When a woman starts her period, she has it once a month until menopause. Only periods of pregnancy interrupt this bleeding in the absence of any health problems. So, when a woman is pregnant, she doesn’t normally have a period. However, she can have bleeding during the first month and some people talk about menstruation. In this article, we focus on the nature of this bleeding observed at the beginning of pregnancy.
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Is bleeding in the first month of pregnancy a period?
Menstruation is the bleeding that women have from puberty to menopause. In fact, from the age of puberty, a woman’s body is ready to welcome a baby. Once a month, an egg is released and waits to be fertilized. If fertilization does not occur, the egg disintegrates and is evacuated with the uterine lining. This is what results in the periodic bleeding that a woman has until menopause.
When fertilization occurs and the pregnancy begins, there is no more bleeding until the birth and even after. It is necessary to wait for the pregnancy hormones to disappear from the woman’s body before her sexual cycle becomes normal again and menstruation resumes.
Thus, in no case is the bleeding observed in the first month of pregnancy really a period. It is probably other types of bleeding or health concerns that the pregnant woman may be facing. It is therefore necessary to look for the origins of this bleeding elsewhere and to find the solutions needed to stop it.
What can cause this bleeding?
There may not be a period in the first month of pregnancy, but sometimes there is what is called an anniversary period. Known as first-trimester spotting, this is bleeding that occurs on the date a woman would normally have her period if she had not become pregnant. However, this bleeding should not be confused with menstruation. It is less abundant than normal menstruation and its color is not the same.
Apart from metrorrhagia, there is bleeding at the beginning of the pregnancy and it corresponds to the implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterine lining. It is a light bleeding that is not abnormal, because it is natural. This bleeding can also correspond to decidual hematomas or to the weakening of the uterine cervix.
On the other hand, bleeding that is mistaken for menstruation in the first month of pregnancy can be caused by various problems such as
- Ectopic pregnancy;
- Retroplacental hematoma;
- Premature opening of the cervix;
- Poor placement of the placenta which is too low.
In all these cases, the situation should not be taken lightly.
What to do about this bleeding?
If the origin of the bleeding during the first month of pregnancy, and indeed during the entire gestation period, is unknown, you should quickly consult a gynecologist. This is the right thing to do in order to determine the precise origin of the bleeding and to adopt the most appropriate solution. By doing so, you avoid any risk that could endanger the fetus and your life. The major risk in this situation is a miscarriage. Therefore, it is necessary to do the necessary medical examinations to determine the cause of the blood flow during the pregnancy and to follow the doctor’s recommendations.
