Why Am I Bleeding During Pregnancy- Your Trimester Wise Guide?

When you are pregnant and expecting your baby, spotting or bleeding can prove to be unnerving. A little spotting or light bleeding during pregnancy is common, especially in early pregnancy. Below are some of the causes of spotting or bleeding while you are pregnant and things you need to do when it happens to you.

Any kind of spotting or bleeding during pregnancy can prove to be terrifying even for most level-headed mothers to be. The good news is that even though spotting happens in approximately one-third of the pregnancies, it many times poses no risks to the mother or the child. It is quite common for a very small percentage of the women who are pregnant to have to bleed after intercourse for instance, and other can have it for reasons which are not related to pregnancy at all like tears in the vaginal walls or infections.

A vast majority of bleeding during pregnancy is harmless according to the experts. But bleeding during pregnancy may be indicative of a number of complications including ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage as well as placenta previa and therefore should not be ignored at all. So here are a few reasons because of which you can experience bleeding while you are pregnant and also a few tips for efficiently communicating the symptoms to the ob-gyn.

Also, Read- 10 Pregnancy symptoms you should never ignore

The first 20 weeks

As per the experts around 25-40% of the women might experience some kind of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy in the 1st trimester and often than not pregnancy would progress normally. As per the American Pregnancy Association, there’re various possible causes of the innocuous bleeding or spotting in the 1st half of the pregnancy including:

• Hormonal changes
• Implantation bleeding that occurs approximately four weeks of pregnancy since the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall
• Infections
• Sexual intercourse
• Internal examination is done by the midwife or obstetrician
• Infections
• Many a times bleeding during the 1st half of the pregnancy may be a sign of a very serious condition.

Sub chorionic hemorrhage that is spotting around placenta. Even though it’s possible to easily continue with the normal pregnancy after this kind of bleeding occurs prompt treatment and diagnosis is important. Most subchorionic hemorrhages resolve but it puts women at an enhanced risk for the other complications like preterm labor.

• Chemical pregnancy that occurs when egg fertilizes but not implants fully in the uterus
• A miscarriage that is the spontaneous loss of pregnancy in 1st 20 weeks of pregnancy. Often, spotting or bleeding which occurs during the miscarriage would be accompanied by the other symptoms like abdominal pain or cramping
• An ectopic pregnancy that occurs while a fertilized eggs implant somewhere other than uterus most often in the fallopian tube. Sometimes known as tubal pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy cant progress usually and it can also be life-threatening to the mom if not diagnosed properly
• Molar pregnancy which is nonviable pregnancy is characterized by abnormal growth on placenta and generally an abnormal foetus

Also, Read-Complete guide on labor pains

Bottom line- any kind of vaginal spotting during pregnancy may be a signal of a bigger problem. That is why it is very important that you reach out to your doctor as soon as possible. You need to be prepared for how much blood has been lost and also the description of your condition overall. Experts also insist that you should check if you are having vaginal bleeding which might make you feel faint. You also need to see if spotting is persistent or if it is accompanied by fever or pain.

The last 20 weeks

Even though the risk related to miscarriage which is known as stillbirth post the 1st 20 weeks diminishes greatly after 1st trimester and a number of early complications are not the factor like molar pregnancy and ectopic, Pregnancy Bleeding during the 1st half of your pregnancy needs to be taken seriously especially when it is ongoing.

Causes of bleeding in the 2nd half of pregnancy include:

• Sexual intercourse
• Cervical checks especially late in 3rd trimester when they are more frequent
• Placenta Previa that is when placenta covers cervix either completely or partially

Placental abruption wherein placenta tears off from the walls of the uterus may cause major vaginal bleeding and is also life-threatening to the mother as well as the baby. According to American Academy of Family Physicians, the placental abruption is a common cause of severe bleeding during pregnancy. This condition is rare and happens only in 1% of all the pregnancies

Preterm labor wherein the vaginal bleeding is mainly accompanied by contractions or cramping, pelvic pressure, diarrhoea or a backache before thirty-seven weeks may have severe repercussions for your baby if not properly managed. After thirty-seven weeks, all these symptoms may become just a normal start to labor pains.

So, no matter when it happens, any kind of Pregnancy Bleeding warrants that you call your midwife or doctor even if it is just to confirm if nothing is serious. You need to be prepared to answer all the detailed questions about the amount, color as well as timing of bleeding for helping your practitioner state the possible cause.

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