Bleeding in Pregnancy
Twenty per cent of pregnant women will experience some bleeding before week twenty. Half of these will go on to have a healthy baby
Ten per cent of pregnancies end in miscarriage and twenty five per cent of women will miscarry at some time. Most women who do miscarry go on to have a healthy normal pregnancy the next time. At least half of miscarriages are caused by the baby’s chromosomes being abnormal. The baby would have been handicapped had he survived.
Bleeding During The First Twenty Weeks Of Pregnancy
- Painless spotting is common at the time of the first few periods and usually stops without causing any problems
- Red blood loss with period like pains is more likely to end in miscarriage
- From about six weeks into pregnancy, an ultrasound can identify whether a heart beat is still present
- Erosion of the cervix, infection or a polyp (fleshy growth from the cervix) can cause painless, light bleeding
- Severe pains in the side of the body around six to eight weeks could indicate an ectopic pregnancy. This will require urgent treatment in hospital
- Bleeding with fleshy lumps, a uterus that is larger than expected for your dates or bad morning sickness may indicate a molar pregnancy. A molar pregnancy occurs when the placenta tissue grows in an uncontrolled way and the baby dies.
Bleeding During the Second Twenty Weeks Of Pregnancy
- Painless bleeding may be due to placenta praevia, where the placenta partly covers the cervix. This happens in around 0.5% of pregnancies. In severe cases of placenta praevia mean a Caesarean is necessary to prevent heavy blood loss in labour
- Painful bleeding with a tender uterus may indicate an abruption. An abruption means that part of the placenta has pulled away from the uterus. This condition requires urgent medical attention to ensure that the baby is getting enough oxygen.
- Light spotting and clear discharge at the end of pregnancy is called a “show” and means the baby is getting ready to be born
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