While pregnancy is one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life, it can also be one of the most stressful, especially when things don’t go exactly as they should. One symptom that causes alarm, sometimes unnecessarily, for many women is bleeding during pregnancy. Bleeding during pregnancy can occur at almost any point during the nine months, and can mean many different things, based on when exactly it occurs. A good rule of thumb is that any bleeding during pregnancy warrants a call to your doctor, and in many cases your obstetrician will want to see you to ensure that the symptom is not indicating a serious problem.

Bleeding During Early Pregnancy

When a woman has bleeding during pregnancy in the first trimester, it is often called a threatened miscarriage. This does not mean that you will inevitably have a problem with your pregnancy, but some caution is indeed called for here. If you notice bleeding during pregnancy at this stage of the game, it is a good idea to call your doctor. It is not unusual for women to have some spotting at about the time the menstrual period would be due. This is called implantation bleeding, and is the result of the embryo attaching to the uterine wall. Any other type of bleeding should be checked by your doctor. He will probably ask how much bleeding there is, and you can give him an idea by telling him how many pads you have used and if the bleeding increases or decreases.

When you go into your doctor’s office with bleeding during pregnancy in the first trimester, he will probably check the baby using an ultrasound. If you see a strong heartbeat during his exam, it is a good sign that the pregnancy may progress normally. If your doctor gets an indication that anything is wrong, he will be able to proceed accordingly with the information that the ultrasound gives him.

Bleeding During Late Pregnancy

Bleeding during pregnancy in the later months may indicate a problem with the placenta or the uterus. Again, a call to your doctor is necessary, and your doctor will probably want to see you right away so that he can diagnose the cause of your bleeding during pregnancy. Sometimes this type of problem will require immediate delivery of the baby, and often that means a Cesarean delivery will be necessary. Another possibility is that you will be admitted to the hospital for observation and treatment, particularly if you are not 36 weeks or farther along in your term and the bleeding is not severe. In this case, you will probably be given IV fluids, and your baby will be monitored to ensure that he does not become distressed.

Bleeding during pregnancy can be a scary symptom for many women. The best course of action is to call your doctor right away if you experience this symptom at any time during your term.