Can you get Your Period While you’re Pregnant?
Is it period while you’re pregnant, First of all,
- It is normal for around a third of pregnant women to experience spotting or light bleeding. This is not a period.
- When you become pregnant, you hormones will prevent ovulation and therefore you will not have periods.
Is it a myth that pregnant women don’t have periods?
In short, no!
You cannot get period while you’re pregnant.
Both your period and pregnancy cause fluctuations in hormones. Because both events can bring on their own unique set of challenges, it’s easy to wonder if you can expect to get your period—or something like it—while you’re pregnant.
About 25-30 percent of women will have light bleeding in pregnancy. These can be from various reasons including implantation bleeding, cervical issues, placenta abnormalities, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages. In general, you will not get your period while you are pregnant. There is a small percentage of women who could have longer-than-usual periods and may continue to bleed, but will also be ovulating at the same time. If this occurs, you could technically be pregnant while on your period. However, you would not typically know at this stage because it would be extremely early (as in 1-3 days) into your pregnancy.
With this exception, you will not get your period while you are pregnant. This is due to the fact that your body has a menstrual cycle when you have not conceived and when you do become pregnant, the hormone shift prevents ovulation and therefore any further periods.
What causes bleeding during pregnancy?
Many women experience bleeding when they are pregnant and can mistake this for a period. It is important to be aware of all the reasons you could experience vaginal bleeding while pregnant. Then notify your physician if you think your bleeding is cause for concern. Possible causes of bleeding include:
- Implantation Bleeding. This occurs when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus.
- Ectopic Pregnancy. This is a life-threatening event where a fertilized egg implants in another location instead of the uterus. The degree of bleeding can vary but is often accompanied by pain on the right or left side of your lower abdomen, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
- Miscarriage. A miscarriage or threatened miscarriage is a pregnancy that ends on its own without carrying to term. A miscarriage causes bleeding, which possibly has large blood clots in the blood. A woman will also experience uterine cramping.
Other times, you may experience some mild spotting with brown or light pink blood throughout your pregnancy. This bleeding is typically very light. This could be due to cervical irritation or infection. Talk with your physician immediately if the bleeding starts to worsen.
When should I be worried about bleeding during pregnancy?
Here are some important situations where you should be worried about bleeding during pregnancy:
- If you are bleeding heavily or if the bleeding is accompanied by severe abdominal pain.
- If you are bleeding and have experienced a fall or other trauma.
- If you are bleeding and have a history of miscarriages or other complications in previous pregnancies.
- If you are bleeding and are in the second trimester of pregnancy or later.
If you are pregnancy or think you might be pregnant and experience bleeding with pain, it is recommended to consult a healthcare professional immediately.
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Sources:
- American Pregnancy Association
- Am I Pregnant?
Health - MYTH: You Can’t Get Your Period During Your Pregnancy. KidsHealth https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/period-pregnancy.html
- Can You Still Have Your Period If You’re Pregnant?
Parents - Can You Be Pregnant and Still Get Your Period?
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