Early Pregnancy

Women up to 16 weeks pregnancy who have a positive pregnancy test and:

•  Abdominal or pelvic pain which persists despite use of regular  paracetamol/rest
• Vaginal bleeding
• Previous ectopic pregnancy
• Previous tubal surgery or high risk factors for ectopic
• Intrauterine contraceptive device in-situ
• 3 or more miscarriages
• 3 or more  C-Sections
• Women with a non-viable pregnancy up to 16 weeks 
• Previous molar pregnancy
• Post termination/miscarriage with persistent bleeding greater than 2 weeks

You can be referred by your GP, the Emergency Department or via health professionals. You can also self refer to the Unit.

Call us on 01733 673758. If we are busy with patients or already taking another call, you will be given the option of leaving a voicemail message. Please do this, and we will call you back when we are free. All calls are returned the same day and usually within a few hours.
 
You will be asked some questions about your pain and/or bleeding and then given advice, or invited in for an appointment to see one of our Specialist Nurses or Doctors.

If you come for an appointment, this will be for an assessment. It may involve a blood test or internal examination. It may include an early pregnancy ultrasound scan or other investigations, for example, to rule out infection that may be causing your symptoms. The staff here will listen to your symptoms and carry out the best tests we can.
 
This is an emergency unit and appointment times cannot be guaranteed, please be prepared for a wait up to 3-4 hours.

Women also need to understand that it may be a male doctor or sonographer that you will see when you attend. Please bring two forms of ID when you come to any appointments within the department. Due to the nature of the unit, location and space, we do not allow any children onto the unit under the age of 18. If you attend with a child, sadly you appointment will need to be rebooked. 

Bleeding and pain in pregnancy is worrying, but if your bleeding is similar to a period, you are better to stay home, take regular paracetamol and call us for advice on what to do next. You only need to come to hospital if:

• Your bleeding is much more than a period where you are having to change pads hourly,  you have large lemon sized clots that are not settling, you are taking two paracetamol every 4-6 hours, but your pain is not controlled/worsening, your pain is going into the end of your shoulder tips, you feel faint/unwell because of the bleeding/pain.
• If you are bleeding heavily, changing more than 2-3 maternity pads in 1 hour – have any left sided abdominal pain or shoulder tip pain that is not controlled by regular analgesia or feel faint/dizzy unwell – please go straight to the A&E department.

Unfortunately there is nothing we or you can do to stop a miscarriage, but around 50% of women bleed in pregnancy and the majority of them will go on to have a healthy baby. Bleeding does not mean you will definitely miscarry. You will be offered an appointment in the EPU over next few days, depending on your symptoms and your gestation, however unless you have the emergency symptoms discussed above, you do not need to come to hospital now.

If you are attending due to pain, it is helpful if you have tried paracetamol regularly first. Even if a scan is performed and shows a normal pregnancy, we still need to manage your pain. If the pain is worsening; going into your shoulder tips; you feel unwell because of the pain, then you need to call us or come to the Emergency Department.

If you are early in pregnancy, we are most likely to carry out a transvaginal scans (internal scan). This involves placing a probe, a little like a tampon, inside your vagina. It does not hurt you or harm the pregnancy, but it allows us to see things much clearer than on your tummy, which then allows us to give you the best information on what is happening at the time of the scan. Sometimes a pregnancy is so early an ultrasound won't be able to pick it up at all and it may take us a few days or even a few weeks before we can detect a heartbeat, depending on how many weeks pregnant you are. If you are later in your pregnancy, then an abdominal ultrasound may be enough to pick up your pregnancy at the first visit.

The Unit is open Monday — Friday 08:00-17:00, and Saturday / Sunday / Bank Holidays 08:00-11:00. 

Unfortunately we do not accept walk in patients - all referrals need to have an appointment. You can see your own GP or attend the Walk in Centre if you prefer. If you have emergency symptoms - heavier bleeding than your period/pain not settling despite paracetamol, then you may need to attend the Emergency Department - see the section above for further information on 'emergency symptoms'

We are based on the first floor of the Women and Children Unit at Peterborough City Hospital. Please follow signs for Women's Health Ward / EGAU.