What is the difference between bleeding and spotting during pregnancy

Menstrual Cycle. Birth Control. About Clue. App Store Play Store. Bleeding during early pregnancy is common Vaginal bleeding is a common symptom of early pregnancy. Is bleeding during pregnancy a symptom of miscarriage? Is spotting during early pregnancy implantation bleeding? Download Clue and track bleeding episodes and spotting. Bleeding and spotting from the vagina during pregnancy are common.

Miscarriage is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Call your health care provider if you have any bleeding or spotting, even if it stops. Bleeding or spotting can happen anytime, from the time you get pregnant to right before you give birth. Spotting is light bleeding. It happens when you have a few drops of blood on your underwear.

Bleeding is when the blood flow is heavier, enough that you need a panty liner or pad to keep the blood from soaking your underwear and clothes. Call your health care provider if you have any kind of bleeding during pregnancy and do these things:.

Call your health care provider right away at any time during pregnancy or go to the emergency room if you have:. Bleeding or spotting in the first trimester may not be a problem. It can be caused by:. Your treatment depends on what caused your bleeding. You may need a medical exam and tests.

Most of the time, treatment for bleeding or spotting is rest. Your provider may also suggest treatments like:. Get expert tips and resources from March of Dimes and CDC to increase your chance of having a healthy, fully-term pregnancy and baby. Sign up for our emails to receive great health information and join us in the fight for the health of moms and babies.

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Bleeding during pregnancy is relatively common and doesn't always mean there's a problem — but it can be a dangerous sign. If you're well, it's really important you go to all your appointments and scans for the health of you and your baby. If you're pregnant, hospitals and clinics are making sure it's safe for you to go to appointments. They will advise you what to do.

In early pregnancy, you might get some harmless light bleeding, called "spotting". This is when the developing embryo plants itself in the wall of your womb. This type of bleeding often happens around the time your period would have been due. Pregnancy can cause changes to the cervix, and this may sometimes cause bleeding — after sex, for example. During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, vaginal bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

However, if you bleed at this stage of pregnancy it is likely you will go on to have normal and successful pregnancies. If a pregnancy ends before the 24th week, it's called a miscarriage. Around 1 in 5 pregnancies ends this way. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.

This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Registry Builder New. Spotting or Bleeding During Pregnancy. Medically Reviewed by James Greenberg, M. Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Spotting and bleeding can mean any number of things, but before you panic, read more about vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.

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