Menstruation During Pregnancy
The Truth about Menstruation During Pregnancy
When it comes to the human body there are always going to be things which might seem hard to understand, and one of them is menstruation during pregnancy. Most people would think that since one of the ways to tell if you are pregnant is not having your period, that menstruating during pregnancy would be impossible.
But it’s not true. While some women do not menstruate during pregnancy and others only do so for a few months at the beginning of the pregnancy, still others continue to have their menstrual periods right through the entire pregnancy. Another menstrual fallacy which is commonly held is that women cannot get pregnant while they are menstruating. In reality, menstrual cycles vary so greatly that it is possible for a woman to become pregnant on any day while she is menstruating.
If you are pregnant and you do have bleeding, however, do not assume it is your period. Any bleeding during pregnancy could be a potentially life-threatening situation for the baby or the mother-to-be. And, menstruation during pregnancy is not a usual occurrence which happens every day. It is more unique than that.
Let’s look at several reasons why people experience bleeding during pregnancy:
As already noted, some women have a menstrual cycle that remains regular all the way through pregnancy This is most likely to happen when the woman becomes pregnant right at the beginning of her period. This situation is further confused because due dates and gestational ages are figured based on the date when a woman had her last menstruation.
Bleeding during pregnancy can happen because of an ectopic pregnancy. That’s when the fertilized egg implants itself onto another organ and not into the uterus. In most cases the embryo attaches to the fallopian tube. Because there is not enough room to grow within the tube, bleeding will start when the embryo tries to grow and presses against the tube. An ectopic pregnancy is very dangerous for the mother-to-be, and if the embryo is not surgically removed from the fallopian tubes, she can die.
Having a miscarriage is another cause of bleeding during pregnancy that is different than menstruation during pregnancy. If you start to have cramping and bleeding during the first few months of the pregnancy, the chances are very good that it is because of a miscarriage. Once again, the need is to get to a hospital or set up an emergency doctor’s visit. There is very little that can be done for a miscarriage. Unfortunately, only 25% of all pregnancies end up with a live birth. Many pregnancies end in miscarriage before the woman has any idea she is pregnant.
Implantation bleeding is another cause of blood flow early in the pregnancy. This is when the fertilized egg implants itself into the lining or the uterus. Because this lining is mostly blood, there will be some spotting up to a heavier amount, but not the usual amount of blood a woman would have during an entire menstrual period. The color of this blood is more pinkish brown than the usual light or dark red during a normal period.
A placental abruption can have bleeding that looks like menstrual blood and it flows at just about the same rate. In this instance, the placenta releases itself from the uterine wall long before it should. This is also a condition that needs medical treatment.
If you are pregnant and experience anything other than the most spotty bleeding, it means you need to be examined by a doctor to determine your condition and get treatment.