When Pregnancy Spotting Is Normal And When It Can Be Dangerous

You may observe some pregnancy spotting and bleeding very early on in your pregnancy. This is a perfectly normal sign, a sign of the fertilized embryo’s implantation on the uterus’s walls. If this happens, you need not worry however, sometimes there may be heavy bleeding, and this is cause for concern. You must get to a doctor quickly at this time.

Often, you may not know what has caused the pregnancy spotting. Spotting is usually very light bleeding, which occurs immediately before or after normal menstruation. It may vary in color from pink, to red to brown. Here are the causes of spotting.

Implantation bleeding

When the fertilized embryo lodges itself against the uterus walls, it causes a slight bleeding or spotting. This happens very early on in your pregnancy, so early that you may not even know that you are pregnant.

Ectopic Pregnancy

Sometimes, it happens that the egg is fertilized and implanted not in the uterus, but in one of the fallopian tubes. Then the fetus enlarges there for a few days, until the fallopian tube splits and an ectopic pregnancy is caused. During this time, you may get spotting from the vagina accompanied by cramps and unbearable pain in the lower abdomen.

About thirty percent of the women have light bleeding from the vagina in early pregnancy, and about half of these miscarry. If the heartbeat of the fetus is alright in an ultrasound carried out between seven to eleven weeks, then the baby will most probably be a healthy delivery.

A vaginal Infection or an STD

Sometimes, a vaginal infection or a sexually transmitted infection can cause an inflamed cervix, which in turn causes spotting. You may also have spotting after sex.

Placenta Problems

If you have spotting in the second and third trimesters, it could mean a condition known as placenta praevia. This is an abnormal condition, in which the fetus develops in the lower part of the womb instead of the upper. This is dangerous because it may obstruct the path of the fetus and cause heavy bleeding during labor.

Spotting during Normal labor

After thirty-seven weeks, in a normal pregnancy, there may be a whitish discharge from the vagina, indicating that your body is preparing for labor. This is not something to worry about.

However, any form of pregnancy spotting should not be taken lightly. You should talk to your doctor about it and let him decide.