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Pregnancy

Spotting and cramps at 6 weeks. Any advice?

17 replies

GaryWilmotsWedding · 06/08/2013 15:20

Hi all,

I think I am 6+1 today and last night started with some light brown discharge - definitely not red yet. It is accompanied by some light cramping, not much more than I have had all the way through so far, but the thing that really worries me is my boobs are less sore and I no longer feel queasy. I just don't feel pregnant any more and in fact feel horribly pre menstrual and upset. And I know I shouldn't...but I am a POAS addict and the 2 FRERs this morning were lighter than at 5 weeks. I'm booked in for a private scan on Friday to take a look, (the EPU was quite reasonably not very interested) but I am sat here at my desk just googling this over and over! I thought you sensible ladies might be able to offer some of your own experience - to stop me reading everything and anything on the web. The bleeding worries me less than the lack of symptoms and not feeling preg anymore. Any stories much appreciated! Thanks!

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williwonti · 06/08/2013 19:29

Not sure my story will give you any hope I am afraid. You are doing all you can do so just try and keep sane until Friday. I hope all goes ok for you, I'm afraid there's nothing you can do except for wait.

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purplemurple1 · 06/08/2013 19:36

Hi

My only symptoms in the first tri was being more senstive to smells around the time my first period was due, and I had spotting off and on for the next few weeks and cramping due to uterous streaching out. But really all you can do is wait and see, however annoying that is, fingers crossed for you.

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40WeekWait · 06/08/2013 20:26

I had spotting and slight cramps at 6+1 too. The spotting got worse and turned to bright red blood then went back to spotting. I ended up with an early scan and saw a heartbeat. I'm now 8w and the spotting is showing no signs of stopping, but if the sickness is anything to go by everything is fine

I know how hard it is to be positive, but there's really no sense in worrying. I googled obsessively for a full day and it didn't help me at all. I found the positive stories cheered me a little, but then I'd read something else and be all doom and gloom.

Try to get some rest, talk it through with your partner, a friend or your mum if you think it will help and just look after yourself x

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Champagnebubble · 06/08/2013 20:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DaleyBump · 06/08/2013 20:43

I had spotting and cramping at 6+2 and the doctors thought it was either an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage. Had a scan the next day and saw my little peanut's heart beating. Currently 23+3 :) hope everything goes well for you Flowers

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GaryWilmotsWedding · 07/08/2013 09:22

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply ladies. The spotting is a little better today although had bad cramps last night and tests look suspiciously lighter. Still no other symptoms but I'm just going to have to sit tight and hope for the best. I don't know how people do this over and over - I have barely been functioning at work! I'll let you know how Friday goes. Thanks again.

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Cally123 · 07/08/2013 10:52

Hi there, I had spotting around week 5 and it was brown no red. A few days before I had some mild cramping so I contacted my doctor and was put in for a scan the following week. I saw my little baby as just a small flutter but was reassured that I was 100% pregnant. They had a look around and could not find any reasons for the bleeding and just told me to relax and not over think things. I did a lot of frantic research and it gave reasons from implantation bleeding to old blood being passed or a small tear in the placenta but either way mine appears to be relatively harmless. The spotting stopped after a few days. I am now 9 weeks and being tortured by pregnancy symptoms it sucks :( but it will all be worth it! The best advice you can take on board is dont worry!! You're just going to cause yourself unnecessary stress which is good for you or baby. I hope your pregnancy continues well and healthy xx

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CrispyFB · 07/08/2013 12:29

The reason your tests are lighter is because of the "hook" effect. Look it up! Basically at a certain point, and for FRERs this happens around 5-6 weeks or so, there is so much hormone that the test line gets oversaturated and does not appear as strong. So the higher your HCG goes, the lighter the line gets. Weird, but has scared women in pregnancy for years now!!

Cramping and spotting.. BTDT. Every pregnancy, throughout the first trimester. It comes and goes - I can go weeks with nothing then there it is. I always cramp and spot around six weeks and I think that's because of an estrogen surge as it's around the time I'd normally ovulate if you see what I mean? So hormones are knocked a bit off balance. Bodies still like to try and cycle a bit in the first trimester especially.

Loss of symptoms - every day is different. Some days they're strong, other days not. There's often no reason for it either.

So whilst things might not be fine, only a scan will show that, what you're experiencing is also totally normal for a regular pregnancy too!

Hang in there!!

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GaryWilmotsWedding · 07/08/2013 12:47

Crispy, thank you so much. I had heard of the hook effect but I diluted the wee (God, I need to get out more) and got identical lines to 'full strength' wee! Admittedly this was on internet cheapies not FRERs, but I thought since the line looked the same at seemingly every concentration (yes, I tried a bit diluted all the way through to very dilute!) it wasn't the hook effect...anyway, you can tell I am already quite bonkers and I know I just need to wait for the scan! Thanks for your comments though, I really do appreciate you adding your experience.

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bunnygoesbang · 07/08/2013 19:07

Thought I would add. My previous pregnancy I had the same spotting on and off Until around 8 weeks and my dd is now 7. Apparently lots of women get it. I also had a heavy bleed at around 22 weeks. I'm pregnant again and find it strange that I am not at all lol

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user765 · 07/08/2013 19:14

I remember a midwife telling me that the feotus can burrow deeper into uterus lining and that can cause spotting and cramping. Also as your ligaments start stretching to make room for baby you can get spotting and cramping. Don't worry or stress about it. Xxx

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CrispyFB · 07/08/2013 19:32

I had the same thing with cheapies recently! Diluting and they look the same. FRERs seem to show signs of the hook effect first. Cheapies just stay the same strength for a lot longer (depending on the cheapie some suck dye from the control line like a FRER does, and some don't) and eventually tip over into lighter.

Don't worry, I am bonkers too. For most other things in life I am pretty chilled and laid back (I am the mum in the playground that other parents look on in horror as I let my two year old loose on the "wrong" equipment!) but pregnancy brings out the obsessive and anxious in me. I'm four days ahead of you and it was only when I saw the heartbeat on Sunday that I stopped testing ;-) My final FRER that day, that I'd been saving just for "scan day", looked like it did at 4 weeks.. hello hook effect!

Stupid spotting though

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chattychattyboomba · 07/08/2013 19:45

just wanted to offer you some hope that spotting is often common around this stage as baby grows.
I hope this passes and you can relax x

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GaryWilmotsWedding · 08/08/2013 08:43

Oh ladies, you're all very kind. If nothing else, I feel a good deal less mental, and that makes me feel so much better. My husband thinks I have completely lost it and turned our bathroom into some sort of weird science laboratory! I keep grabbing my boobs to assess soreness (or lack of), checking nipple colour, knickers, feeding the cat to see if the smell makes me retch like before.....They say your dignity goes out of the window during labour but I think I am close to that threshold now! Suffice to say the only conclusion I can come to from all my reading, googling, stressing and experimenting is that I know nothing more than I did before. Ultimately we are all in the dark here and I just need to relax. If this doesn't work out, we have proof we can get pregnant so that's encouraging.

User765, I really hope that's the case and it is just getting settled in there! And Crispy, you have given me so much reassurance. I love that you are a hook effect expert! I have promised my husband that if all is well tomorrow I will not test again.....

But why oh why is time passing so slowly??

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JoniR · 08/08/2013 19:29

I had spotting and cramping at around the same time. In my case it was implantation bleed and cramps due to everything moving around and stretching. And don't worry, you're not mental, I kept sniffing raw pork to see if it made me wretch and I became an obsessive knicker watcher I still am

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JoniR · 08/08/2013 19:38

Oh, and I stopped feeling pregnant around 7 weeks. All that was left was tiredness. I started to believe it again around 11 weeks but I cannot explain why as I still didn't have any symptoms. Try not to stress, you're certainly not alone.

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ushuaia · 08/08/2013 20:03

I had bleeding and cramping at 8 wks, didn't feel sick anymore and boobs didnt feel tender in slightest. Spent 3 days prior to epu scan googling and was convinced had lost baby. It was honestly the longest 3 days of my life. Went to hospital thinking it was just to confirm the worst but there was a heartbeat! They couldn't explain bleeding and I'm now 25 wks. It's easy for other people to say relax and don't worry but it's so hard not to!

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