Can You Get Your Period While Pregnant?

“Can you get your period while pregnant?” is a common question women ask during pregnancy.

It is not possible that you will have a true period while pregnant. However, you can have spotting or bleeding while pregnant, and this can be normal or a sign of a problem. Any bleeding in pregnancy is not a true menstrual period and should be discussed with your doctor or midwife. Guidelines from groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the NHS advise that you seek medical advice for any bleeding in pregnancy.

Do you feel abdominal pain with spotting? Are you having heavy bleeding while pregnant?

This article explains the reasons why you have bleeding while pregnant and when to worry.

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What is period and what causes it

Period is monthly cyclical vaginal bleeding that occurs in women due to interplay of hormones resulting in shedding of the endometrium.

Days between 2 period is your period cycle length and can vary among women. However, normal period cycle length is 21 – 35 days.

4 parts of period are

• The follicular phase (which occurs before ovulation)

• Ovulation

• The luteal phase (which occurs after ovulation)

• Period (shedding of the inner uterine lining called endometrium)

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Causes of bleeding while pregnant

These are the possible reasons you may have bleeding during pregnancy.

Implantation bleeding

Up to about 20–25 percent of pregnant women will have some bleeding or spotting during the first trimester. PMC+1 Bleeding in early pregnancy can have many causes, and implantation bleeding is one possible cause.

What is implantation bleeding?

If you get pregnant after fertilization, the embryo or fertilized egg is moved back to the uterus, where it is attached to the endometrium.

This attachment to the endometrium may cause slight vaginal bleeding in some women. This bleeding usually lasts for a few hours to 1–3 days and is called implantation bleeding. Only around one-third of pregnant women notice implantation bleeding, and it is usually light. Cleveland Clinic

Implantation bleeding occurs few days to a week before you’re expecting your period.

Different form of vaginal discharge that may be due to implantation bleeding are

• Bloody mucus discharge before period

• Brown mucus discharge before period

• Pink discharge before period

If you are still not sure about pregnancy, you can use a sensitive home pregnancy kit (for example, First Response or similar brands) to test. These tests can often detect pregnancy from around the time your period is due. If negative, you should wait till about 7 days after your period is late to test again if your period still has not come. Cleveland Clinic+1

You can also read more about implantation bleeding from Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic

Symptoms if pregnant are

• Increased vaginal white discharge

• Breast soreness

• Nipple discharge

• Breast swelling and pain

• Feeling like vomiting

• Cramping before your period

• Cramps after your missed period

• Abdominal swelling or bloating

• Food craving and aversion

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Miscarriage

If you are already pregnant, your vaginal bleeding may be resulting from a miscarriage.

What is miscarriage and what are the types?

A miscarriage is actually an unexpected loss of pregnancy before unborn infant can live out of the womb (before viability, usually before around 20–24 weeks depending on the country). nhs.uk+1 There are several types of miscarriage women experience:

• Threatened miscarriage – You may or may not have abdominal pain with bleeding from your vagina, but the cervix is still closed and the baby may still be alive.

• Missed miscarriage – You stop feeling pregnant without any vaginal bleeding; the pregnancy has stopped developing but has not yet come away.

• Incomplete miscarriage – This occurs when some part of the fetus or pregnancy tissue is still within the uterus resulting in heavier bleeding.

Symptoms and signs of miscarriage are

• Abdominal pain

• Back pain

• Nausea and vomiting

• Vaginal bleeding (may be light or heavy, sometimes with clots) nhs.uk+1

• Body weakness if bleeding is severe

What to do?

You must inform your doctor or midwife about any bleeding during pregnancy. An ultrasound will usually be carried out to determine if your baby is still alive and to check the cause of the bleeding. RCOG+1

Doctors used to recommend strict bed rest for threatened miscarriage. However, research has not shown that strict bed rest improves outcomes, and it can increase the risk of blood clots and muscle weakness. Most guidelines now do not recommend routine strict bed rest, though your doctor may advise you to rest more, avoid heavy lifting, and avoid sex while you are bleeding. RCOG

If the pregnancy is not viable, management options can include:

• Waiting for the pregnancy tissue to pass naturally (expectant management)

• Using medicines (for example, tablets inserted in the vagina or taken by mouth) to help the womb empty

• A minor surgical procedure to remove the remaining tissue

The choice depends on your symptoms, your scan findings and your preferences. nhs.uk+1

You can read more patient-friendly information on miscarriage from the NHS. nhs.uk

Seek emergency help if you have very heavy bleeding (soaking a pad in less than an hour), severe abdominal pain, fever, dizziness or fainting.

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Ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy occurs if your baby after fertilization is implanted outside the uterus. If it occurs within the Fallopian tube, it may cause rupture and bleeding into the abdomen with very severe pain. Ectopic pregnancy is life-threatening and needs urgent treatment in hospital. ACOG+1

If you’re bleeding from your vagina with severe abdominal pain, you should certainly convey your symptoms to your health care provider as quick as possible or go to the emergency room.

Other signs of an ectopic pregnancy are

• Feeling tired easily

• Abdominal pain worse on either the left or right side of the abdomen

• Generalized pain in the abdomen due to collection of blood inside the abdomen

• Feeling like fainting

• Fainting attacks

• Dizziness

• Low blood pressure in severe cases

• Pain in the tip of your shoulder or pain when you breathe in deeply (shoulder-tip pain from internal bleeding) nhs.uk

Who are at risk to develop ectopic pregnancy?

• Untreated chlamydia infection

• Untreated gonorrhea infection

• Pelvic inflammatory disease

• You’ve had an ectopic in your previous pregnancy

• Previous Fallopian tube surgeries

• Becoming pregnant while using an intrauterine device (IUD)

For more details on symptoms and management, see the NHS page on ectopic pregnancy. nhs.uk+1

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During sexual intercourse

Did you notice vaginal bleeding after a rough sexual intercourse with your partner?

Sexual intercourse during pregnancy may cause trauma to the cervix and vagina resulting in slight bleeding. This occurs due to improved circulation to your vaginal canal and cervix during pregnancy. However, this bleeding is usually small and for a short while.

If your bleeding after intercourse is heavy, associated with pain, or continues, you will need to communicate to your doctor to exclude numerous other causes of bleeding. ACOG+1

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Placenta bleeding

Abruptio placentae and placenta previa are important causes of heavy bleeding after about 20–24 weeks of pregnancy.

Abruptio placentae (placental abruption) occurs due to detachment of placenta from uterine wall with reduced blood supply to your baby and can be very dangerous for both mother and baby. PatientPop

Other symptoms are

• Abdominal pain

• Body weakness

• Contractions

Placenta previa occurs as a result of abnormal position of the placenta that may cause bleeding during the second half of pregnancy. Bleeding from placenta previa is often painless but can be very heavy and may put you and your baby at risk. Depending on the location of placenta it can prevent vaginal birth, thereby necessitating cesarean section. RCOG+1

You can read more about placenta praevia and low-lying placenta from Tommy’s, a UK pregnancy charity. Tommy’s

If you are bleeding after around 20–24 weeks, it could be due to placenta problems or other causes (such as early labour or cervical changes). You should notify your doctor or go to the hospital as quickly as possible for urgent assessment. nhs.uk

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FAQs: Can you get your period while pregnant?

These are some commonly asked questions that may concern you if you’re spotting while pregnant.

Can you get your period and still be pregnant in the first month?

You cannot get a true period when pregnant. If you have a normal period-like bleed, then you are usually not pregnant. However, if you are pregnant, you can have spotting once in a while due to intercourse, implantation, trauma to the cervix, subchorionic haematoma or miscarriage.

One possible reason for light blood loss during the first month of pregnancy is implantation bleeding, which occurs before your expected period with mild cramps. Implantation bleeding does not last more than about 3 days and the flow is usually light and intermittent. Cleveland Clinic

Other reason you may spot in your first month are

• Ectopic pregnancy

• Pelvic examination by your doctor

• Pap smear

What to do?

Always inform your doctor or midwife about any bleeding during pregnancy, especially if it is heavy, painful, or associated with dizziness or fainting. nhs.uk+1

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Can you have heavy bleeding and still be pregnant?

If you’re having heavy bleeding during pregnancy, then the chances you are still pregnant are lower, and it can be a sign of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or serious placenta problems. In some cases heavy bleeding can occur and the pregnancy continues, but this always needs urgent medical review.

Causes of heavy bleeding are

• Miscarriage

• Ectopic pregnancy

• Abruptio placentae

• Placenta previa

You should inform your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately. It’s possible you are bleeding heavily due to retained products of conception or another complication that needs urgent treatment. ACOG

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Can I be pregnant and still have regular period?

You cannot have regular period while pregnant. If you have period-like regular bleeding that last between 3 – 7 days with your usual flow pattern, then its unlikely you’re pregnant.

However, you can confirm pregnancy by informing your doctor or taking a pregnancy test.

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How rare is it to be pregnant and have period?

You cannot be pregnant and still have a true menstrual period.

During the first 3 months of pregnancy, up to about 20–25 percent of women will have some vaginal bleeding or spotting, but this is not a normal period. PMC+1 Bleeding has many possible causes such as implantation bleeding, threatened miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, subchorionic haematoma or infection. Cleveland Clinic

During the second half of pregnancy, bleeding is less common but can occur due to placenta problems (placenta previa, placental abruption), cervical changes, infections or the start of labour. Any bleeding in later pregnancy needs urgent review in hospital. PatientPop

Other reasons you’re bleeding are

• Ectopic pregnancy

• Miscarriage

Now its your turn. Still worried why you’re bleeding while pregnant? Comment below, and remember this article is for information only and does not replace seeing your doctor or midwife.