First of all, it should be noted that bleeding during pregnancy is not normal. Any woman has a question: “Is menstruation during pregnancy always dangerous?” In most cases, bleeding can have serious consequences, but there are also practically safe situations. In order to determine the level of danger, the gynecologist first of all needs to establish the cause of the bleeding. The reasons for this phenomenon are quite varied:
• The process of implantation of a fertilized egg may be accompanied by damage to blood vessels, and accordingly there may be spotting, which is absolutely safe. This process occurs in the first weeks of pregnancy.
• During the 3-5 weeks of pregnancy, one of the most common causes of bleeding is that the fertilized egg does not have time to implant into the mucous membrane of the uterine organ before the onset of menstruation. During this period, hormonal processes associated with fertilization have not yet passed, and accordingly, menstruation begins according to the cycle. This situation is quite rare, but quite possible.
• Hormonal changes in a woman’s body. After conceiving a child, the female body begins to produce progesterone, which prevents the uterus from contracting and maintains pregnancy. Insufficient levels in the body can lead to bleeding, which usually begins in accordance with the menstrual cycle. In this case, there is a danger of miscarriage, because along with blood and tissue, the uterus can reject the fetus. In most cases, if you consult a doctor in a timely manner, miscarriage is prevented by taking hormonal medications that replace progesterone. Similar processes occur when there is an excess of male hormones – androgens – in a woman’s body (hyperandrogenism). In this case, hormonal therapy is also used.
• The presence of pathologies in the female body or fetal development disorders. In the first months of pregnancy, bleeding may indicate detachment of the fetus and the threat of miscarriage. The detachment process can be caused by various reasons (neoplasms on the walls of the uterus, endometriosis, unsuccessful attachment of the fetus, etc.). A woman’s body can cope with this situation by producing progesterone, but if the bleeding is heavy and painful, you should immediately consult a doctor. Most often, specialists prescribe certain medications and bed rest.
• Another pathology is ectopic pregnancy. In this case, bleeding also appears. Unfortunately, it is not possible to save the child, since fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube and not in the uterus. Over time, the embryo grows and does not have enough space, as a result of which the tube may rupture, which is a threat to the woman’s life. Fetal pathology can also develop as a result of intrauterine infectious diseases. In such cases, it is very rare to save a pregnancy. It is imperative to examine the rejected embryo in order to prevent similar situations in the future.
• A fairly rare, but quite possible cause of bleeding can be a multiple pregnancy, when one of the embryos develops normally, and the other is rejected by the uterus.
Thus, during pregnancy, any bleeding is a pathology. If a pregnant woman notices even a slight spotting bleeding, she must react to this and contact medical specialists. Only a gynecologist will be able to determine the cause of bleeding, select appropriate treatment for it, and help prevent miscarriage. Any delays are fraught with the development of complications that can have a negative impact on the entire body as a whole and on the woman’s reproductive system in particular.