Bleeding during pregnancy can be scary. Firstly it can raise concerns over your baby being in danger, and secondly it can make you worry that something is awry with your pregnancy.
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy can a sign of trouble. However, there are many women who have bleeding during the early weeks and have go on to have healthy babies. This is typically light bleeding referred to as spotting. Bleeding can also occur at different points of pregnancy.
While your bleeding may mean nothing, do not take it lightly. If you have vaginal bleeding, you should visit your doctor immediately to make sure everything is well.
Below we go into potential causes of bleeding during pregnancy.
What Are The Causes Of Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy?
There are several reasons why you may have bleeding in your pregnancy.
There are some causes that may not be serious but can happen for many women during the first weeks of pregnancy.
You might have some spotting during early pregnancy in the following situations:
1. After sexual intercourse.
2. After having a vaginal exam.
3. When the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, the vaginal bleeding can be caused by fluctuating hormonal levels occurring when you would normally have your period. This is called implantation bleeding and it is perfectly normal.
There are other causes that are considered serious complications. A tell that your bleeding requires immediate medical attention is if you have heavy bleeding during pregnancy and abdominal pain.
Some of these serious pregnancy complications are:
1. Threatened or inevitable miscarriage. This is definitely a serious cause of bleeding during pregnancy that may happen during the first trimester. Your doctor may recommend you go to bed, but if the bleeding does not stop and you have abdominal pain, you should immediately go to the hospital emergency room.
2. Perhaps the most dangerous cause of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy is an ectopic pregnancy, which is also accompanied with abdominal pain.
3. Placenta Previa. In the second or third trimester, bleeding or spotting can happen and could be a sign of a serious pregnancy complication. The placenta may be separated from the uterus (placenta abruption).
Some vaginal bleeding near the end of pregnancy is considered normal because your cervix will be preparing for the birth of your baby. It may happen up to one or two weeks before delivery.
There are other causes that are not necessarily related to your pregnancy, for example, sexually transmitted infections. Under these conditions, your cervix can become irritated or inflamed, and if you have sex, this inflammation can cause vaginal bleeding.
Final Thoughts:
In any circumstance, if the bleeding is hemorrhagic (heavily bleeding), for prolonged periods, or bright red (fresh blood), go immediately to the hospital emergency room.
Don’t be surprised if your doctor recommends bedrest if you have early bleeding during pregnancy.
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