Understanding Subchorionic Hematoma: What It Means for You and Your Pregnancy
When a woman finds out she’s pregnant, there are numerous emotions she might experience: fear, excitement, nervousness, or doubt. She might be concerned that she’ll have a miscarriage or that she won’t have a normal pregnancy.
A common pregnancy occurrence that makes a lot of women feel uneasy are subchorionic hemorrhages, also known as a subchorionic hematoma.
This article will discuss what a subchorionic hematoma is, the symptoms and diagnosis, what causes one to occur, treatment options, and the prognosis.
What is a subchorionic hematoma, and how common is it?
A subchorionic hematoma is a collection of blood, or bleeding that is between the chorionic membrane of the baby’s gestation sac and the woman’s uterine wall. A subchorionic hematoma happens in 1 in 3 pregnancies, which is about 33% of pregnancies and occurs most frequently between the first trimester and early second trimester which is 9 to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Since the diagnosis of a subchorionic hemorrhage or hematoma is fairly common, most women should not be concerned if they are told they have one. Especially if the hemorrhage is small and is only causing light bleeding. However, you should still consult with a doctor if any bleeding does occur during your pregnancy.
As far as side effects, there’s been numerous studies where pregnancies have resulted with healthy babies, and no other medical issues or pregnancy complications throughout the process.
Symptoms and How it is Diagnosed
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Some symptoms you may experience with a subchorionic hematoma are light spotting/bleeding during your pregnancy, as well as cramping, back pain, or tenderness and discomfort in your belly.
Not everyone who has a subchorionic hemorrhage will have symptoms; therefore, you should follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding scheduling of diagnostic ultrasounds throughout your pregnancy to ensure you and your baby are safe and healthy.
If you have had an ultrasound and discover you are dealing with a subchorionic hematoma, there is no need to panic. In most cases, it doesn’t result in poor pregnancy outcomes.
What Can Cause One to Occur?
No one is sure what causes a subchorionic hematoma to occur. However, some factors are believed to increase your risk for having one. These are uterine irregularities, history of uterine infections, history of uterine trauma, history of miscarriages, IVF pregnancy and high blood pressure.
One OBGYN said, “It’s a miracle that the majority of people don’t have this because the placenta cells are burrowing into the vascular wall of the uterus which is a highly blood supplied organ in our bodies.”
This means that the placenta and the uterine wall are integrating to allow oxygen and nutrients between baby and mom. As the process of integration begins a vessel can get disrupted during it and can result in a little bit of bleeding. This blood then gets walled off and becomes a bruise aka the hemorrhage.
Treatment Options
Despite not having a universally proven treatment option when it comes to treating subchorionic hematomas, modifying activity levels is often suggested. Most doctors would recommend pelvic rest such as no sex or any objects inserted into vagina, less activities, and to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activities.
When you rest, you allow your body to undergo pregnancy changes without added pressure on your pelvis from performing different activities that can delay your healing process.
It’s also known that these hemorrhages can dissolve on their own without intervention and don’t cause complications to the pregnancy. Since it’s a blood vessel that is bruised, it can heal like any other cut or bruise you may experience.
Other factors to consider is that some patients will experience pre-term contractions or labor. To determine what treatment option is best for you, talk to your healthcare provider. They can give a further analysis by evaluating the hematoma and checking in on the size of it, and how far along you are in your pregnancy.
Prognosis, what will happen if you are diagnosed with it and how it will affect your pregnancy
Women who are diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma might wrestle with these questions: Does this mean miscarriage, pre-term labor, or how will this affect me and my baby?
For every woman, each case may be different, and there have been cases where women’s pregnancies and their babies are healthy with no other complications. Unfortunately, other moms have experienced miscarriages, stillbirths, or placental abruptions. The risk of these adverse outcomes is associated with larger hematoma size, persistence, and ongoing bleeding. It can also be linked sometimes with timing, which is the earlier detection of it may carry a higher relative risk for first-trimester loss.
Overall, having a hematoma was not associated with having poor pregnancy outcomes, but always listen to your body and check with your doctor to ensure a safe pregnancy journey.
3 Important Questions to Ask your Doctor if you are diagnosed with a Subchorionic Hematoma
- Review medications with your doctor to ensure none of them are interfering or causing it
- Ask what the recommendation is for your activity level
- Ask about follow-ups: when is the next ultrasound, how will I get reassurance, when should I call you about my symptoms, when should we check again?
DISCLAIMER
The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace medical advice from a licensed healthcare provider. Options for Women Lakeland does not perform or refer for abortions but offers factual medical information, pregnancy services, and compassionate care to help you make an informed choice.
Options for Women offers free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, STD testing, pre-termination exams, post-abortion counseling, and wellness referrals. To schedule an appointment, call (863) 393-6988, book online —or simply stop by when you’re ready. Walk-ins are always welcome.