13th February, 2017
Bleeding during the first three months of pregnancy is normal and nothing to worry about, Dr Stephen Hwande, Managing Director, First Fertility Hospital, Makurdi, has said.
“Bleeding during pregnancy is common during the first trimester; there is no cause for alarm if that happens,” Hwande said on Monday, in Makurdi.
He said that it could, however, be a sign of “something serious”, hence the need to check to avoid some lurking complications.
“About 20 percent of women bleed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
“A woman may experience some normal spotting within the first six to 12 days after you conceive as the fertilised egg implants itself in the lining of the uterus.
“Some women don’t realise they are pregnant because they mistake this bleeding for a light menstruation; usually the bleeding is very light and lasts from a few hours to a few days,” he said.
He explained that additional causes of bleeding in early pregnancy could include cervical changes, extra blood flows to the cervix, as well as intercourse or a pap test.
“Intercourse or pap test cause contact with the cervix and can trigger bleeding; this type of bleeding is not a cause for concern,” he said.
The fertility expert said that any infection of the cervix, vagina, or a sexually transmitted infection (such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or herpes), could cause bleeding in the first trimester.
Hwande, however, said that abnormal bleeding in late pregnancies should be considered serious, “because it can signal a problem with the mother or baby”.
“About half of women, who bleed in pregnancy, eventually have miscarriages, but that does not necessarily mean that if you’re bleeding, you have lost the baby,’’ he said.