heavy bleeding during pregnancy
Heavy Bleeding During Pregnancy
Heavy bleeding during pregnancy can be due to different causes. Read on to know more about the same.
Do you know that around one third of all pregnant women experience vaginal bleeding during their pregnancy? There are some known causes behind it. However, sometimes, vaginal bleeding can be caused due to no apparent reason, and is perfectly normal. If you notice any kind of spotting or bleeding during pregnancy, you shouldn't ignore it. Contact your doctor immediately. At the same time, do not panic, thinking that you have suffered a miscarriage. There are a whole lot of other reasons that could be causing this condition.
Causes of Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy
There are numerous reasons why a woman may experience bleeding during pregnancy. Mild spotting, even before pregnancy detection, could be due to implantation bleeding. However, this is very different from the heavy bleeding which we are just about to discuss.
What is Heavy Bleeding?
First of all, you should be able to identify the type of bleeding that you are experiencing. For this, you will be required to wear a pad. If the bleeding is so severe that it soaks the entire pad, it is heavy, and needs to be checked by a doctor. However, if it is only mild spotting on the underwear, the cause behind it could be harmless.
First Trimester
- Heavy bleeding during early pregnancy could be due to an ectopic pregnancy. It is a condition in which the fertilized egg does not get implanted in the uterus. Instead, it implants itself outside it, in either of the fallopian tubes, cervix, or ovaries. Cramping in the stomach, sharp abdominal pain, pain in the back and the pelvic region, nausea, vomiting, low levels of hCG, and vaginal bleeding are some of the symptoms of ectopic pregnancy.
- Another possible reason, molar pregnancy occurs when actually there is no pregnancy. An abnormal tissue is mistaken for the embryo. Very high levels of hCG, no heart tones, vaginal bleeding, and formation of lumps in the uterus (observed through ultrasound), are some of its symptoms.
- Certain harmless conditions, such as fibroids, an infection in the urinary tract, and breakthrough bleeding (which occurs when a woman's menstruation dates are due), are some of the other possible reasons behind bleeding during first trimester.
- Sometimes, after a pregnant woman has had intercourse, she experiences bleeding due to the sensitivity of the cervix.
- Lastly, miscarriage, the most dreaded condition of all, could also be the cause. Besides vaginal bleeding after miscarriage, cramps and pain are experienced in the lower stomach. The hCG levels decrease, back pain is felt, there is gradual weight loss, and the tissue passes through the vagina.
- During the second half of the pregnancy, if any ulcers or growths form on the cervix, if there is any inflammation on the cervix, it can lead to bleeding.
- Abruptio Placentae, a condition which is mostly found in women above the age of 35 or having high blood pressure, occurs in only 1% of pregnant women. In this condition, the placenta gets detached from the uterus walls, leading to many medical complications.
- Heavy bleeding, with no cramps and pain associated, could be due to Placenta Previa. This is a condition in which the position of the placenta is low-lying, and it covers the cervix, either completely or partially. This can be very dangerous, and thus requires immediate medical attention.
- In some cases, heavy vaginal bleeding could signal premature labor. The mucus plug, which contains mucus and blood, releases itself, even before the thirty-seventh week of pregnancy. This produces symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, cramping, uterine contractions, and a dull pain in the back.