Bleeding in pregnancy is more normal than we may think. One in five women has some blood loss during pregnancy, without this fact causing any problem for the fetus or for the mother. However, of course they are a matter of great concern and always deserve a consultation with the doctor.
Many women have small losses, especially during the first trimester, and this does not imply that they will suffer an abortion or risk their baby. Provided they are minor losses, not a large loss that involves going to the hospital urgently. We will talk about the blood losses during pregnancy and what may be due in each trimester.
Blood losses in the first trimester of pregnancy
Blood losses in the first trimester of pregnancy are quite frequent and having them does not mean pregnancy loss.
It is important that you learn to recognize them, observe the color, the quantity and if the losses are accompanied by abdominal pain or some other symptom.
There are several reasons why a mild or severe vaginal bleeding in this quarter:
Implantation bleeding
Many women suffer mild bleeding between the fourth and sixth week of pregnancy when implantation of the fertilized egg occurs in the walls of the uterus. It is what is known as implantation bleeding and is often confused with the arrival of menstruation.
It is a slight loss of brown or pink color that lasts one or two days, at most three, similar to what you can have when your period begins or ends. It is not accompanied by pain.
In Babies and more Blood loss in the first trimester of pregnancyNatural or spontaneous abortion
Spontaneous abortion causes more abundant blood losses (such as menstruation) and usually accompanied by abdominal cramps. If you suffer from vaginal bleeding, the doctor will perform an examination to control the opening of the cervix and an ultrasound to check that the embryo is inside the uterus and has beats. If all goes well, it will surely indicate rest until the bleeding disappears.
It is very disappointing to have a miscarriage, but if it's any consolation it is much more frequent than we think. It is believed that half of the conceptions end in spontaneous abortion, some without our knowing it. The answer to why a miscarriage occurs is very complex. The causes can be a combination of multiple factors, but most of the time it is due to genetic failures in the early stages of embryo formation.
Ectopic pregnancy
If vaginal losses are scarce but severe pain, it can be one of the symptoms of ectopic pregnancy or extrauterine pregnancy, which occurs when the embryo is implanted outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube, and has very little chance of reaching I finish it.
Losses are usually light and brown in color (except if the fallopian tube is ruptured, which are abundant) and may appear several days or weeks before the pain appears.
Molar pregnancy
Molar pregnancy is very rare but one of its symptoms is vaginal bleeding. There may be bleeding or intermittent loss of brownish color accompanied by excessive growth of the uterus that does not correspond to the weeks of gestation.
The molar pregnancy is the result of an abnormal fertilization of the ovule that produces a deformed growth of the embryonic tissue (hydatidiform mole). In no case can it survive by producing a spontaneous abortion accompanied by hemorrhages of dark and watery color, although generally it is not accompanied by pain.
Uterine hematoma
A bruise inside the uterus can also cause bleeding. It is an accumulation of blood inside the endometrial cavity, something common in women during the first weeks of pregnancy. Bleeding is abundant (as if it were a rule) but is not usually accompanied by abdominal pain. Most of the time, resting the bruise is reabsorbed and the losses disappear.
On the other hand, the maternal infections, such as candidiasis or sexually transmitted infections, although they have nothing to do with the pregnancy itself, they can also cause blood loss in the first months. You can also notice a small loss or a pink or brown flow after having sex.
Blood losses in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy
One in 10 women has some vaginal bleeding in the second part of pregnancy. Check with your gynecologist if you notice bleeding, and pay attention to the amount, duration and appearance (if it is dark red or bright), as well as other possible symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, fainting, etc.
The bleeding in the second and third trimester They can occur for various reasons, such as:
After having sex
As we mentioned before, after having sex with penetration you may notice a slight loss of blood. It is due to the friction that occurs in the vaginal walls, and that, due to the congestion of the tissues typical of pregnancy, causes a small breakage of the blood vessels.
These losses are not dangerous, nor does it imply any danger to the baby. They occur in a timely manner and disappear within a few hours. If not, consult your doctor.
In Babies and more Mild blood losses after sex during pregnancyAfter a medical examination
For the same reason, congestion of the vaginal walls, it is possible that after a gynecological examination you will see a slight vaginal bleeding.
Placental hematoma
The rupture of a blood vessel can produce a buildup of blood somewhere in the placenta, forming a bruise. Depending on the area of the placenta where it is located, it will be:
Retrocorial or retrotroplacental hematoma: behind the placenta and does not touch the gestational sac. More frequent in the first quarter.
Subcorionic Hematoma: between the placenta and the endometrium. They usually appear in the second trimester.
Subamniotic or retroamniotic hematoma: the accumulation of blood does not affect the insertion of the placenta. They are the least frequent.
Diseases or infections of the vagina or cervix
It is important that you consult your doctor if you observe vaginal bleeding, as it could also be due to some abnormality in the cervix. If so, any infection or disease should be treated to avoid complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
Placental abruption
One of the serious causes of blood loss at the end of pregnancy is premature detachment of the placenta, which occurs when there are partial or total detachments of the placenta before giving birth.
The most frequent symptoms are pain, abdominal tightening, dark vaginal bleeding and back pain.
Previous placenta
When the placenta is implanted in the lower part of the uterus and completely or partially covers the opening of the cervix, it is called the placenta previa.
The symptom that makes you suspect the presence of placenta previa is a hemorrhage without pain or other symptoms towards the second half of pregnancy.
In case of bleeding, you should immediately go to the doctor who if you diagnose placenta previa will indicate rest, avoid sexual intercourse and any kind of effort.
Labor begins
A small amount of blood mixed with vaginal discharge may signal that labor has begun. It is because the cervix begins to dilate preparing for the birth of the baby.
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