Bleeding But Pregnant: What Causes Bleeding During Pregnancy?

Dr. Dunn A. (M.B.B.S) - Written or Reviewed on January 18th, 2017 in Pregnancy, Women Health, Women Problems

Last updated on July 28th, 2018 at 04:52 am

Are you bleeding but pregnant? Do you feel your bleeding during pregnancy may be due to a miscarriage? Are you getting weak or stopped feeling pregnant? Do you notice blood clots down there? Are you worried you may be seeing your period during pregnancy?

If you are worried about your pregnancy and these questions, then this guide will explain causes of spotting during pregnancy and how to stop it.

Bleeding but pregnant? Should i worry?

If you are pregnant, blood coming out of your vagina can be worrying. Any vaginal bleeding when pregnant should be investigated. It could be simply be from intercourse due to trauma to your vagina or a miscarriage. If you notice bleeding down then when pregnant you should let your doctor know.

What causes bleeding during pregnancy

In pregnancy, there are a number of reasons why you may bleed. These are some of the reason:

During Implantation

If you get pregnant, spotting is one of the first signs of pregnancy. About 30 percent of women may have vagina bleeding in the first trimester and many are due to implantation.

After ovulation, egg released is fertilized by the man’s sperm. This forms your baby or zygote that is implanted into the endometrium of the uterus. This process causes slight spotting or bleeding that you may see in early pregnancy. If you are not sure about the difference between your period and implantation bleeding, then you should.

Implantation bleeding is intermittent and usually last for few days. It comes out as thick brown discharge and does not smell or itch. However, during periods, your may experience severe cramping and continuous bleeding for days. Also, early period or any slight bleeding 4 to 5 days before your period may be due to implantation.

Should i be worried if my bleeding is due to implantation?

Implantation bleeding may easily be confused with periods. However, implantation is a common cause of bleeding during early pregnancy. Other early pregnancy symptoms include

Spotting just before your period
You feel implantation pain that resolves in few hours or days
Abdominal bloating
You feel like vomiting
Your breast swells and pains
You experience pinkish vaginal discharge before period

If you are confused about your symptoms, then you should wait for a few days and take a pregnancy test.

Miscarriage

Are you bleeding weeks after you missed your period? Do you feel lower abdomen pain? Are you bleeding with blood clots?

Miscarriage, which is the spontaneous end of pregnancy, can may cause bleeding while pregnant. There are different types of miscarriage, though not all types will cause bleeding.

Threatened miscarriage is slight spotting during pregnancy and your baby is still alive. However, during missed miscarriage, there are no bleeding and the baby is not alive.

What should i do if i have miscarriage bleeding?

Bleeding during pregnancy, when due to miscarriage, usually occurs before 8 weeks or 2 months. Beyond 8 weeks, the chances of having a miscarriage reduces. If you experience bleeding with blood clots during pregnancy, then you should inform your doctor ASAP.

What are at risk to have miscarriage when pregnant?

Women older than 40 years
Chronic diseases in pregnancy —high blood pressure or diabetes
When your baby has a genetic disorder
If your uterus has abnormal shape and size
If you have fibroids when pregnant

Sexual intercourse during pregnancy

If you’ve had intercourse and notice pregnancy bleeding, then it may be the cause.

How does intercourse cause bleeding in pregnancy?

During pregnancy, there is an increased blood supply to the cervix and vagina. This causes your vagina or cervix to easily bleed during intercourse or little trauma. Also, because of increased hormones during pregnancy, you may have bleeding too. If you’re worried about your increased discharge or bleeding after intercourse when pregnant, then you shouldn’t.

What should i do if i bleed after intercourse?

Most bleeding after intercourse may come out as brown spotting or discharge. It usually resolves in few hours or days. However, if bleeding becomes persistent, then you should inform your doctor.

Vaginal infections during pregnancy

If you have any infection during pregnancy, it may cause irregular bleeding. Some of the vaginal infection are:

How do i know if i have an infection?

Abdominal pain
Irregular spotting
Abnormal pregnancy discharge like smelly discharge, yellow vaginal discharge or green discharge
Pain while urinating (dysuria)
Vaginal scratching or itching

What to do if i have vaginal infection in pregnancy?

Inform your doctor ASAP. Most vaginal infections during pregnancy can be treated and cured. Your vaginal samples will be collected and tested before treatment.

If you fail to treat your infection when pregnant, you may have a miscarriage, bleeding or preterm delivery.

Ectopic pregnancy

If you notice vaginal bleeding after your missed period with cramps, it may be due to ectopic pregnancy.

What is ectopic pregnancy? When you get pregnant (that is the sperm fertilizes the egg), the baby formed is transported back to the uterus for implantation. If this process fails, then it may be implanted outside the uterus. This is ectopic pregnancy.

How can i differentiate miscarriage from ectopic pregnancy?

During ectopic pregnancy, you will notice severe abdomen pain. Mild pressure on your abdomen will cause severe pain, if your ectopic is bleeding. Also, pain is more on one side. If the ectopic is on the left fallopian tube, you will experience more pain on left side of your abdomen.

During a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, you feel dizzy and very weak.

If you notice these symptoms, then let your doctor know. Ectopic pregnancy is an emergency and can cause death without prompt intervention.

Placenta previa

Placenta previa is bleeding due to abnormal placenta attachment. If your placenta is attached low in your uterus and close to your cervix, it can cause bleeding. However, this is not common before 24 and 28 weeks. Placenta previa is a common cause of bleeding in the second half of pregnancy.

Abruption placenta

Abruption placenta is a cause of bleeding after 24 weeks of pregnancy. It is an abnormal detachment of your placenta from the uterus. Sometimes bleeding can be severe with severe abdominal pain.

How to stop bleeding during pregnancy?

Is it possible to stop bleeding? Yes. However, some women can still lose their pregnancy with proper medical care.

Did your spotting occur after intercourse?
Do you see blood clots?
Is your bleeding heavy and has continued for days or weeks? (heavy bleeding)
Do you feel severe abdominal pain? (Infection or miscarriage)
Is your body temperature high? (Infection or due to severe blood loss)
Do you feel like fainting?. (Ectopic pregnancy or severe blood loss)
Is your discharge smelly or do you have pain in your vagina (Vaginal Infections)
Do you feel clots or fetal tissue coming out?

Next: Get a thermometer and a panty-liner. Panty-liner prevents staining.

Check your body temperature, if high, then it’s probably due to an infection. You should inform your doctor.

Get bed rest

Bed rest is commonly a routine advise by doctors if you have a threatened miscarriage or any bleeding during pregnancy.

Avoid sexual intercourse with your partner

If you were having intercourse during pregnancy, then its time to stop. Sexual intercourse can easily worsen your bleeding when pregnant. Also, if your bleeding stops, you should avoid intercourse for at least 3 weeks after bleeding has stopped.

Stop vaginal douching

If you use a douche to clean your vagina when pregnant, then its time to stop. Vaginal douching can cause infection or trauma to your vagina or cervix.

Avoid stressful activities?

What kind of work do you do? Is it stressful? Avoid heavy work and rest a lot

Drink a lot of water everyday

Heavy vaginal bleeding can affect blood supply to your baby. Drink at least 6 to 8 cups of water everyday while preparing to see your doctor.

Inform your doctor

Inform your doctor of any bleeding while pregnant to prevent any further stress to your baby.

FAQs about pregnancy bleeding

These are some commonly asked questions about pregnancy bleeding.

What causes cervix bleeding during pregnancy?

If you’ve had pap smear, intercourse or during a pelvic examination when your doctor visualizes your cervix then it can cause bleeding. If there is a cervical polyp, you may experience bleeding too.

Why does this happen?

During pregnancy, the cervix becomes well vascularized and can easily bleed from slight trauma.

How much bleeding is normal in early pregnancy?

One in four pregnant women will have vaginal bleeding. So whats normal in pregnancy?

There is no safe bleeding when pregnant. Though bleeding could be minor from vaginal tear during intercourse, you may not be very sure of the cause of your bleeding. The risk of bleeding to your baby’s health should always be considered. You should always inform your doctor.

If you are bleeding like your period before pregnancy, then it should seriously concern you. Spotting during pregnancy due to minor causes is usually lighter that your pre-pregnancy period.

Can you spot or bleed during pregnancy?

Yes. Bleeding occurs in 10 to 30 percent of pregnancies during the first trimester. However, most of them are mild and resolve if due to implantation or intercourse. However, heavy bleeding is abnormal and requires urgent treatment.

What causes heavy bleeding during pregnancy?

If you are having heaving bleeding while pregnant, then you should see your doctor immediately. If your pregnancy is before 24 weeks, its likely you have miscarriage.

Do you feel pregnancy symptoms and signs? (If yes, then its threatened miscarriage. If you don’t feel signs of pregnancy anymore, then you may have an incomplete abortion)
Do you have heavy blot clots (Its likely a miscarriage)
Do you feel like fainting with severe abdomen pain? (Its likely an ectopic pregnancy)

However, if you experience heavy bleeding after 24 – 28 weeks, then its likely due to placenta previa.

What should i do if i have heavy bleeding while pregnant?

Inform your doctor. If due to miscarriage and the baby is alive, your doctor will encourage bed rest with ultrasound to monitor your pregnancy. If your baby is not alive, your doctor will evacuate products of conception to stop bleeding.

In addition, if your bleeding is severe, blood transfusion may be necessary to prevent anemia in pregnancy.

What causes light bleeding first month of pregnancy?

Light bleeding during the first month of bleeding is may be due to

Miscarriage
Implantation
During sexual intercourse
Vaginal infections
Tubal pregnancy

Any bleeding weeks after you missed your period may not be due to implantation. Inform your doctor ASAP.

What causes 6 weeks pregnant bleeding

If you are bleeding during pregnancy at 6 weeks then its likely due to

Threatened miscarriage
Inevitable miscarriage
Trauma to the cervix during intercourse
Ectopic pregnancy
Gonorrhea or chlamydia infection

You should inform your doctor

What causes bleeding during pregnancy 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 weeks?

Miscarriage
Trauma to the cervix during intercourse
Ectopic pregnancy
Vaginal infections
Fibroid during pregnancy
Smoking

What should I do if i’m bleeding during 7 – 11 weeks? Inform your doctor.

What causes bleeding at 12 weeks pregnancy?

If you are pregnant, the chances of a miscarriage reduce after the 12 weeks. However, it could be the cause of your bleeding too. Miscarriage bleeding becomes heavier as your baby grows. You may experience much more bleeding. Inform your doctor about symptoms ASAP.

Can you bleed and still be pregnant?

Yes. It is possible to still be pregnant after bleeding. If your bleeding is due to vaginal infections, threatened miscarriage or during intercourse then its possible you are still pregnant. However, if bleeding during pregnancy is due to incomplete miscarriage, septic miscarriage and missed miscarriage then its unlikely you are pregnant.

Causes of early pregnancy bleeding?

Causes of bleeding early pregnancy are:

Trauma to the vagina area
Stress
Long travel
Threatened miscarriage
Incomplete miscarriage
Ectopic pregnancy
Vaginal infections
Fibroid
Sexual intercourse
Emotional anxiety

Now its your turn. Do you have heavy bleeding during pregnancy? Let us know. Share your symptoms.

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