Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
The following guidelines will help you determine the severity of your vaginal bleeding.
- Severe bleeding: You have continuous bleeding that soaks 1 or 2 pads in 1 or 2 hours. Note: A pregnant woman may have a gush of blood or pass a clot, but if the bleeding stops, it is not considered severe.
- Moderate bleeding: You soak more than 1 pad in 3 hours.
- Mild bleeding: You soak less than 1 pad in more than 3 hours.
- Minimal bleeding: You have "spotting" or just a few drops of blood from the vagina.
Vaginal bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage or premature labor during pregnancy in the first trimester. During the first trimester of pregnancy:
- Up to 25% of pregnant women have some spotting or light vaginal bleeding. Of these women, about 50% do not have a miscarriage. Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy is more common among women who have been pregnant before than in women who are pregnant for the first time.
- Very early spotting sometimes occurs when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. Implantation takes place 6 to 10 days after fertilization, which usually occurs on the day of intercourse.
Bleeding in the second or third trimester of pregnancy may mean a problem is present, such as:
- Placenta previa
. Normally, the placenta is attached to the top portion of the uterus. In less than 1% of all pregnancies, the placenta has attached low in the uterus, and partially or completely covers the cervix. This blockage of the cervix is called placenta previa.
- Placenta abruptio
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: August 6, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
 | ||
| |