Contents
Bleeding during pregnancy is a serious threat to the health and life of both the fetus and the mother. Therefore, such a condition cannot be ignored and, if bleeding of any nature occurs, seek medical help. It is a discharge of various colors (red, pink, brown) and consistency that appears from the vagina.
According to statistics, bleeding in pregnant women is observed quite often. A similar problem affects up to 20% of expectant mothers. In Russia, up to 100 women die every year from bleeding during pregnancy, which indicates the seriousness of the problem.
Causes of bleeding during pregnancy
Bleeding during pregnancy can have a number of causes, these include the following:
Ectopic pregnancy. It is characterized by the fact that pregnancy occurs and begins to develop outside the uterus.
Frozen pregnancy, in which the fetus dies in the womb.
Inflammation of the cervix.
Placental abruption.
Multiple pregnancy.
Life trauma.
Implantation of the egg to the walls of the uterus.
Cervical erosion.
Polyps of the cervical canal.
Myoma of the uterus.
Sexual intercourse during childbearing. Occurs due to irritation of the cervix and vaginal lining.
Miscarriage. A concomitant symptom of the appeared spotting discharge is severe paroxysmal pain in the lower abdomen.
Bubble drift. This is a condition in which there is an overgrowth of the tissues of the placenta. With it, bleeding is profuse, but there is no pain.
Malformations of the fetus.
Low progesterone.
Bladder infections.
Placental abruption.
Premature birth.
Varicose veins of the vagina.
Uterine rupture that occurs in late pregnancy. At risk are women who have undergone a caesarean section, with multiple pregnancies, with scars left after operations.
Cervical cancer.
Sometimes the causes of bleeding that occurs in a pregnant woman can be invasive gynecological examinations, such as blood sampling from the umbilical cord, examination of amniotic fluid, fetal chorion biopsy.
Bleeding in early pregnancy
Bleeding in the early stages of pregnancy does not always indicate the presence of any pathology, however, such a condition should not be left without attention. There are both natural bleeding and those that can carry a serious threat.
Sometimes, at an early stage, when a woman does not yet know that she is pregnant, a small amount of blood may come out of the vagina. This is due to the fact that the fetal egg is attached to the wall of the uterus. During this process, there is a natural rejection of minor elements of the mucous membrane lining it. In connection with similar changes occurring in the body, a woman may observe small brown-brown or red discharge, accompanied by a feeling of discomfort and short-term pain.
Sometimes a little bleeding can occur at 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. It doesn’t always indicate a problem. This may happen due to the fact that the woman was supposed to start her next menstruation at that time. The hormones that regulate the course of pregnancy naturally act on this process, interrupting it. That is why some blood is sometimes released. Such bleeding can sometimes continue up to the 2nd trimester, and therefore, a woman sometimes does not know about her situation.
Sometimes early bleeding can be the result of increased blood supply to the growing uterus. In this case, varicose veins of her veins can be observed, polyps form in the cervical canal. At the same time, the pregnant woman does not feel any discomfort and doctors do not prescribe treatment.
However, you should not be silent at the next visit to the doctor that bleeding occurred during pregnancy in the early stages, since in some cases they are a symptom of serious processes. In this case, both the fetus and the woman herself can suffer.
Sometimes bleeding can occur at the 5th week of pregnancy. This may be due to the Rh-conflict of the mother with the fetus. It is at this time that the laying of the hematopoietic system of the embryo occurs, and if an immunoconflict occurs, this can provoke a miscarriage. If a woman does not consult a doctor with spotting discharges and the pains that accompany them, then most often the pregnancy will not be prolonged. If the bleeding increases, clots and severe pain appear, this indicates that a miscarriage is already in progress.
At about 6 weeks, sometimes a little earlier or later, bleeding may occur, indicating an ectopic pregnancy, when the fetal egg is located outside the uterus.
It is impossible to recognize the cause of bleeding on your own, so you need to see a doctor. Moreover, in the early stages they can indicate both pathological and natural processes.
Bleeding in an ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy refers to a pathological condition and is a complication of pregnancy. It is characterized by the fact that the fertilized egg is attached outside the walls of the uterus. This condition requires urgent hospitalization, as it causes internal bleeding and can be fatal for a woman.
The danger of an ectopic pregnancy lies in the fact that at the beginning of the birth of life, it is no different from the uterine one. A woman may experience nausea, weakness, soreness of the mammary glands.
Characteristic symptoms begin to appear for a period of 5 to 8 weeks, they are expressed as follows:
Bleeding occurs in the abdominal cavity, since it is there that the vessels are damaged. But often you can observe uterine bleeding, which is caused by a sharp drop in progesterone levels. The discharge is usually only slight, sometimes it can resemble menstrual flow. Excessive bleeding occurs, but is extremely rare.
The pain is of a different nature, it can be cutting, paroxysmal and aching, localized in the lower abdomen, followed by irradiation to the side and anus.
If the blood loss is significant, the woman may develop a state of shock. It is characterized by loss of consciousness, pallor, a sharp drop in pressure.
With bleeding, a surgical method is always used to eliminate the fetal egg. Either only the egg is removed, or the fallopian tube, in case of its rupture.
Implantation bleeding during pregnancy
Implantation bleeding is a natural bleeding during the early stages of pregnancy. It is due to the fact that a fertilized egg tries to penetrate the walls of the uterus. This type of bleeding is not pathological and is not observed in every woman.
This type of bleeding got its name due to the fact that the introduction of an egg into the walls of the endometrium of the uterus is called implantation. By damaging tissues and blood vessels, the egg hardens inside the body of women, causing spotting. This process takes place on average on the 8th day, after the sexual intercourse has happened, sometimes the process can drag on up to 12 days. The discharge does not last long, the discharge is observed for 2 hours, no more.
It is important to be able to recognize the signs of implantation bleeding and distinguish it from the onset of menstruation or other types of blood loss.
The fact that a woman began implantation bleeding says the following:
The presence of unpleasant, but not too painful sensations in the lower abdomen. They are of a pulling nature. Caused by muscle spasms of the uterine muscles.
A short-term decrease in basal temperature. But this sign is very difficult to trace, since the decrease is insignificant and short-lived.
The bleeding itself is weak, the discharge is often light, creamy.
A woman may feel a slight malaise, accompanied by dizziness, weakness and lethargy. They occur after the implantation of the egg is completed.
The timing of the onset of implantation can be calculated. This will happen on day 10, after ovulation, if the cycle is 28 days.
Unlike menstruation, this bleeding is short.
The color of the discharge will not be as saturated.
The amount of such secretions is equal to several drops.
When an ectopic pregnancy occurs, implantation bleeding is somewhat different. The woman experiences pain, sharp and paroxysmal. Most often, ectopic implantation is immediately accompanied by dizziness and nausea. During the passage through the fallopian tube, the blood will become dark, therefore, the discharge will acquire an appropriate character.
If the allocation occurred before the specified period or after it. They are intense in nature, this may indicate the presence of any other disease. In this case, you need to go to the doctor for advice.
It is problematic to independently determine implantation bleeding using a pregnancy test. As a rule, at such early stages of pregnancy, it does not give a reliable result and it is necessary to do it only after the first day of missed menstruation.
There is a more reliable method for determining the presence of pregnancy – this is blood sampling and analysis for a specific hCG hormone. When fertilization occurs, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood of a woman rises. Its secretion actively occurs by the membrane of the fetal egg. This method of determining pregnancy is very reliable and can be carried out as early as 6 days after intercourse. However, it will be more reliable after implantation bleeding has occurred.
How to stop bleeding during pregnancy?
If a woman has bleeding while carrying a child, it is necessary to act in accordance with the following instructions:
Abundant blood loss during pregnancy rarely begins abruptly and unexpectedly. Most often it is preceded by pain and tension in the lower abdomen.
If a woman finds spotting, then it is necessary to call an ambulance, and before her arrival, lie in bed, placing a roller under her feet.
If the arrival of the doctor is delayed for any reason, you need to drink two tablets of No-shpa and valerian extract.
Something cold should be applied to the lower abdomen, it can be a heating pad with ice or a bottle of water. But first you need to wrap it with a cloth.
It is forbidden to use douching solutions and even wash yourself so that the doctor can determine the cause of blood loss by the color and nature of the discharge.
You can not use a tampon to stop bleeding, in order not to stain clothes, you should use a sanitary pad or a clean cloth.
It is impossible to use progesterone-based hormonal agents on your own, without a doctor’s prescription, in order to stop bleeding. In some cases, they help, but the doctor should determine the cause of the bleeding.
After the arrival of the ambulance, the woman will be taken to the hospital and handed over to a specialist for observation.
Depending on what caused the blood loss, the pregnant woman will either be left in the hospital or sent home for treatment. Most often, kroostavnye (Ditsinon, Vikasol, etc.), reducing the uterine muscles (oxytocin), and raising the level of hemoglobin are used for therapy. Pregnant women are prescribed vitamins and drugs that help strengthen blood vessels – Askorutin.