Coworker bleeding during 22nd week...?

I share an office with a girl (she is twenty) who is in her 22nd week of pregnancy. She called in this morning and said that she woke up in a pool of blood and she hasn't stopped bleeding yet. She is in the hospital now and at this point the baby is still okay. The doctors either don't know or won't tell her why she is bleeding. I'm afraid that she is going to miscarry. Based on your experience with pregnancy is it likely that her bleeding is serious enough to be part of a miscarriage?

Well, at this point it wouldn't be considered a miscarriage but it is dangerous to bleed. She has done the right thing and the doctors will be able to monitor her and the baby and maybe help control her bleeding. It could be something very small like a small rupture in her cervical membranes, but it could end up being something more serious. I never bled during pregnancy until after the baby was born. I would have to say that if they baby is okay and they haven't found that the bleeding is coming from a tear in the umbellical cord or a ruptured amniotic sac. They will find out and in the meantime all you can do is pray for her and her baby.

it could be..thats very scarey! good luck to her

It would be unethical for the doctors to know what's wrong and not tell her. They have to disclose that information to her. So I would say they apparently don't know why she's bleeding. They said the baby is still okay, so that means they're not telling her that she's going to miscarry or is miscarrying. Whatever it is, they'll be keeping the mother as healthy as possible, while keeping the baby as healthy as possible. It not normal to have a lot of bleeding, so I'm sure there are concerns, but that's why she's at the hospital.

The doctors probably won't tell her anything b/c they don't even know. Sometimes people bleed and they carry out the whole pregnancy and have healthy babies. It could be that she is working her body too hard and that is why this is happening. I wish her the best of luck and keep your hopes high don't fear the worse, dream for the best.

It certainly could result in a miscarriage or premature birth. It could also be a result of a problem with the placenta, either placenta abruptio (where either a portion of, or the whole placenta tears away from the uterine wall), or placenta praevia (where the placenta partially or completely covers the cervical os.

Placenta abruptio can be managed if it is only a portion of the placenta separating, if it's completely separated then the baby will need to be born immediately if it is to have a chance of survival.

Placenta praevia can be managed also, but requires a caesarean section for safe delivery.

Both conditions can cause bleeding on and off during the remainder of the pregnancy.

Depending on what hospital policy is, if the baby is in danger then the hospital may either consider delivering it immediately and trying to save it's life, or allowing a miscarriage to proceed. If she reaches 23 weeks, most hospitals will actively try to save the baby's life. If she reaches 24 weeks, I think ALL hospitals now try to save the child.

Best of luck to your co-worker.

yes it could be that the placenta has separated from the uterus wall it's call placental abruption. she could loose the baby because the baby can survive with out a placenta but hey maybe able to buy her time if it has not separated completely. If she can make it to 24-28 weeks the baby has a chance if born early. And after 19 weeks it's call a still birth not a miscarriage. I lost a baby at 37 weeks last year due to cord knot.