Bleeding Spot-That’s Alarm Bell

Will that be normal pregnancy symptom to have spot or bleeding during pregnancy, especially in early pregnancy?  Some pregnant women or even some books said it is possible to get the period during pregnancy.  But this must be unexceptional case or I miss any point.  So many questions come in my mind, and it is about time to learn if it is really dangerous.

Check the color, implantation bleeding is lighter than menstrual bleeding, and consists of pink or brown colored blood. It occurs when the trophoblast, or tissue that surrounds the egg, attaches to the endometrium and slowly eats its way into the lining. As it does so, it eats through the mother's blood vessels, forming blood lakes within itself. When these blood lakes form near the surface of the trophoblast, they often cause implantation bleeding.

It is true that many pregnant women have vaginal spotting or vaginal bleeding in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. But if there is vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy, a doctor have to do a pelvic exam.  In addition, a blood test may be done to measure human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)  But since hCG levels will increase during pregnancy, there may be more than one test. Ultrasound may be used to find the cause of the bleeding as well.

However, above method cannot guarantee that we will find the cause of bleeding. In this case, special care is needed because it means the chance of going into labor too early (preterm labor) or the infant will be too small.

Most dangerous of bleeding during pregnancy is it can lead to impending miscarriage. Your health care provider may want to check the baby's heartbeat or ask you to have an ultrasound check.

You may be advised to put your feet up and avoid physical activity. Studies have shown that this is not particularly helpful in preventing miscarriage, but it makes many moms feel better.

Bright red bleeding could also indicate complications such as a low-lying placenta (placenta previa). Red bleeding is a situation where the placenta is lying across the cervix. This complication often corrects itself by the end of pregnancy.

The other cause for bleeding during pregnancy is implantation bleeding. It is a condition where a little amount of bleeding takes place in the very early stages of pregnancy (10-14 days after fertilization). It happens generally when the fertilized egg joins the lining of the uterus. This condition doesn't last for longer period.

Molar pregnancy is a condition where an abnormal mass (without a baby) develops in the uterus after fertilization process. In molar pregnancy, bleeding during pregnancy is most common. However, it is a rare cause of bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy.

If you think you already pass the climax, you are wrong.  There is also bleeding during late pregnancy. Bleeding in late pregnancy can be a sign of problems with the placenta such as placenta previa or placental abruption. It could also be a sign of a late miscarriage if you are in your second trimester or preterm labor. There are several causes for bleeding during late pregnancy but we will not talk about it now.   It is more important to me to get through the first trimmer without any bleeding before anything else.