Bleeding in early pregnancy

Bleeding in early pregnancy? Don't panic!

If you find signs of blood on your underwear during pregnancy it can be very alarming, but try not to panic, it doesn't necessarily follow that there's a problem. Bleeding in early pregnancy (your first trimester) is quite common and in many cases light and of no threat to your pregnancy.

Having said that, you should always report any bleeding to your doctor or midwife: In some cases bleeding could be a sign of a threatened or actual miscarriage.

The most common causes of bleeding early in pregnancy are implantation bleeding and hormonal bleeding and neither is a sign of a problem with the pregnancy.

Implantation bleeding

Implantation bleeding happens when the embryo and placenta implant in the walls of the uterus, opening up small blood vessels in the uterus in the process. This usually appears as light spotting, although it may be enough that some women mistake it for a very light period, and isn't anything to worry about. Not all women experience implantation bleeding, so if you haven't noticed it it doesn't mean that you're not pregnant (especially if you've noticed some of the other symptoms of pregnancy!).

Hormonal bleeding

Similar to implantation bleeding, this may occur around the time you'd usually have your period and as the name suggests, is caused by hormonal changes. Rarely it may be heavy enough to be mistaken for a period, but for most women this bleeding will be very light. Many pregnancy discomforts can be put down the the vast changes in hormone levels your body is going through.

Threatened miscarriage

A threatened miscarriage usually starts with light bleeding. With a threatened miscarriage the bleeding often stops and the pregnancy develops as normal. However the pregnancy may also miscarry.

Miscarriage

Heavy blood loss accompanied by pain indicate that a miscarriage is more likely. Clots may appear in heavy blood flow and if fetal tissue is passed then a miscarriage is inevitable. If this happens then try to save what you can of any tissue and clots in the blood in a jar - it may help the doctors understand what happened.

What to do

Your doctor will be able to find out more by conducting an examination. If you are diagnosed with a threatened miscarriage you will usually be advised to get plenty of rest, avoid heavy exercise, cut back on work, avoid stress and avoid sex until the bleeding has stopped. More often than not, women with a threatened miscarriage will go on to develop a healthy pregnancy.

If the doctor finds that your cervix is dilating or evidence that the fetus isn't viable, then you will be experiencing a true miscarriage. Your experience and how you are cared for medically will vary depending upon what stage of pregnancy you are at. If you do suffer a miscarriage it's important to remember that miscarriages are very common, and women who have a miscarriage won't necessarily have to go through the experience again. Most will go on to carry a healthy pregnancy to term.

It's also important to know that you are not to blame for a miscarriage. Even when experienced at an early stage, miscarriages can be a very difficult experience. Needing time to recover both physically and emotionally is perfectly normal. Make sure you and your partner feel ready before you try again.