Bloody show pregnancy
Pregnancy and vaginal bleeding: should you be worried?
Are you bleeding during pregnancy? Spotting, frequent discharge, blood clots… Discover our articles to understand why you are losing blood when pregnant and what this could be due to.
What causes bleeding during pregnancy?
Sometimes pregnant women experience bleeding. This can be due to different reasons and can be more or less benign. Here are some causes of pregnancy bleeding:
A vaginal infection or yeast infection
Birthday rules
An ectopic pregnancy
A sexual intercourse
Implantation hemorrhage (when the egg implants in the uterus)
If you have any doubts about the origin of these losses, do not hesitate to consult a health professional.
Bleeding during the first months of pregnancy
When pregnant, you may notice bleeding at different stages. Bleeding in early pregnancy is quite common , and affects around 20 to 30% of pregnant women. As mentioned above, this is loss due to the implantation of the egg , or which occurs following a gynecological examination, or sexual intercourse, due to the thinness of the uterine wall. If you have any doubts, or are worried, do not hesitate to talk to a doctor, such as a gynecologist or a midwife. They will be able to prescribe an ultrasound scan, to ensure that the pregnancy is progressing smoothly.
Bleeding in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy
In the second and third trimesters, bleeding can result from placenta previa . Implanted too low in the uterus, the placenta can then completely or partially cover the cervix . If contractions occur, the lower part of the uterus stretches, detaches the placenta and opens the cervix. Rest and medication are then prescribed to the expectant mother to limit contractions, prevent the cervix from opening further and prevent the child from being born prematurely.
It can also be – more rarely – a retroplacental hematoma located between the uterus and the placenta. It manifests itself by bleeding (profuse or not) and severe and sudden abdominal pain. The placenta partially detaches, and exchanges between the mother and the child are less good. There is a risk of suffering for the fetus and hemorrhage for the mother. An emergency caesarean section is then performed .
Blood loss during pregnancy: when should you consult a doctor?
If the bleeding, or spotting, is accompanied by other symptoms, such as dizziness or pain in the stomach or shoulders, headaches, or vision problems, then you should go to the emergency room. The same applies if the bleeding becomes too heavy , and requires the use of several sanitary napkins in a few hours.
It is also important to see a healthcare professional if it appears after the first trimester of pregnancy. It may then come from the placenta, which would be poorly positioned in the uterus (as seen above), be a sign of a miscarriage, or the start of labor. However, not all bleeding is necessarily a symptom of risk for pregnancy, which is why you should consult a doctor, in order to dispel any doubts.
