Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy is not always serious. Within the first few days after conceiving, you will experience a little spotting or light bleed. This is known as the implantation bleed and is perfectly normal. Apart from the implantation bleed, mild spotting and light bleeding in early pregnancy can occur with no danger to the mother or child. Some women even experience a light bleed at the time of their period although they are pregnant. However caution in early pregnancy is always advisable and if you are experiencing any vaginal bleeding, speak to your gynecologist.

Causes of Bleeding in Early Pregnancy

The most common cause of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy is a spontaneous abortion or miscarriage. This may occur for a number of reasons and it is usually associated with abdominal pain. Every pregnant woman is at risk of a miscarriage, especially in the first 12 weeks as this is a very delicate stage in the pregnancy. If you have any of the risk factors associated with a spontaneous abortion, you should be even more weary of any sign of a vaginal bleed. These risk factors include a history of previous miscarriage(s), repeated fertility procedures, cigarette smoking, drug abuse or excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy, adhesions and uterine fibroids.

Other causes of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy include a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, which is very dangerous for the health of the mother. Bleeding in early pregnancy may also arise as a result of :

• Trauma – injury, fall, assault.
• Inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis).
• Inflammation of the vagina (vaginitis).
• Rupture of an ovarian cyst.

Other less common causes of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy will be discussed with you by your gynecologist after he/she has excluded the most serious and common causes.

Warning Signs

Vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy is not uncommon. It should be investigated by your gynecologist or the attending doctor and in many cases, it is not serious. However if there are other signs and symptoms present, a case of vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy should be taken very seriously. These signs and symptoms include :

• Abdominal or pelvic pain with/without tenderness of the abdomen.
• Vaginal discharge that is yellow, brown or almost black or contains spots of blood, especially if there is a smelly vaginal odor.
• Dizziness, light headed feeling and/or fainting spells.
• Changes in blood pressure and or pulse.
• Fever.

Danger in Early Pregnancy

The main danger in early pregnancy is not taking any action when there are signs and symptoms present that should alert you to a possible problem. If you are feeling unwell in your early pregnancy, even if there is no signs or symptoms of any condition, rather consult with your gynecologist and put you mind at ease. While many of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy make a pregnant woman feel unwell, there are other possibilities that could be an indication of complications that could put both you and your baby at risk.

An Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy which develops outside of the womb most usually in the fallopian tubes though it can occur in other parts of the reproductive system. Other common sites for the pregnancy to develop are the uterus, cervix, the abdominal cavity and the ovaries.

How does this happen and why? Normally when fertilised the egg will go down the fallopian tubes into the womb, it will then grow in size until it forms what is called the blastocyst, this is what the embryo and placenta will develop from. Within days of conceiving the blastocyst will attach itself to the lining of the womb however if for any reason there is a delay in this happening then the blastocyst will be ready for attachment before it has reached the womb.

This will then more than likely result in an Ectopic pregnancy. There is a risk to the women’s health should they have an Ectopic pregnancy with most of them relating to the fallopian tubes being damaged or altered.

What are the symptoms of Ectopic pregnancy?

Most of the symptoms of Ectopic pregnancy will show very early on in the pregnancy with a lot of Ectopic pregnancies leading to miscarriage; however this is not always the case. However if the Ectopic pregnancy occurs within the abdominal region then it can go on for some time before symptoms begin to show.

During the first 12 weeks symptoms of Ectopic pregnancy will show as vaginal bleeding or spotting and abdominal pain, other symptoms can develop and one in particular should be watched for as this is sometimes a clear sign that the pregnancy is Ectopic and this is dizziness and shoulder tip pain. Both of these symptoms can suggest that there is very heavy internal bleeding and a doctor’s advice should be sought immediately.

How is Ectopic pregnancy confirmed?

The signs and symptoms of Ectopic pregnancy are very similar to those of normal pregnancy and early miscarriage so they hard to pick up on, however your doctor should give your abdomen and pelvis a very careful examination.

A lot of times this examination will also include an internal examination, though if you have suffered from miscarriage in the past your doctor may be inclined not to give you an internal as there is a risk of inducing a miscarriage. If through the examination your doctor thinks your pregnancy may be Ectopic he/she will suggest that you have an ultrasound scan to determine if you are having a normal or Ectopic pregnancy.

What is the treatment for Ectopic pregnancy?

There are basically two methods of dealing with the Ectopic pregnancy, the first of these involves an operation called a laparoscopy and the pregnancy along with surrounding tissue will be removed and the second involves medication by an intramuscular injection.