15 weeks - finally, an answer to the spotting!

Today I finally got to the bottom of the cause of my constant spotting - it was caused by a cervical polyp.

On Monday, I went to the loo and saw some red bleeding. It wasn't much but there were some small clots in it as well. I've had other red spots a few times and its always been when, to use that very delicate medical parlace, I had a bowel motion :-)

Anyway, I finally decided I'd just had enough of it and made an appointment to see the obs this morning. His receptionist called just as I was leaving to say he was at the hospital delivering a baby and I'd need to come in at lunch time instead. It was really inconvenient for work but I was so set on getting some answers that I didn't care.

Anyway, he checked that E3's heart was still pounding away (it was!) and got out the dreaded speculum and had a look and straight away saw the cause - a really massive cervical polyp. The next bit has a TMI warning....

He actually took a photo so I could have a look at it and it was huge! About the size of a small grape with a stalk on it. He decided to cut it off then and there and did a pap smear as well. It hurt momentarily but then it was fine. I had to wear a tampon for exactly 4 hours to catch any blood from it.

He said they are quite common in pregnancy and caused by the huge amounts of oestrogen in my system. He also thought it was probably the cause of the threatened miscarriage at 10 weeks, and almost certainly the cause of the constant brown spotting.

I am just so incredibly relieved to finally know what has been causing the spotting. I am really looking forward to finally being free of it and not having to constantly wonder if everything is alright. This is just about the best thing that's happened this pregnancy apart from the ultrasounds and CVS results.

The internet info says cervical polyps are common and can be malignant in about 1% of cases. That's because very occasionally they are masquerading as cancerous changes of the cervix. I'm not too worried that this might be the problem, since there's a good explanation for why it grew.

Anyway, goodbye and good riddance to the polyp!