Pregnancy is considered as the blooming phase of a woman’s life, yet it is unpredictable until the last moment. To be able to conceive is one thing, but having a smooth pregnancy is yet another. This is also the reason why the first three months are the most crucial, and maximum care is given in the first trimester as these are the months when the baby gets formed.
Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy is common. So it is important to know when the bleeding could be dangerous and requires medical assistance. Let us consider the pointers given below to get a better insight regarding early pregnancy bleeding.
In This Article
- How Much is Bleeding Normal in Early Pregnancy?
- Can You Bleed Like in Period During Early Pregnancy?
- What Does the Spotting Look Like in Early Pregnancy?
- How Long Does Spotting Last During Pregnancy?
- Early Pregnancy Spotting
- Is Bright Red Blood Normal During Early Pregnancy?
- How Do I Know If I’m Miscarrying?
- FAQ’s
How Much is Bleeding Normal in Early Pregnancy?
It is a common phenomenon for women to experience vaginal bleeding in the early months of pregnancy. Bleeding is not always a sign of danger or problem. It is important to see the amount of bleeding that one manifests. Bleeding could indicate a possibility of miscarriage or even ectopic pregnancy. Heavy bleeding and pain that starts around 12 weeks of pregnancy require immediate medical attention.
Implantation bleeding is quite common and not a matter to worry about. It is seen that only 33% of the population of pregnant women undergo implantation bleeding once they are pregnant, and it is not a cause for worry at all. In most cases, the spotting due to implantation bleeding only varies from some hours to a few days.
[Read: Implantation Bleeding – Symptoms And Treatment]
Can You Bleed Like in Period During Early Pregnancy?
It is common for pregnant women to experience some sporadic bleeding during pregnancy, but it does not resemble the flow that one experiences during the normal period. The random spotting or bleeding during pregnancy is mostly light pink or dark brown in appearance, and the volume should not be excessive or heavy, just like one undergoes in normal periods of time.
So, no one cannot bleed profusely like a period in the early stages of pregnancy, though sporadic bleeding is fine, as stated above.
What Does the Spotting Look Like in Early Pregnancy?
Some women do experience spotting, which is also referred to as the light bleeding from the vagina. It is just a few droplets of blood brown or light pink and not heavy flow, as seen in the menstrual cycle.
Bleeding at the time of pregnancy can be a distressing one, but it is not always a cause of worry. Spotting or slight droplets of blood can be due to the causes as mentioned as under:
- An early indicator of pregnancy.
- A side effect of many pills.
- Or a sign of a triggering medical disorder.
So, the duration of the spot is dependent on its cause.
After the 10th to 14th day of conception, the fertilized egg gets implanted in the uterus. This implantation can, at times, lead to irritation and even move the uterus lining resulting in spots.
The pregnant lady also experiences mild cramps accompanied by discomfort and pain during the process of implantation. Thus, this leads them to get confused with regular periods. The spotting, however, does not last for a longer duration and does not even become heavy as time passes.
The spotting also needs no medical treatment and stops on its own, and very soon, other symptoms of pregnancy like fatigue, nausea, sore breasts, etc., can be experienced as well.
How Long Does Spotting Last During Pregnancy?
Spotting or a small amount of bleeding is experienced by 50% of the pregnant ladies. Spotting even tough can happen at any time during the pregnancy phase. but is seen mostly in the first trimester (between 1 and 12 weeks).
Early Pregnancy Spotting
Spotting at the early stages of pregnancy is not a cause of worry, and it has been seen that women who underwent light bleeding delivered healthy babies as well. But at the same time, spotting can even lead to miscarriage, which happens rarely. So it is important to check is spotting is minimal or getting heavier. In case one faces the latter situation, they can even pass tissue or fluid from the vagina, and the bleeding duration could be for some hours or even two weeks.
Spotting in the first trimester could also be indicative of ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy where the fertilized egg gets implanted outside the uterus, especially in the fallopian tube. Spotting can thus result in case the fallopian tube gets ruptured. Ectopic pregnancies are also at times referred to as “Tubal pregnancy,” and they need medical treatment immediately. This type of pregnancy is critical and should be removed with the help of surgery or medication.
Is Bright Red Blood Normal During Early Pregnancy?
Bleeding experienced during pregnancy can be light or heavy in texture and could be dark, pink, bright red, or brown. One can even pass blood in the form of clots. Pregnant ladies experience more discharge than bleeding. Pregnant women also manifest spotting, which is small drops of blood seen on the panty while they wipe off themselves.
[Read: Miscarriage Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention]
How Do I Know If I’m Miscarrying?
Since bleeding is very common in pregnancy, it might become difficult to detect if one has miscarried. The loss of pregnancy around the first 12 weeks is referred to as an early miscarriage. Knowing the symptoms of miscarriage would help in letting one know if they have miscarried.
Symptoms Indicating Miscarriage
- Unfortunately, early miscarriages are quite common. One can miscarry before even knowing that they are pregnant. It is seen that almost 50% of the fertilized eggs are lost in the earlier days of pregnancy, much before a pregnancy test is conducted.
- In about 10-20% of pregnancies, even after the pregnancy test is positive, a miscarriage can happen.
- Most miscarriages take place in the initial 12 weeks of being pregnant.
- Miscarriages happen when the growth of the embryo is not proper and is generally due to chromosomal defects or abnormalities, the reason for which is unknown.
- For optimal growth, a baby requires about 23 chromosomes each from the mother and the father, the occurrence of too many or too few chromosomes or a change in the structure of chromosomes can result in chromosomal abnormalities, thus resulting in miscarriage.
- The most common symptoms are heavy cramps and vaginal bleeding.
- Bleeding could be light or dense, with clots, lasting for a few days.
- Most of early miscarriages are only detected when a routine scan is done during pregnancy.
- The scan detects a pregnancy sac, which shows empty or without the embryo, which is known as a silent or missed miscarriage.
Thus, in case one experiences any bleeding or pain in the early months of pregnancy, which is heavy in texture, it is best to seek medical assistance as it could be a warning or a sign of early miscarriage. It is thus best to understand the difference between light spotting and heavy on. In fact, light spotting is common with many women, but heavy bleeding lasts for a long and is accompanied by heavy cramps and could be a critical one. It is better to be safe than sorry, and pregnancy is no exception as well.
Read Also: Spotting / Bleeding During Pregnancy
FAQ’s
1. In Which Week Of Pregnancy Bleeding Is Possible?
Some bleeding is normal during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, affecting about 20% of women. Bleeding from the vagina during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy can indicate a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy. Bleeding at this part of pregnancy is not necessarily a cause for concern, and most women who experience it go on to have healthy, full-term pregnancies.
2. What Causes Bright Red Bleeding In Early Pregnancy?
Bright red, increasing vaginal bleeding may signal a miscarriage. Yet, pregnant hormones may sensitize your cervix and it is quite normal to see bright red blood on your underpants after sex or a physical examination by a doctor.
