Bleeding in Early Pregnancy: Miscarriage
Bleeding in early pregnancy doesn't mean that miscarriage is certain, but it can occur. About half of the women who bleed do not have miscarriages. Miscarriage can occur at any time during the first half of pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur during the first 12 weeks and in about 15 to 20 percent of pregnancies.
Bleeding from a possible miscarriage may or may not have abdominal pain associated with it. The blood loss may be brown spotting, blood-stained discharge, or bright red bleeding. The amount of bleeding is proportional to the risk of miscarriage; the greater the bleeding, the greater the risk of miscarriage. So, heavy bleeding in early pregnancy is not a good sign. Also, abdominal pain associated with the bleeding is not a good sign either.
Bleeding in Early Pregnancy: The Next Steps
For women bleeding in early pregnancy, an ultrasound will be performed to see if the fetus is alive. It can also help predict if the pregnancy will continue or lead to a miscarriage. Your healthcare provider might also do some blood tests to see what the placental hormone levels are.
Naturally, most couples will worry about the long-term implications of bleeding in early pregnancy. Unfortunately, there are no assurances that the pregnancy will continue normally. However, ultrasound and testing of hormonal levels can provide a fairly reliable picture of the potential outcome of the pregnancy.
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