Blood Discharge During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a joyful experience for any woman; however this is also a time when women are advised to be extra cautious. It has been estimated that approximately 10 percent of pregnant women experience bleeding or spotting during pregnancy. During the first trimester, many women go through bleeding or spotting. Although it might be common to experience very light symptoms of spotting and bleeding, the intensity of bleeding is something which causes more concern.
To accommodate your new baby your cervix changes a little bit and the increased blood flow to the cervix might result in light bleeding. This is normal and doesn’t mean that the baby is in trouble, however if the bleeding seems to be abnormally heavy, it is important to visit your doctor immediately.
A light spotting during pregnancy is not serious however; at any stage of pregnancy bleeding is not considered risk-free. However if you are experiencing bleeding then it is suggested you immediately inform your doctor about it. Before 20 weeks of pregnancy any kind of bleeding is considered to be dangerous and might pose to be a potential abortion risk. While experiencing bleeding, most women will not feel any kind of abdominal pain.
15 to 20% of women who experience heavy flow during the first trimester usually end up having a miscarriage. Bleeding, spotting, fever, chills etc are all symptoms of a miscarriage. Your health care will undertake a pelvic examination to determine your baby’s situation. Read more on green discharge during pregnancy
In later stages of pregnancy excessive bleeding would indicate a preterm labor. Heavy bleeding in the second or third trimester might also be caused due to an infection on the cervix. Your health care provider should be able to treat you for the infection.
Unfortunately, if a woman continues to have heavy bleeding then no assurance whatsoever can be given to her that the pregnancy would continue normally. An ultrasound will help give a clearer picture of the status of your baby. Most of the bleeding can be treated without causing harm to you or your baby. More on mucus discharge during pregnancy
Bleeding during the initial stages of pregnancy is often considered to be a signal that there is a problem with your baby. As and when the pregnancy progresses the chances of a miscarriage diminishes eventually. The possibility of losing your baby might be disturbing and even agitating. A supportive health care professional should be able to guide you well with your queries and pregnancy progress report. More on vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
Keep yourself educated about the changes happening within your body, you shall feel much less nervous once you remain well-informed.
Dark discharge during pregnancy
If a woman sees brown discharge during pregnancy 1st trimester, it is only natural for her to think that it is a sign of a miscarriage. While it is true that brown discharge during pregnancy 12 weeks or 13 weeks can be a cause of concern, it is not always indicative of a problem. Very often, a brown discharge during pregnancy 12 weeks or 13 weeks is nothing but the body’s way of getting rid of the old blood that is still remaining is the cervix. As the body grows to accommodate the growing baby, it no longer requires the original blood to protect the womb and hence it gets eliminated in the form of a dark brown discharge during pregnancy. However, brown discharge during pregnancy 1st trimester should never be left unchecked, as it could be the sign of a molar pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy.
As the pregnancy progresses, the cervix may become more sensitive and could react to certain things like sexual intercourse or a vaginal sonogram. These activities could irritate the cervix and lead to a slight tear, resulting in a light discharge during pregnancy second trimester, which may last for a couple of days. Unfortunately, a brown or dark discharge during pregnancy could also be the symptoms of genital HPV or a cervical or vaginal infection which may also lead to other symptoms like a burning sensation or itching in the vaginal area.
Unfortunately, brown discharge during pregnancy third trimester, could also point out towards certain pregnancy complications, even though there are many women who have seen brown stringly discharge in the 30th or 31st week, which meant nothing. However, brown discharge during pregnancy 36 weeks, 37 weeks, 38 weeks and 39 weeks could be the symptom of pregnancy complications such as premature labor, fetal distress or even a miscarriage. Hence, in case a brown watery discharge is seen during any of the trimesters, it is important to have a doctor conduct a few tests and diagnose the problem immediately. Some of the tests that the doctor may need to conduct are a pelvic exam, an internal exam or an ultrasound in order to identify the exact cause of the brown discharge and to determine if the patient needs to be treated or just advised to take complete bed rest.
Brown Thick Slight Brown Bleeding During Pregnancy
Apart from a discharge that is brown in color, there are some women who notice the presence of brown blood in pregnancy. This is more commonly referred to as brown spotting, by many health experts. Of course, the presence of light or dark brown blood during pregnancy can be alarming for just about any woman, it is important to remember that the severity of the problem depends on the consistency and the flow of the blood too. If the flow is not very heavy and is not accompanied by any other symptoms, then the presence of the dark blood during pregnancy is probably harmless. However, if the brown blood during pregnancy first trimester is heavy and is accompanied by blood clots or abdominal cramps, then it could be a major cause for concern.
In fact the presence of brown blood could also indicate different conditions, based on when it appears. For example, if a woman notices blood during pregnancy 12 weeks or 13 weeks it could indicate any one of the conditions given below:
However, if brown blood is seen in the last trimester of pregnancy, close to the due date, the symptoms could be caused by problems such as placenta previa and placental abruption. Of course there are other symptoms that are associated with each of these conditions. Hence if a woman experiences bleeding, uterine contractions and abdominal pain, it is a must to seek emergency care without any delay.
These conditions range from mild to dangerous in severity and could all have a different effect on each pregnancy. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for a woman to contact her doctor immediately, at the first sight of a vaginal bloody discharge during pregnancy, regardless of which phase it occurs in. Although it is difficult expectant mothers should maintain their calm and cool and try their best not to panic. Getting stressed will only aggravate and add to the pregnancy complications. Apart from getting rest, they should also try their best to relax. In several cases, women have had brown colored discharge or bleeding for no apparent cause and have faced no further complications with their pregnancy at all.
Submitted by N on May 27, 2010 at 12:44