The absence of regular menstruation is almost always a sure sign of pregnancy. It is the absence of menstruation in due time that makes a woman usually buy a test or do a blood test to find out if she is carrying a baby under her heart. But sometimes, even after conception, a woman may notice bloody menstrual discharge from the genitals. Whether menstruation can continue in early pregnancy, we will tell in this article.
The mechanism of menstruation
To understand it, you need to clearly understand how menstruation takes place in the female body. In medicine, they are often called regulations, since menstruation is a regular phenomenon. Bleeding is accompanied by rejection of the mucous membranes of the uterus. The main reproductive female organ gets rid of the functional layer of the endometrium only if there is no need for it - there is no pregnancy.
Typically, a woman's menstrual cycle after the end of puberty lasts 28 days. However, both longer and shorter cycles (20-21 days or 34-35 days) are also considered perfectly normal, provided they are regular. The first day of your period is the beginning of a new menstrual cycle. At the end of physiological bleeding, the follicular phase begins.
In the ovaries, an egg matures, which is to leave the follicle around the middle of the cycle. When the follicle becomes large, under the influence of special hormones, it ruptures, the egg comes out into the ampullar part of the fallopian tube. This process is called ovulation. If on the day of ovulation or a day later the egg meets the male reproductive cell - the sperm, then conception and pregnancy are likely.
If conception does not occur, the egg dies within 24-36 hours after leaving the follicle. The villi inside the fallopian tube push it into the uterine cavity. The mucous membranes of the genital organ thicken under the influence of progesterone from the moment of ovulation. The functional layer is necessary so that a fertilized egg can anchor in it. If a dead egg enters the uterus, the progesterone levels decrease after about a week. The luteal phase of the menstrual cycle ends (its second half).
The unclaimed physiological layer of the endometrium of the uterus begins to be rejected - menstruation begins, and simultaneously with it - the next menstrual cycle.
If conception has taken place, then the level of progesterone remains high. Approximately 8-9 days after ovulation, the fertilized egg, passing through the fallopian tube, enters the uterus, is introduced into the loose and "prepared" for implantation of the endometrium. The hCG hormone begins to be produced, for which the chorionic villi are responsible after the successful fixation of the ovum. Chorionic gonadotropin stimulates additional production of progesterone. "Adjusted" by hCG, progesterone is not reduced. There is no rejection of the endometrial layer. Menses do not come.
Menstrual blood is called blood very conditionally, because it does not have the ability to clot. In fact, during menstruation, menstrual fluid is released from a woman's genitals, which only partially consists of blood and the membranes of the uterus. In addition to them, the mucus secreted by the cervix, the liquid secretion of the vaginal glands, a number of enzymes that prevent the bloody fluid from clotting are determined in the fluid.
The average amount of menstrual fluid in one cycle is about 50-100 milliliters. There are less and more profuse periods. However, the volume of lost fluid less than 50 ml or more than 250 ml is considered a sign of pathology - such a woman must be examined and find out the causes of the violation.
Do they happen after conception?
By nature itself, everything is provided so that after conception, if it took place, there would be no menstruation. From the point of view of physiology, the onset of menstrual bleeding becomes completely impossible, but in practice anything can happen, because we are not talking about a machine or mechanism, but about a living human body.
It is no coincidence that some women, when contacting a gynecologist, claim that they came to the appointment for the first time only because other symptoms of pregnancy appeared - the breasts increased, weight began to grow, and some even had the first fetal movements. In fact, during the first trimester, these women continued monthly bleeding, which they mistook for menstruation. People used to say about such "menstruation" against the background of pregnancy that "the fetus is washed."
What's really going on? From a medical point of view, there is a small chance that in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, a woman will mature not one, but two or three eggs. Their release from their follicles will not necessarily be simultaneous. Imagine that one egg came out, “waited” for a day and died without ever meeting the sperm. It descends into the womb. The body begins processes that precede normal menstruation.
But the second egg may well be fertilized. While it moves into the uterine cavity through the tube (this is about 8 days), menstruation may well begin, which has arisen due to the death of the first egg. However, such periods will be noticeably different from the usual ones. A woman can pay attention to the fact that the discharge, although it came on time, was more meager, did not last 6 days, as usual, but only 3-4 days or less.
It must be said that this is the only more or less explainable and logical reason for the onset of menstrual discharge during pregnancy at the earliest possible date. In a month, under such circumstances, menstruation will no longer occur, since pregnancy will already be developing in full swing.
Women who claim that their periods continued every month until the end of 3-4 months are mistaken. Even if they had menstrual bleeding in the first month due to the second egg, then in the following months it was not about menstruation, but about pregnancy pathologies - the threat of miscarriage, hormonal disorders or other reasons.
Sometimes gynecologists really admit that a woman can continue bloody "daub" in the days in which menstruation began before pregnancy. The reason for this phenomenon is not fully understood and experts are inclined to believe that the hormonal memory of the body is to blame for everything. In fairness, it should be noted that such a phenomenon is very rare in practice - about 0.5-1% of cases.
Discharges of unclear etiology are spoken of if a complete and detailed examination of the pregnant woman does not reveal the slightest disturbance in her condition - the woman is healthy, there is no threat of miscarriage, placenta previa, the balance of hormones is normal, the fetus is healthy and develops according to the gestational period.
Usually, such unexplained discharge goes away by the end of the first trimester and does not return until the very birth. Given the rarity of this phenomenon, you should not really count on the fact that the spotting that appears in the early stages is just such a harmless and mysterious menstrual bleeding. Most often, the reasons are completely different, more dangerous and threatening.
To answer the main question of this article - can there be menstruation in the early stages, you need to clearly understand that in 99% of cases this cannot be. And only in rare cases can there be menstrual bleeding (not menstruation!) Due to the second egg. In all other cases, the appearance of bloody discharge is an alarming symptom that has nothing to do with the variants of the physiological norm.
Causes of the appearance of blood in the early stages
So, full and harmless periods during pregnancy are impossible. So what are the causes of spotting, which women mistake for menstruation?
Implantation
Implantation bleeding is not a widespread phenomenon and does not happen to everyone. But if it happens, then there is nothing dangerous in it. Discharge of a bloody or smearing nature may appear about a week after ovulation, when the fertilized egg reaches the uterine cavity. Usually, a woman who does not know that conception could have occurred is surprised and thinks that for some reason, her period just came about a week ahead of schedule.
In fact, the blastocyst is introduced into the functional layer of the endometrium of the uterus. During this process, the integrity of the layer is violated and a slight bleeding is possible. Such discharge is usually scarce, they are not accompanied by pain. The color of the discharge can be from creamy pink to pronounced bloody. The amount of discharge is small. Typically, implantation bleeding lasts from several hours to a couple of days, no more.
Tests will show pregnancy in about ten days, and a blood test for hCG will determine it within three to four days after a strange and untimely "daub".
Implantation bleeding does not affect the development of pregnancy, it does not harm the fetus and the health of the expectant mother. In many women, it does not occur at all, or scanty discharge goes unnoticed.
Hormonal imbalance
The reason for the occurrence of bloody discharge, including on days in which menstruation was previously observed in a woman, may be a lack of a hormone important for bearing a child - progesterone. Adequate levels of this hormone are necessary to prevent the next menstruation while the woman is carrying the baby. In addition, progesterone suppresses the mother's immunity, provides nutritional reserves for the baby, maintains the smooth muscles of the uterus in a calm state, preventing the tone and hypertonicity of the uterine muscles.
The reason for the lack of progesterone is most often pathologies of the corpus luteum of the ovaries, chorion, chronic diseases of the kidneys and liver, thyroid gland, pituitary disorders, as well as gynecological inflammatory diseases of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, endometrium. Previous abortions are another reason why, during a desired pregnancy, your own progesterone may be pathologically lacking.
The reason for the appearance of spotting may also lie in the lack of the hCG hormone. If it is not enough, then the stimulation of progesterone production will be insufficient. Hormonal bleeding very often leads to spontaneous abortion if left unattended. However, with a timely visit to a doctor, a woman is prescribed treatment with hormonal agents - progesterone preparations, thus the deficiency of this essential substance can be eliminated. When such a problem occurs, hormonal treatment is usually prescribed for a long course, up to 16-18 weeks of pregnancy, when the threat of miscarriage is considered less likely.
Hormonal secretions vary in intensity, color, and duration. What they are depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. Most often, women complain of the appearance of bloody discharge of red or brownish color, with impurities of mucus, but the pathology is characterized by both pink and bright orange discharge.
The more abundant the discharge, the more likely an unfavorable outcome. When blood clots appear in them, it is often a question of an ongoing miscarriage.
Additional symptoms - pulling the lower abdomen, aching lower back, weakness and deterioration of health. Such signs are not always observed, sometimes the only sign of hormonal insufficiency is abnormal discharge from the genitals.
Injury
The genital tract of a woman during pregnancy from the very first months of her becomes more vulnerable, because progesterone has a softening effect on the mucous membranes. Therefore, injuring the vagina or cervix becomes easier than ever, even without performing any dangerous actions for this. During pregnancy, mucous membranes are better supplied with blood, the amount of which, by the way, also increases. That is why even a microtrauma of the vagina can lead to the appearance of bloody discharge, which a woman can mistake for menstruation.
Usually, a woman gets such injuries during sex, especially if the partners, with the onset of an "interesting position", have not reduced the intensity of frictional movements, continue to use sex toys and generally make love often. After intercourse, in this case, a woman may notice a scarlet bloody discharge - the blood does not have time to change its color, because it immediately flows out.
The discharge is not abundant, pain is not accompanied, the child is not harmed.
If the cervix is injured, the discharge is stronger, with mucus impurities. A woman can be injured during masturbation, when a tampon is inserted (which is prohibited during pregnancy!), As well as during a vaginal examination by a gynecologist.
Post-traumatic discharge is not long-lasting; it usually stops completely after a few hours. If you do not bring the infection to the site of injury, then inflammation will not occur and nothing will threaten the bearing of the baby. In some cases, with excessive and clean bleeding of the vagina, the doctor may prescribe a more sparing mode of intimate life for a woman, as well as iron preparations and hemostatics that improve blood clotting.
Ectopic pregnancy
If the fertilized egg is fixed not in the uterine cavity, but in the fallopian tube, cervix, or even out into the abdominal cavity, then for some time the woman may not even guess about it. The tests will be "striped" and even signs of toxicosis are quite possible. However, a pregnant woman may be disturbed by smearing brownish discharge, which at first is associated with an insufficient level of hCG, because it will be produced less with ectopic attachment of the ovum.
As the embryo grows, the walls and shells of the organ to which the ovum is attached will stretch. There are quite localized abdominal pains, the discharge intensifies. Severe cutting pains, pain shock, loss of consciousness, profuse scarlet bleeding with large clots can indicate a ruptured tube or cervical bleeding. The rupture threatens by the end of 8-12 weeks, if the fact of an ectopic pregnancy was not established on an ultrasound scan earlier than this period.
An ectopic pregnancy can be fatal for a woman. For the fetus, there is always only one prognosis - it will not be able to survive anywhere except the uterine cavity. An ectopic pregnancy needs surgery, and the sooner this is done, the more likely the woman will have a future pregnancy.
With early detection of pathology, doctors can save the fallopian tubes, the extraction of the ovum will be carried out by the laparoscopic method. With late access, alas, most often the pipe cannot be saved. With a cervical pregnancy, it is often necessary to remove the entire uterus, but the cases of the attachment of the ovum in the cervix themselves are relatively rare.
Miscarriage
The threat of early miscarriage can arise for a variety of reasons, and these reasons will not always be obvious.The fetus may be rejected by the mother's own immunity, it may not be viable due to gross genetic pathologies, developmental anomalies. The threat of miscarriage often occurs in women who have chronic diseases, problems with reproductive health of infectious and non-infectious origin.
Early pregnancy is very fragile. Malnutrition of the expectant mother, her psychological experiences, stresses and shocks, hard physical work and sports activities, bad habits (smoking and alcohol), night shift work can disrupt its normal course. Miscarriages can be habitual, repeated. At the same time, it is highly likely that the next one will occur exactly at the same time as the previous one.
The threat of miscarriage is often accompanied by a discharge of blood. Their intensity, color, consistency depend on the true cause of the threatening condition. When a discharge similar to menstruation appears, a woman must be examined by a gynecologist and an ultrasound scan.
With a threatened miscarriage, the ovum is usually not deformed, but the uterus is in an increased tone. When a miscarriage begins, the discharge is more abundant, the woman complains of increased anxiety, that she has a stomach ache, pulls her lower back. The pain can be cramping. On ultrasound, a deformed ovum of irregular shape is determined. With a miscarriage, the bleeding is severe, the pain is cramping, the discharge contains large blood clots and fragments of the endometrium and ovum. On ultrasound, the ovum may not be detected or its remains are determined. The fetal heartbeat is not recorded.
Modern medicine has many ways to help a woman and her child in the event of a threat of miscarriage and even a miscarriage that has begun. But with the accomplished doctors, alas, can not do anything. The only solution would be to cure the uterine cavity in order to avoid the delay in it of a part of the membranes and the subsequent occurrence of an inflammatory process and sepsis.
Chorionic presentation, detachment
If the ovum is fixed not in the bottom of the uterus, but at the very bottom, then bleeding due to small chorionic detachments is possible. Presentation can be complete, when the entire cervical region of the cervix is covered, or it can be partial. Such a pathology can only be diagnosed by ultrasound.
The reasons for which pathology occurs most often have a maternal factor, that is, are directly related to a burdened history - the presence of curettage and abortion in the past, the presence of a tumor in the uterus, polyps, which prevented the blastocyst from gaining a foothold where the development of the fetus would be safer.
The uterus increases in size, new blood vessels appear in the chorion, which should turn into a placenta by the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy. Detachments occur during presentation due to trauma to the blood vessels.
If blood does not come out, but accumulates between the wall of the uterus and the chorion, a retrochorial hematoma is diagnosed. With her, there may be no discharge and this is the most unfavorable sign.
If blood comes out, there is a chance that the hematoma will resolve and the pregnancy will develop further. Discharge, if it appears, is most often brown. If scarlet blood has gone, this is a sign of fresh detachment, and the likelihood of losing a child due to total detachment is higher.
Frozen pregnancy
A child in the womb can stop developing and die at any time. There can be many reasons - from chromosomal abnormalities that made it impossible for the further existence of the crumb, to external adverse effects of toxins, radiation, medicines, infectious diseases.
Until a certain time, a woman may not be aware of what happened until she goes for an ultrasound scan or she starts having a discharge resembling menstruation. The dead fetus is usually rejected by the uterus 2-3 weeks after death. During this time, a woman can pay attention to the fact that her symptoms of toxicosis have disappeared, her chest has ceased to hurt. If there was no toxicosis, the sensations will not change.
Discharge at the stage of rejection usually begins as menstruation - with daub, which gradually "diverges", becomes more abundant. The color changes from brownish to scarlet, bright, cramping pains appear, blood clots appear in the discharge. The further course takes place according to the scenario of miscarriage.
How to distinguish from bleeding?
Menstrual blood is darker, resembling venous blood, while in most pregnancy pathologies, the discharge is either brownish in color, or scarlet - the color of arterial blood. The accompanying symptoms and changes in her own condition should also alert the pregnant woman. Any discharge, even if it is not bloody, accompanied by pain, a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, pulling back pains, a false desire to empty the intestines, are dangerous.
If the fact of pregnancy has already been proven by tests and examinations, it is necessary to treat bleeding exclusively as pathological. If even a slight "daub" appears, you need to consult a doctor, and in case of profuse sudden bloody discharge, call an ambulance and, while waiting for the team, take a horizontal position.
Statistics show that in 85% of cases, with timely treatment of a woman for help from doctors, pregnancy can be maintained. The only exceptions are cases of frozen, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and cystic drift.
If the fact of pregnancy is not yet obvious and bleeding began before the delay of menstruation or a few days after the delay, the best way to establish the truth is a pregnancy test. You can do it from the first day of your missed period. Before that, a blood test for hCG will come to the aid of a woman. If the diagnosis shows pregnancy, you should also consult a doctor with complaints of spotting.
It should be remembered that bloody menstrual flow during pregnancy is not like a regular period - it is less abundant. You can also find several dozen differences in a woman's own feelings.
Reviews
According to the reviews that women leave on thematic forums, it can be assumed that many women are often faced with such a phenomenon as biochemical pregnancy. It occurs when the ovum dies or exfoliates almost immediately after implantation. In this case, a woman's test may show pregnancy, but her period will still come, albeit with a slight delay.
If a woman is not planning a pregnancy, she may not be aware of what is happening and simply perceives her period after a delay, as a consequence of fatigue, stress, a recent flu or SARS. If a child is planned, then the woman is more closely monitoring her health in the second half of the cycle and, most likely, she will notice early signs of pregnancy.
Biochemical pregnancy does not affect the ability to conceive a baby in the next cycle. Seeing a doctor is not required as it is not considered a miscarriage. Women argue that biochemical pregnancy is indicated not only by a slight delay, but also by more abundant menstruation than usual.
Stories that menstruation went every month until 6 months of pregnancy are usually told in the third person - "my friend", "a neighbor told the case" and so on. This is what raises some common doubt. Apparently, in this vein, the stories of the long-term threat of termination of pregnancy of some mythical characters are retelling.
Lovers of reading reviews can be advised only one thing: when bleeding occurs, you need to urgently go to the doctor if there is a pregnancy. If she is in doubt, you can also go to the doctor to dispel doubts or save the long-awaited baby, if something threatens him at the very early stages of gestation.
Menstruation or discharge similar to them at any stage of pregnancy cannot be considered a normal phenomenon. For information on whether menstruation can go on during pregnancy, see the next video.
