Spotting In Pregnancy

Today I'm going to share with you a topic about 'Spotting In Pregnancy'. Though some might  interpret this as normal in pregnancy, this can become a serious thing if the bleeding didn't go away after a while.  Go and see your doctor right away even if it stops after that, it's better safe than sorry. Spotting does happen normally and it did happened to my wife and I took her to see the doctor after that..Different women may need different treatment, so the first thing your doctor should do is give you an evaluation.This could mean you need to take a few tests like a physical, an ultrasound, and blood tests. When these tests come back normal, your doctor will know for sure you and your baby are healthy and make sure there are no complications.for a couple of days. Pregnancy spotting is one of the most common pregnancy complications that can occur during the first trimester. So let's get some better understanding on what is spotting in pregnancy shall we?

Whats the difference between bleeding and spotting?

Spotting is very light bleeding, similar to what you may have at the very beginning or end of your period. It can vary in color from pink turned to brown (the color of dried blood).

Why spotting during pregnancy happens?

There's a lot of different reasons to why a spotting can happen and even your doctor cannot be sure of why. Here's a couple of reasons why it could happen.

1. Early Implantation Bleeding

Before you even take a pregnancy test, its possible to experience bleeding, even this early in a pregnancy. Doctors aren't for sure but they believe this is caused by the fertilized egg trying to burrow into the uterus.

2. Sex/Intercourse

When you have sex, more blood goes to your cervix, so it's normal if you see some light spotting after sex. Some women may develop a cervical polyp (a benign growth on the cervix), and not even know, but this could be the reason why we are seeing the blood after sex.

3. STD Infections

Sometimes your spotting may be totally unrelated to your being pregnant. Your cervix may get irritated and become inflamed because of vaginal infection (yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis) or even an STD. An inflamed cervix is known to cause spotting after sex and certain tests.

Placental problems or premature delivery bleeding or spotting during the 2nd or 3rd could be a sign of a more serious problem such as placenta previa, placental abruption (placenta separates from the uterus), late miscarriage (Week 13 in mid-pregnancy), or preterm labor. Even if you see bleeding in the 1st quarter, this could be a sign of another problem with the placenta. Studies showed that there has been a greater chance of complications later in women who experience early pregnancy spots, such as premature labor or placental abruption, particularly if too much bleeding.

4. Ectopic Pregnancy or Miscarriage

If spotting is followed by abdominal pain and cramping, this may be a sign you are having a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Its important to let your doctor know about any signs of blood or spotting, because a miscarriage could be life threatening, not only for you but also the baby.Studies show about 25% of pregnant women show some spotting during early pregnancy. About half of those end up being a miscarriage. You should get an ultrasound between your 7th and 11th week of pregnancy. And if it shows a strong heartbeat in the baby now, the chances of your pregnancy continuing normal are higher than 90%.
 
5. Internal Exam or Pap Smear

Normally, after a Pap test or other types of internal reviews is done, one can also observe this light bleeding. It is caused by more blood flows to the cervix area.

6. Impending Labor

When you get close to giving birth your cervix dilates and you may pass your mucus plug. It may be colored red from blood, this is why they call it the "bloody show". Anytime past 37 weeks you may pass your mucus plug, and this is normal. But if it looks red like there's a lot of blood, make sure you call your doctor.

So that's some of the reasons that can cause spotting. Remember to have a regular visit to your doctor and consult with then for every doubts, concerns that you have.

8 Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms

I'm going to share with you today on 8 pregnancy signs and symptoms in hope it will be useful to couples who plan to have a baby. Why I'm saying this is that, it is more to precautions to not overdo yourself after knowing that you're pregnant to avoid miscarriage or worse, this goes to the partner also, It's good to be alert especially if you're planning. I've heard a lot of miscarriage stories because they didn't realize that they were pregnant. So for those planning to get pregnant, this would be a good read. This list is derived from my wife's symptoms when she get pregnant.

1. Fatigue/Exhaustion
This normally happens on the early stages of pregnancy and also towards the end. The cheerful and energetic wife of mine became weak and easily exhausted.

2. Missed Period
This is a very obvious sign for those on a regular period cycle but not in the case of irregular period cycle like my wife. It's best to avoid any physical activities once you've passed your regular period cycle to be safe.

3. Heartburn & Gastric
This is a very popular pregnancy signs and symptoms which also happens to my wife right now and I can tell you that it's not an easy feeling looking at your wife having the pain due to the higher amount of acid in the stomach. The enlargement of the uterus puts pressure on the stomach causing acid build-up. This can be avoided by drinking milk and avoiding spicy and oily food.

4. Frequent Urination
Enlargement of the uterus not only puts pressure on stomach but also the bladder causing the feel of going more often.

5. Soreness of the Breasts
Although this sign is also very common for an impending period but the soreness in this case is caused by the tissue changes preparing for pregnancy. You will also experience the breast became larger and the nipple will become bigger and darker.

6. Strange Cravings
Yup..I'm having more Chicken Rice now than ever in my entire life due to my wife's craving of it :-D

7. Dizziness
This is because of the low blood pressure due to pregnancy, it do become worse at times if you are having the symptoms even when you're not pregnant like my wife.

8. Cramp
Cramping during pregnancy is usually confused with impending period.

So guys...that's 8 of the pregnancy signs and symptoms that you can look into while planning. Remember future daddies, DO NOT allow your partner to do heavy physical works when they're pregnant, keep them happy & smiling all the time, be there when they need you, and do your share of house chores ;-) Happy Planning!