Spotting in Early Pregnancy: What to Know (5-7 Weeks)

Question
I am 35yrs and this is my 4th pregnancy.  I started spotting pinkish tan in my 5th week.  My doctor checked my HCG level which went from 4256 to 10731 in 3 days.  I also went for an ultrsound at 6w3d.  The tech said that everything looked good and the heart rate was 118.  I continued to spot although it alters between a tanish brown and a dark brown.  I was sent for another u/s at 7w6d and the tech said that the baby was right on target and the heart rate was 157.  The tech also said that there was a little blood around the sac which would explain the spotting.  She didn't explain to me what this means and my doctor won't see me until 10 weeks.  I still continue to spot.  Not a lot, some days hardly any at all and other days enough to change a liner 3 -4 times.  I want to mention that I lost my daughter 8 months ago at 35 weeks due to fetal maternal hemorrhage, but they could not find a reason for it.  I'm very, very scared that something is going to go wrong.  I've never spotted during pregnancy before.  Do you have any idea what might cause blood around the sac and what my chances are for a screaming baby?

Answer
At this stage of pregnancy, it is common to see a "subchorionic hematoma" which is a sdquestration of blood in the layers of the placenta (near the gestational sac but not part of the sac itself). This occurs during formation of the placenta (in the chorionic layer) and is usually self limiting and disappears (stops bleeding) within a few weeks. Just be patient. Certainly, your obstetrician should be aware of your prior history of hemorrhage in late pregnancy, but I doubt that this is occurring again. If you notice any heavy bleeding, stay on bed rest and contact your doctor. If it is only a little spotting, just observe.