*Warning: TMI & Trigger Warning: Miscarriage Symptoms
The evening before our 6-week ultrasound appointment with our last IVF embryo baby, I was laying on the couch with our 2-year-old. My husband was sick and already in bed. Suddenly, I felt a horrible cramp similar to when my period is starting and felt a gush. My mind immediately went to worst case scenario, as I ran to the bathroom. There, I saw worst case scenario – blood and tissue in the toilet. It was 8pm on a Sunday night. I called the on-call nurse at our IVF clinic.
She explained that although not normal, this was common could be okay. She explained that it could be a “Subchorionic Hematoma/Hemorrhage” (also known as an SCH). I had never heard of this before. I wanted so badly to believe her even though my mind still thought I was losing my baby. She asked if I was actively bleeding, and I noticed I wasn’t really; it was only when I went to the toilet.
After hanging up, I started googling. I read a lot of success stories and continued trying to convince myself that this was what I was experiencing. Apparently, it’s very common, especially with IVF pregnancies! (Basically, it’s a blood clot that forms between the embryo and uterine wall as a result of blood vessels rupturing during implantation. More common with IVF because of the amount of “fiddling” around that’s done in the uterus during transfer etc.) However, most people stated they had no cramps. I was definitely having front and back cramps much like a period. I also read a lot of stories where women had already had their first ultrasound, and their doctor saw the SCH and warned them about it. They knew to expect bleeding.
I got very little sleep that night as the cramping and bleeding episodes lasted until 3am. Then, practically stopped. My husband was able to come with me to my appointment the next day, and we walked in like we were walking into a funeral! Everyone we came in contact with reassured us after we told them what I had experienced. They were all very reassuring.
When it finally came time for that ultrasound, we immediately saw a sac, and then a tiny little baby with a heartbeat! EVERYTHING. WAS. FINE. I couldn’t help but bawl. Everything really was okay!
My doctor saw a few smaller SCH’s and confirmed that what I experienced was probably a much larger one. I was instructed to practice pelvic rest and avoid lifting anything heavier than my toddler. My doctor also advised that it was common for spotting to continue for a few weeks (which it did). Everything continued looking perfect on our future scans!
If you’re reading this because you too are currently going through an SCH, I want you to know how common they are. I want to share my story because I wished I had known about them before I had one, and because I struggled to find any stories where cramping was involved. So, I hope my story reassures you, and you too get fantastic news!
**Just a gentle note: Unfortunately, my pregnancy did sadly end in loss about 7 weeks later, but the SCH was not the reason. If you’re experiencing one right now, please know that many pregnancies go on to be completely healthy.