Spotting During Your Pregnancy - What You Should Know

It is estimated that up to 20% of women will experience spotting during their pregnancy. While the fear is always a miscarriage, the fact is, there are many causes of spotting during pregnancy. Only about half of the women who experience spotting during pregnancy will have a miscarriage.

If you find that you are spotting and you know that you're pregnant, you may feel better if you talk to your doctor. At around 7-11 weeks a fetal heartbeat can be detected via ultrasound, and the risk of miscarriage goes down considerably once a heartbeat is detected.

However, there are other causes of spotting. The most common reason is implantation bleeding, which occurs when the blastocyst buries itself into the uterine lining. This can lead to light bleeding before or during the time when you would have had your period.

Other causes:

Trauma to the cervix - even getting a cervical exam or having sexual intercourse can cause the newly sensitive blood vessels in the cervix to open.

Fibroids - fibroids can cause spotting, even during pregnancy.

Endometriosis - endometriosis can lead to spotting during pregnancy.

Low Progesterone - progesterone is the hormone that controls the shedding of the uterine lining. If your progesterone levels are low, this can lead to spotting.

Ectopic pregnancy - particularly if accompanied by abdominal pain or cramping or shoulder pain, ectopic pregnancy can cause spotting.

Molar pregnancy - a rare condition in which the fetal tissue fails to produce a baby due to abnormalities in the egg at conception.

Infection - chlamydia can cause spotting. So can a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. Trichomoniasis, herpes, and gonorrhea can cause spotting as well.

Premature labor - later in pregnancy, spotting can indicate cervical changes with the onset of premature labor.

Placenta previa - placenta previa is a condition in which part of the placenta grows over the cervical os. If you begin to dilate while you have placenta previa, it can cause spotting or bleeding. Most cases of placenta previa diagnosed around 20 weeks via ultrasound resolve themselves by delivery.

Placental abruption - placental abruption can lead to spotting or bleeding during pregnancy. Placental abruption occurs when the placenta separates from the uterine wall.

Note - if you are Rh negative, you may need a shot of Rh immune globlin if you have spotting or bleeding unless you are sure that the father of your baby is also Rh negative.

This article is part of my series on pregnancy. Be sure to check out my other articles on pregnancy, birth, and homebirth. Have a safe, healthy pregnancy!