Bleeding In Pregnancy

Bleeding in early pregnancy is extremely worrying,  it’s only natural that you’re concerned about your baby. Bleeding in the early days is common and about a quarter of mums-to-be experience some bleeding in the first three months of pregnancy. There are number of things that could be causing your bleeding.

Breakthrough Bleeding. This happens when pregnancy hormones cover up your usual menstrual cycle, but that cycle continues for a while. This usually occurs around the time that you would have had a period if you weren’t pregnant. You may have this bleeding more than once.

Implantation Bleeding. Another cause of light bleeding is the fertilised egg implanting in your uterus. Implantation bleeding is thought to occur at about the same time as your period would have been due. This type of bleeding is usually more like spotting and lighter in colour than a normal period and not lasting as long as your period would.

And of course the bleeding could be completely unrelated to pregnancy.

However I would never consider bleeding during pregnancy to be ‘normal’ and if it does happen I would suggest that you urgently consult your doctor. Heavy bleeding with back pain can be a symptom of miscarriage and several other problem like molar pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies and should always be reported to your doctor, this is a critical period for your pregnancy and you should be careful.

Your doctor or midwife may suggest you go to an early pregnancy assessment unit (EPAU) at the hospital.

Staff at the EPAU specialise in early pregnancy problems. To try to find out what’s causing your bleeding, staff may:

• test your blood or urine to check your pregnancy hormone levels
• examine your cervix to check it is closed
• arrange for you to have an ultrasound scan (regular or internal)
• check your baby’s heartbeat by ultrasound

All these tests can help to reassure you that all is well. Although depending on what stage in your pregnancy you are at, you may have to wait a week or so as your babies heartbeat will not always be visible on a scan early on.

Doctors sometimes use the term threatened miscarriage to describe early pregnancy bleeding. A threatened miscarriage does not necessarily mean that you will go on to miscarry. Usually, the signs of miscarriage are period-like pains and heavy bleeding, which may include clots.

But be warned that the first thing they will tell you to do is try and relax – which is of course impossible. I have personally had bleeding in all my pregnancies, with my first it turned out to be nothing, with my second we discovered I was having twins but sadly had miscarried one, and with my third pregnancy I also miscarried. It is heartbreaking to go through…so please get any bleeding in pregnancy checked out as soon as possible.

Tags: Bleeding In Pregnancy, Blood Tests, Ectopic Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Blog, Pregnancy Risks, Pregnancy Symptoms, Pregnancy Worries, Scan, Ultrasound

Posted in Pregnancy