Bleeding during Pregnancy

All pregnant women should be aware of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, because it occurs frequently in the first trimester as a light period or spotting following the first missing period. However, bleeding may be sign of a problem if it occurs in the second or third trimester of your pregnancy.

Bleeding during pregnancy can announce a possible complication or miscarriage, although it is estimated that half of all pregnant women will not suffer from bleeding. Miscarriage only occurs during the first 12 weeks in around 15-20% of all pregnancies bleeding or not.

If you are bleeding during pregnancy, contact your doctor immediately if you are in your second trimester and feeling cramps in the low stomach stronger than menstrual cramp and if you see tissue passing through your vagina. It will take some time before a miscarriage occurs however, most of them cannot be prevented.

Another cause of bleeding during pregnancy is the development of an ectopic pregnancy, a condition that occurs when a fertilized egg implants itself in one of the fallopian tubes, although this "tubal pregnancy" only occurs in 1 out of 60 pregnancies.

An infection in the tubes, a previous pelvic surgery or previous ectopic pregnancies can be the leading cause for an ectopic pregnancy, which signs include sharp pain in the abdominal area, strong cramps in the low stomach, low levels of hCG and bleeding during pregnancy.

Research has shown that nearly 20-30% of all pregnant women experience some degree of bleeding, being considered as a normal process of the body adapting to pregnancy changes. In fact, pre-term labor may produce bleeding during pregnancy a few weeks before your due date, as close as the 37th week.

Preterm signs and symptoms include low, dull backache, pelvic and/or lower abdominal pressure, vaginal discharge whether of blood, mucus, or water, including stomach cramps, sometimes accompanied by diarrhea, and regular contractions.

Also see: Pregnancy Bleeding