I’m nine weeks pregnant and today I had some bleeding.
I’m trying to avoid the whole first-time pregnancy panic, but I can’t think straight right now. Hopefully, the doc will call me back soon. The book I bought, WebMD, etc. all say that some spotting may occur during the first trimester and have no ill effects on the embryo.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. . .
Don’t panic (I know it’s easy for me to say). It doesn’t automatically mean there’s something wrong. The doctor will get back to you soon, I’m sure. the mommy Dopers will be chiming in any second to reassure you further, but for now just know that there are good thoughts aimed at you from here!
The book you bought and WebMD are right: some spotting is normal, and you and Mouse_Embryo are going to be fine. Relax. Make some tea to take your mind off it while you wait for the doctor.
Pregnancy plays hell with your moods and emotions, M_M. You just need to learn to take a deep breath and a step back. You’ll be fine.
Thank you. Rationally, I know that things will be fine. Sadly, I’m not a Vulcan, so reason is not all I’ve got going on here. Anxiety has an evolutionary purpose, but I wish I could turn the damned thing off!
I had spotting during both pregnancies. It was explained to me that the cervix is engorged with blood and if it gets knocked a bit (ie intercourse) it will spot. Please don’t worry too much, it happens to a lot of women. If there are more than a few spots, certainly call your doctor; in my first experience, my doctor asked me to put on a pantyliner and bring it in with me so she could see the amount. GROSS, yes, but it went a long way toward easing my fears.
Oh, Mousey, how scary! I’m sure you’ll be fine! Spotting is so common in early pregnancy. That doesn’t make it any less scary, but maybe it will help you relax a little. 
Just to ease your fears while waiting for your doc to call – does your local hospital have a nurse advice line? Mine does, and I’ve called them for all sorts of things when I wasn’t sure if it was something I needed to go in for (because after hours and on weekends is the only time you’ll ever come down with something weird). They are very nice and knowledgeable, and should be able to give you a good idea of what you can do.
Breathe, honey. Just breathe. Getting tense won’t help a thing right now.
Yes, some spotting is normal, as **Ginger **says, the cervix is a bit swollen with blood right now, and if you knock it (sex, even the way you sit sometimes) it can bleed. Or, and I say this with love and respect, if you’re a larger than size 2 person like you and I, there’s enough estrogen in our body fat to cause estrogen breakthrough bleeding. It might happen every couple of weeks, and it’s okay.
(Please don’t flame me, people, I’m NOT calling the pregnant woman fat, I just know from pic threads that she’s not an anorexic waif! She’s very attractive, but closer to Kate Winslet than Anne Hathaway.)
Generally, if the blood is sparse and brown, there’s nothing to worry about. If it’s sparse and bright red, it’s still probably okay.
When I got into trouble, I knew it. It was just so very, very different from the bleeding I had every two weeks - this was bright red, lots of it, with huge chunks of tissue that were more than period-like blood clots. I could see vascularization (little tubes) in the tissue chunks, and some of the chunks were as big as my palm. Looked much more substantial than period “blood”. That’s what got me to the ER, at my midwife’s recommendation. It was NOT, by anyone’s definition, “some bleeding”. It was copious and didn’t stop, even to the point of dripping on the floor when I walked.
Sorry. TMI, I know. But there’s a warning in the title, and I just want to emphasize that there’s bleeding and then there’s bleeding.
Go to your altar and light a candle for you and your babe. Brigid is the Irish Goddess of healing and midwifery, and She helped WhyBaby and I through our rough time. Tell Her I said hi. 
Moving thread to MPSIMS, where female Dopers will hopefully continue to put Mouse_Maven’s mind at ease.
I have a history of miscarriage and in my last pregnancy, at about 12 weeks, I started bleeding bright red. I had had no bleeding at all in my first successful pregnancy. Scared the bejeesus out of me. Turns out, it was just the swollen cervix type bleeding that WhyNot and Ginger mentioned and my baby is now sitting next to me in his high chair munching on watermelon. Try to be calm (although I know that’s almost impossible). Don’t look up any more descriptions of miscarriages (I’m like that, too…I want to know all the details) because they’re so general, they’ll probably just freak you out. Have a cup of tea and wait for your doctor to call you. I really think you’ll be fine and I’m sending good thoughts your way.
Thanks everybody.
Looking about the Dope, I see I’ve been a vocal PITA. Sorry. 
The worst part of this is I can’t distract myself. We’re moving down on floor in Thursday, so all of the lab equipment is boxed up. Pawing through grant papers isn’t as mind-consuming as running experiments. I’m waiting on the hazardous materials lady to come over and take all of our toxins away - at least the ones we’re not using anymore. Not much to do here but wait.
Just chiming in to say I’m another case of “bleeding-turned-out-to-be-nothing-and-have-a-healthy-baby-to-show-for-it”. Definitely had an ohshitohshitohshitohshit afternoon before I got to the OB apt., though so I’m feelin’ for ya.
Why in the world would you think that? Seriously, the Dope is awesome support for these things.
I know telling you not to worry isn’t going to stop you from worrying. It’s hard not to worry. I had HORRIBLE cramps with my pregnancy - I’m talking cramps that had me writhing in bed at times - they didn’t go away until I was about 12 weeks pregnant, and every time I went to the bathroom, I expected to be bleeding. Baby B was born healthy last August.
It’s tough not to worry, and you’ll probably be worrying constantly until the baby’s born, and then you’ll worry even more after he/she arrives. It’s part of being a mom.
Hopefully, your OB will get you in for an u/s so that you can see that beautiful little heart beating and set your mind at ease.
{{{{{Mouse_Maven}}}}}
E.
Yeah, so? You’re pregnant, you’re supposed to be a little bit insane. Just don’t send any of us out for pickles, ok?
Pickels. Doesn’t inspire anything. When the Mouseling is older, I’ll tell him/her that they made me crave Chipolte burritos for weeks on end. Luckily, its a craving I’m can live with. 
No news from the doc. I’ll leave another message.
One of my co-workers was sent to the ER because of kidney stones. Two weeks ago, one went because of anaphylactic shock - a mild mouse allergy went wild. We are very, very stressed. Once this hazmat lady gets here and does her thing, I’m going home.
I’m just one more case of spotting with two pregnancies. Both went just fine, full term healthy babies…I won’t say don’t worry, thats impossible. Just try to keep in mind that this is common as you can see from the replies here. Very common. I hope you can get US very soon and get reassurance. Take care
I managed to get an appointment with another ob at the office. I wasn’t crazy about see a new doc, but I needed some peace of mind. To make things more awkward: the doctor was a man and his last name was the same as my family name. ::shudder::
He basically said what WhyNot, Ginger and C3 said: swollen cervix. ::Phew:: Just in case, they took blood to look at my thyroid levels. (I have hypothroidism.)
Ever since I discovered the pregnancy, I’ve had mixed feelings. Part of me was concerned about my career (which is quickly going down the tubes, but that’s another thread) and the family budget. Also, my background worried me. My family and I are just a TV recruiter away from The Jerry Springer Show. Could I even** be **an adequate parent?
When I saw the blood, my head spun. Had I done something wrong? Did the chemicals at work do something? Is everything alright? I guess having a child does mean something to me.
That’s a weird moment, isn’t it? When you start to zone out and the blood rushes in your ears as you go, “ohmigod, ohmigod, don’t let this be happening. This isn’t happening. Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, no, not this.” and you suddenly realize, “Huh…guess I want this baby after all. Good to know.” 
I had the same thing happen even with a very planned for pregnancy. My secret ambivalences were sorted out for me in those moments of primal terror.
I’m glad you’re okay. And thanks for letting us know! I’ve been worried about you today.
Didn’t mean to worry anyone. Mouse_Spouse was in meetings all day, so I couldn’t call him. (All it would do is worry him as well.) I didn’t want to tell my lab-mates because we had sent someone to the emergency room with a kidney stone this morning. Also, we have a couple of MD/PhD students. They’re very curious about my pregnancy and I didn’t want to hear about everything that could be happening. (Its weird. I guess human reproduction is not as common as it once was. Student: How does it feel? Did the doctor do x, y and z? Me: Take an OB rotation and leave me alone!)
Glad the lil Mouseling is OK. Now sit down and finally have that cup of tea everyone was offering earlier.
hugs
A couple of points to keep in mind.
This is a message board. Anytime we feel like rolling our eyes when we see a new thread started by a particular poster, we are allowed to do so and are not required to read the thread. Therefore, if we do read the thread, we must have some interest in what the poster in question has to say.
Secondly, if you feel like you are starting too many threads whining about your job, your life, your problems moving the lab, your pregnancy, that’s easy to fix. Stop starting so many threads. Include in your Pit thread from yesterday “And now I’m bleeding and I can’t think” (obscenities optional).
Although, this particular one seems like a good candidate for it’s own thread.
And now, an anecdote:
Four and a half years ago, the phone rang. I picked up, and it was my sister-in-law. She sounded like she needed a hug. She wanted to talk to my mother, (actually her mother was the first choice, but she was not home) but she was not home. I was at least Sis-in-law’s third choice. She was pregnant, probably about as far along as you are, and bleeding, and wanting someone to give her a hug, pat her on the back, promise it would be ok, and say “I’ve been there, done that” (never having been pregnant, I couldn’t do that and being 14 hours away, I couldn’t go give her a hug and cook her dinner).
Now? I’m aunt to a happy, healthy, 4 year old, and her little sister.