Bleeding During Pregnancy - Is It Normal?

Pregnancy is a beautiful phase for any woman, and should be enjoyed to the fullest. That being said, pregnant women need to take care of their health at all times, as a young life depends on them. Taking into account how paranoid a to-be mother can be, any form of bleeding during pregnancy can cause a lot of trepidation. However, a lot of this worry is not really required at all.

A lot of pregnant women bleed during the first trimester of their pregnancy. As a matter of fact, many who bleed do not know or realise just how common it really is, and as a result, they get quite a lot more worried than they should. In fact, it happens to about one in five women who are pregnant.

Why bleeding occurs?

• It is quite likely that if a miscarriage is to occur, it will occur during the first trimester, or the first twelve weeks. As a matter of fact, bleeding is most likely to occur between weeks five and eight. A woman would get to know that she is having a miscarriage if there is tissue which is being passed, and at the same time, she feels some very intense cramps in the lower part of the abdomen.
• Another reason why women bleed, which is also quite likely to occur during the first trimester, is due to the process of implantation. However, this sort of bleeding is not heavy by any measure. The ironic thing is that a lot of women discover that they are pregnant by this form of bleeding and it usually occurs within a week to about twelve days after the conception has taken place.
• One of the more baffling reasons for bleeding when a woman is pregnant is bleeding which occurs after sexual intercourse. While it may seem odd that something which is supposed to be pleasurable should actually end up causing blood loss, all this is a sign of is that the tissues around the vagina are receiving a great amount of blood supply. It is to be noted, that no risk is caused the foetus because of this as it is located in the uterus.

What to do if you bleed?

• No matter how light or heavy the bleeding, the midwife or the doctor must be kept up to date with the situation at hand. This is because if there is any corrective action which is to be taken, the delay in time is to be kept to a minimum.
• A cause for genuine concern over the period of the pregnancy is if there is bleeding post 20 weeks. In most circumstances, bleeding is not worth the mental trouble. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.