Pregnancy is a happy moment for every woman as it shows that you are expecting a child, however, when the pregnancy is associated with bleeding, it could be terrifying. Most of us get easily upset at the sight of blood as we associate it with pain, injury, and death. So when you find blood on your underwear during pregnancy, all sorts of unpleasant scenarios tend to play out on your mind.
If you find that you are bleeding during pregnancy, do not be overtly alarmed, it is an occurrence that affects 1 in 3 women, and this could signal that something has gone wrong with your pregnancy. That is why it is best to check with your doctor each time you bleed during pregnancy as only your doctor can rule out the causes of the threat and take steps to remedy the problem in case something goes wrong.
Causes Of Bleeding During Pregnancy
Bleeding during pregnancy is quite common in the first trimester of a pregnancy. When the egg has been fertilised, it travels up the fallopian tubes into the uterus, where it promptly proceeds to nestle itself in the uterine wall and make its home for the next nine months or thereabout. This can look just like blood but will have a brownish tint. It is absolutely harmless, and a sign that the fertilised egg has settled into your womb. However, if the bleeding is severe or lasts more than a day or two, you should see a doctor.
Miscarriage – the dreaded ‘M’ word that no pregnant woman wants to hear is the first thought that comes to mind when you bleed in pregnancy. It is an unfortunate truth that almost one third of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, and yes, bleeding is one of the signs of miscarriage or a threatened miscarriage. Most miscarriages will happen during the first trimester of pregnancy. Usually, once you are past the 4 month mark, your pregnancy is considered to be safe. The bleeding that signals miscarriage is usually accompanied by backache, pains in the abdomen, and cramping.
You may bleed during pregnancy right after you have had intercourse with your spouse. This is usually because your cervix is rather sensitive during pregnancy due to the increased supply of blood to your organs, and the repetitive movements of intercourse can cause you to bleed.
Breakthrough bleeding is another reason you may bleed during your pregnancy. This type of bleeding occurs around the time that your period would arrive if you were not pregnant. When you are pregnant, pregnancy hormones released by your body prevent your period from coming. However, in the early stages of pregnancy, the hormone levels may not be high enough to prevent the period altogether. So you may experience some bleeding, usually accompanied by your regular period symptoms like cramps, heaviness and bloating. There are a few cases of this kind of breakthrough bleeding occurring throughout the pregnancy with no adverse effects to the mother or the foetus.
The cervix and vagina are so sensitive that even a normal examination by your gynecologist can irritate it and cause it to bleed during pregnancy.
A more serious cause of bleeding during pregnancy is either a cervical or vaginal infection. Other symptoms of an infection would include tenderness or a smelly discharge. If bleeding is accompanied by fever, there is a very high chance that you have an infection and that needs attention right away.
Up to 10% of all pregnancies start off with multiple embryos but end up with just one healthy foetus. If you bleed during pregnancy, it may be a case of the other embryos being expelled.
A few weeks before you go into labour, the thick mucous plug that blocks your cervical opening starts to fall away. This will result in a discharge which will look like bleeding but is merely a sign of impending labour.
Placenta previa occurs in about one of every two hundred pregnancies and is a condition that is characterised by a placenta that is not properly placed. This means that the placenta may be lying too low, almost on top of the cervical opening. Only repeated ultrasounds in different stages of the pregnancy will help to accurately diagnose this condition.
Placential abruption is another abnormality of the placenta which can cause you to bleed during pregnancy. What happens here is that the placenta breaks away from the uterine wall, either partially or wholly. The bleeding from a placential abruption can be quite severe depending on your condition you may be put to bed rest or have to undergo an emergency C-section.
Ectopic pregnancy also causes bleeding during pregnancy. This is when the fertilised egg implants itself outside the uterus, usually on the fallopian tube. This can be an extremely dangerous condition for both mother and baby as the growing embryo will soon result in the bursting of the fallopian tube. Only around 2% of all pregnancies are ectopic. Bleeding will be accompanied by extreme pain in the stomach, nausea and light-headedness to the point of fainting.
Another reason that you are bleeding during pregnancy is that you are close to your due date and going into labour.
Molar pregnancy is a form of cancer and another reason why you are bleeding during pregnancy. This is when an abnormal mass instead of a foetus is growing in your uterus. The mass has been known to be malignant in a few cases and the only way to detect this is through ultrasound.
In rare cases, bleeding during pregnancy is due to a uterine rupture. As the name suggests, this is when the uterus splits open and the baby is expelled into the abdomen.
Remedies for Bleeding During Pregnancy
The remedies for bleeding during pregnancy depend on the cause of the bleeding. If it is simply bleeding because of implantation, then no remedy is required as this is natural and will stop in a day or two. But if you bleed during pregnancy for other reasons like ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, then you will need to see your doctor and discuss the options opened to you.
Preventing Bleeding During Pregnancy
Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to avoid bleeding during pregnancy as it is a medical condition caused by your body response system. Although it is mostly out of your control, you can still do your best to stay as healthy as possible during pregnancy; get appropriate amount of rest and exercise, and stick diligently to your regular doctor’s appointments so that any abnormality will be detected on time
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