If you’re pregnant, discovering that you’re spotting or bleeding can be worrisome, especially during the earlier weeks, when you’re still new to the pregnancy and not sure about what to expect yet. There are a number of reasons why you may be spotting, and it may not necessarily be a sign of trouble.
Possibility of an Early Miscarriage
As many as 30 percent of all pregnant women experience some spotting or bleeding early on in their pregnancy. About half of those women will end up having a miscarriage, and if you are experiencing any cramping with the spotting or bleeding, this could indicate a serious problem.
The Good News
However, if your health care provider detected a normal heartbeat during an ultrasound between seven and 11 weeks, you have a 90 percent chance of having a normal pregnancy. So don’t panic just yet about experiencing any spotting or bleeding, but do bring it up with your health care provider as soon as possible.
Placenta Problems
At 15 weeks, spotting or bleeding may indicate a problem with the placenta. You may have placenta previa, which is condition where the placenta is partially or completely blocking the cervical opening. Placenta previa occurs in about one out of every 200 pregnancies. Only an ultrasound will be able to indicate whether you have this condition, so call your health care provider immediately to schedule an appointment. Having placenta previa doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to deliver your baby; your health care provider will likely recommend plenty of bed rest and no sex for the rest of your pregnancy, then schedule you for a Cesarean section when the baby reaches full term.
Infection
Spotting may happen for reasons that are completed unrelated to your pregnancy. You may have a yeast infection or sexually transmitted infection, and because your cervix is inflamed, it’s easy for the skin to tear and bleed, especially after having sex or getting a Pap smear. It’s also possible that you have a benign growth, called a polyp, growing in your cervix, which may bleed after having sex. Again, see your health care provider to figure out if this might be the problem.
What To Do
If you are spotting or bleeding, contact your health care provider immediately to schedule an appointment. In the meantime, wear a pantyliner or pad so that you can monitor how much you are bleeding and what color the blood is, so that you are able to describe your situation to your health care provider.