Q: Dear: Doctor I’m 9 weeks pregnant and going through threatened miscarriage I’m bleeding heavy with clots I go to my doctor regularly but I always get the same answer that my baby is still there I just need bed rest. This bleeding worries me a lot, is there anything I can do to stop the bleeding?

A: A threatened miscarriage also known as threatened abortion is vaginal bleeding that occurs within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. The bleeding is sometimes accompanied by abdominal cramps indicating that a miscarriage is possible

Causes of threatened abortion include the placenta trying to latch on to the wall of the uterus (womb), vaginal infections, damage to the cervix, blood clot around the amniotic sac.

Your obstetrician will make this diagnosis with an ultrasound scan. If a heartbeat is present irrespective of your symptoms, then it is a threatened abortion. Absence of a heartbeat signifies a miscarriage

Treatment is as your doctor has already told you – take time off and rest! 😀 I know a lot of times, if we are not loaded with meds and/or given injections or admitted as inpatients, it appears our doctors are not doing enough. But you don’t need that. There’s nothing that will be done in the hospital that a lot of rest and relaxation will not fix.

Speaking of relaxation, a threatened abortion is one reason why a doctor may issue some restrictions on sexual activity during pregnancy. So, please abstain until bleeding has stopped.

Continue to attend your antenatal classes as discussed with your doctor and please seek help in the hospital if bleeding becomes heavier or turns bright red.

All the best!