this early. I hope this has helped you a bit and I wish you well. Please feel free to write back with any further questions.

Brenda