If you are spotting are you pregnant

Top things to know about bleeding during pregnancy

Spotting is any bleeding from the vagina, outside your menstrual period
Spotting is a common symptom of early pregnancy
Bleeding during pregnancy is usually nothing to worry about
If you’re pregnant and experience heavy bleeding, call your healthcare provider

What is spotting?

Spotting is any bleeding from the vagina outside your menstrual period. Light bleeding at the beginning or end of your period is not spotting. In this article we use bleeding and spotting interchangeably.

Download Clue and track bleeding episodes and spotting.

Bleeding during early pregnancy is common

Vaginal bleeding is a common symptom of early pregnancy. About 1 in 4 people experience spotting during early pregnancy, usually in gestational weeks 5 and 8 — this is about 1 to 4 weeks after someone expects their period (1). This bleeding can sometimes be confused with a light period (2).

Is bleeding during pregnancy a symptom of miscarriage?

Light bleeding is usually nothing to worry about—research has shown that people with spotting are not more likely to have a miscarriage than people who don’t have spotting (1). However, heavy bleeding may be more of a concern. If you’re pregnant and bleeding, call your healthcare provider to check in, just so they know what’s going on.

Is spotting during early pregnancy the same as implantation bleeding?

While many sources call spotting in early pregnancy “implantation bleeding,” there is not strong evidence that this bleeding is associated with an embryo’s implantation in the uterus.

Bleeding in early pregnancy may actually be related to hormonal changes, as the production of progesterone switches from the ovary to the forming placenta (1).

Is spotting a symptom of ectopic pregnancy?

Spotting can be a symptom of an ectopic pregnancy (3). This is a pregnancy that is growing somewhere other than the uterus, usually the fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancy bleeding may be coupled with other symptoms including abdominal pain on one side, shoulder pain, and/or dizziness.

If you experience symptoms of spotting and suspect you may have an ectopic pregnancy, seek immediate medical help.

Spotting is when you see a light or trace amount of pink, red or dark brown blood. It will be lighter than your menstrual period and there won’t be enough blood to cover a panty line. Spotting during pregnancy isn’t always a sign that something is wrong. It’s actually a common concern that many pregnant women experience during their first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The majority of women who experiencing spotting during pregnancy go on to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Spotting During Pregnancy Versus Bleeding

Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy is any discharge of blood from the vagina. It can happen anytime from conception (when the egg is fertilized) to the end of pregnancy.

Light bleeding, or spotting, during pregnancy is common, especially during the first trimester. It is considered spotting when you notice a few drops of blood occasionally in your underwear, or if you wipe yourself with tissue and see a little blood on the paper. There should not be enough blood to fill a panty liner.

Bleeding is a heavier flow of blood. With bleeding, you will need a liner or pad to keep the blood from soaking your clothes. Whether you are bleeding or spotting, it is best to contact your healthcare provider and describe what you are experiencing.

What Causes Spotting During Pregnancy?

Implantation bleeding is a common cause of spotting early on in pregnancy. Implantation bleeding happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining. This can trigger a few days of light bleeding or spotting. This spotting occurs before a woman even knows she is pregnant and is often mistaken as a pending period. Bleeding that occurs after the day a woman expects her period is typically too late to be considered implantation bleeding, and is more likely related to early pregnancy in general.

Another common cause of spotting is a cervical polyp (a harmless growth on the cervix), which is more likely to bleed during pregnancy due to higher estrogen levels. This may occur because there is an increased number of blood vessels in the tissue around the cervix during pregnancy. As a result, contact with this area (through sexual intercourse or a gynecological exam, for example) can cause bleeding.

Even without the presence of a cervical polyp, there are a few things that may cause some spotting in the couple days after:

Sexual intercourse
Gynecological exam, such as a vaginal ultrasound
Heavy lifting/excessive exercise

When to Worry About Spotting During Pregnancy?

Spotting or bleeding during pregnancy is not expected and may be abnormal, but it is not always a cause for concern. However, it is important to contact your healthcare provider to discuss the symptoms you are experiencing. The good news is that 50% of women with bleeding during pregnancy go on to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Any spotting or bleeding in the second or third trimesters should be reported to your healthcare provider immediately. In the first trimester, spotting is somewhat more common, but should also be reported to your doctor or midwife.

Call your obstetrician especially if you notice heavy bleeding similar to a menstrual period to make sure the bleeding is not a result of pregnancy complications, such as an ectopic pregnancy. Abnormal bleeding in late pregnancy may be more serious because it can signal a complication with you or your baby. Call your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any bleeding in your second or third trimester. Your healthcare provider will most likely check for cervical polyps, and make sure your cervix is closed.

To help manage your spotting during pregnancy and to increase the probability of continuing with a healthy pregnancy, your healthcare provider may encourage you to do the following:

Bed rest or more naps
More time off your feet
Staying well hydrated
Limit your physical activity
Elevate your feet when possible
Avoid lifting items over 10 pounds

Remember, the good news is the majority of women who experience spotting during pregnancy go on to have a healthy pregnancy. However, do not let this fact keep you from contacting your healthcare provider. It is important to discuss spotting and bleeding with your doctor.

Want to Know More?

Sharp Pain During Pregnancy
7 Common Discomforts of Pregnancy
Warning Signs of Miscarriage

Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

2. Obstetrics and Gynecology: The Essentials of Clinical Care. New York, NY: Thieme New York

3. Danforth’s Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ninth Ed. Scott, James et al., Ch. 17

4. Williams Obstetrics, Twenty-Second Ed. Cunningham, F. Gary et al., Ch. 51

Should you take a pregnancy test if you are spotting?

You may be wondering when to take a pregnancy test if you had implantation bleeding. If you have any kind of spots, it is important that you confirm your pregnancy as soon as possible. For this reason, you should take a pregnancy test at least 10-15 days after implantation bleeding occurred.

Is spotting an early sign of pregnancy?

When an egg is fertilized, it attaches itself to the wall of the uterus. Sometimes this causes spotting and cramps which are some of the earliest signs of early pregnancy. Spotting during early pregnancy may present itself as light spotting or bleeding, brownish in color, often seen when you wipe.

Does spotting before your period mean your pregnant?

Spotting Before Your Period Can Be an Early Sign of Pregnancy. If you had sex while you were ovulating (that is, when your egg was released from your ovaries about 10 days after your period ended and about 2 weeks before your next period is due) then spotting could be a sign that you are pregnant. Spotting sometimes occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself into the wall of your uterus.

Can you still get pregnant if you Arent ovulating?

You cannot get pregnant if you are not ovulating, according to New-Kids Center, a site dedicated to health information for pregnant women, babies, and kids. Turns out, ovulating is the key to the whole insemination process, which essentially kicks off pregnancy.

Does spotting mean you are for sure pregnant?

Spotting before a period does not always have an obvious cause. However, it can sometimes be an early sign of pregnancy. Spotting may also occur due to hormonal fluctuations, starting a birth control pill, or perimenopause.

What does spotting in early pregnancy look like?

Spotting is light vaginal bleeding that can happen when you're pregnant. It is a very common and tends to happen in early pregnancy, during the first trimester. Spotting is usually red or pink in colour. It can also look brown, like old blood or like the bleeding at the start and end of your period.