Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy – Why it Happens
Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy Why it Happens
Pregnancy is a truly wonderful time in a woman's life when her body undergoes all sorts of changes. This is a very exciting period when she has so many wonderful things to look forward to. However, there are also many things that can be very worrying to the woman and one of them is vaginal bleeding. Interestingly, this is quite a common experience with women. If you experience this you should get immediate help. There are many reasons why this could be happening and doctors will have to offer you the appropriate treatment in a timely manner.
The earliest bleeding that occurs during pregnancy is at the time of implantation. This is more in the nature of slight spotting and is absolutely nothing to be worried about. In fact, this is considered to be one of the earliest signs of being pregnant and many women do their tests to confirm that they are carrying a child only after this. If the spotting happens in the first trimester after the pregnancy has been confirmed there is a great cause for concern especially if it is accompanied by abdominal pain or cramping. One reason could be that you could be miscarrying the baby while the other is that it is an ectopic pregnancy. Almost 25 percent of women suffer from miscarriage related spotting and about half of them eventually have a miscarriage. An ectopic pregnancy is a potentially life threatening condition that requires medical help at the very earliest.
Many women in the second or third trimester suffer slight bleeding. This is a very disturbing sign because it could indicate that there is a problem with the placenta. Bleeding during this period usually heralds the start of a late miscarriage or early labor, both of which are not good news for you. Other reasons for this bleeding could be that you are suffering from placenta previa or placental abruption. Interestingly, lots of women who have slight bleeding in the first trimester are at greater risk for third trimester problems. Therefore, if you have suffered from bleeding early in your pregnancy your doctor will recommend that you take special care of yourself especially up to the 37th week when you are at risk of going into premature labor.
Once you have crossed your 37th week there is no more cause for concern if you have started to bleed. This could mean that you are ready for labor since your cervix has begun to dilate and you have lost the mucus plug that protects the fetus from harm from outside. This is usually a tinge of blood and the bleeding should not be heavier than some spotting.
It is very important for you to be aware of the different things that could happen to you when you are carrying your child. This awareness will help you be better prepared to face various situations and to recognize a problem when you experience it. This will help you carry your baby to term without too many problems.