Hi Kayssis

Bleeding in the first trimester is an obvious concern with about ???? of pregnant mums experiencing some bleeding in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. There are various reasons for this which include light bleeding at the time when your period would have normally been which can occur a couple of times until the pregnancy hormones start to settle down. There is also something called an implantation bleed that occurs when the fertilised egg implants in your womb & another cause can be from cervical erosion or polyp which can cause bleeding following intercourse. When bleeding includes period-like pains and heavy bleeding, including clots, it is known as a threatened miscarriage but women do not always go on to miscarry. So please do not feel disheartened, however the EPAU scan will be conclusive so you will not know for certain until you have the second scan and hopefully see your little one's heartbeat.

Nikki

Hi raviolig

I must admit I agree with your midwife as an anterior placenta means the placenta is positioned on the front wall of your uterus and a posterior placenta is positioned on the back wall of your uterus. The placental position can change from low lying (near the cervical os) to moving away from the os as the uterus grows , however as the place the placenta develops is wherever the fertilised egg embeds in the uterus it is unlikely to change from the front to the back of your uterus. I am unsure as to whether it may be different if you have a retroverted uterus when the uterus tilts backwards which then starts to tilt forward after 12 weeks changing the view of where the placenta is lying! However, you will need to discuss this with your obstetrician or the ultrasonographer at the next scan. Either position does not cause any harm to your growing baby however so please be reassured about that!

Dizziness and headaches can be due to low blood pressure especially in the first trimester, or even low blood sugars, so eat little and often and avoid getting up too quickly from a seated position. This is a very common symptom for many mums in the first trimester. The headaches can also be due to dehydration so increase your fluids and above all listen to your body and if you need to rest and lie down for a while do so!

Pins and needles in the hands can be an early sign of carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy so if it persists you should contact your midwife for advice.

Nikki

Dear Angelheartuk1

Firstly, congratulations on this precious pregnancy... Secondly I can understand your concerns but the fact that the abdominal cramps are not coming and going and mostly associated with a bowel motion indicates that they are unlikely to be labour pains. As to whether they are connected with your bowel may be dependent on other symptoms such as whether you are constipated or have a changing bowel habit with diarrhoea like symptoms. Constipation is often caused by the pressure of your growing bump on your rectum, and the pregnancy hormones which slow down digestion causing a sensation of uncomfortable bloating and wind.

Many women do have abdominal discomfort throughout their pregnancy, but if this abdominal pain is associated with vaginal bleeding, reduced fetal movements or the pains remain constant or become more like regular labour pains you should always seek immediate medical advice for reassurance

Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy!

Nikki

Hi Cas1980uk

Bleeding in the first trimester is always concerning to a pregnant mum but you are not alone with approximately ???? pregnant women experiencing vaginal bleeding in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It is reassuring that you have had a scan 2 weeks ago which had diagnosed an intrauterine pregnancy rather than an ectopic and that there is no obvious reason for the bleeding and your baby is doing well. Some women persist in having the -breakthrough' bleeding that is associated with when your period should have occurred and is due to the rapidly increasing levels of pregnancy hormones and this bleeding will eventually subside but can occur intermittently throughout the first trimester. Another reason may be a cervical erosion associated with bleeding after intercourse. However even with these reasons, bleeding in pregnancy should not be ignored and if concerned you should have another scan to reassure you that everything is progressing as it should.

Nikki

Hi alf_n_osks_mum

The fact that your contractions have remained the same strength and frequency is obviously exhausting you! I am sure you have done the long walks and the -romantic night in' to try and kick start the labour!
This time period is often called the -latent phase' of labour & can be prolonged if the baby is lying with his back to your back so you may find leaning over a birthing ball can help change position of your baby in utero and make the contractions more effective. The pain may also be exacerbated by your SPD and hopefully the pain killers are taking the edge off the discomfort. However if the contractions do start to increase in intensity and become more regular, or if there is reduced fetal movements, any vaginal bleeding or if your waters break, it is advisable to contact the Labour Ward or your Midwife so you can be assessed again to see if your labour is progressing, especially since this is your 3rd baby and things can progress quite quickly once they get going!

Good luck & be patient you are nearly there!

Nikki

Thank you to all those pregnant mums who posted questions and I hope I managed to alleviate some of your concerns,

I am signing off now and please feel free to contact me by email via my website on www.nikkikhan.co.uk if you have any further questions or by telephone through my Greatvine advice number.

Good luck to you all!

Nikki x