Can menstruation occur during early pregnancy - causes and differences from bleeding. Periods in the first month of pregnancy: normal or time to sound the alarm? Do you get your period in the first month of pregnancy?

Usually a delay in menstruation of several days indicates a possible pregnancy. It is on this basis that a woman first diagnoses herself, after which she either turns to a specialist or conducts a test at home. But sometimes a woman is already pregnant, and her periods continue to go according to schedule, and the expectant mother does not even think about conception. Despite any arguments, pregnancy during menstruation is possible, this has been proven both scientifically and by real-life examples. Which cases of menstruation during pregnancy are considered normal, and which carry a health hazard?

Experts' opinions

If a woman has her period in the first month of pregnancy, as a rule, experts do not see anything wrong with it. This may be due to conception at the end of the cycle. In this case, the fertilized egg does not have time to gain a foothold in the uterus, and the body, accordingly, does not respond with any reaction to the presence of a new body, so the next cycle occurs on time.

In some cases, periods come early. Pregnancy with this phenomenon proceeds normally, and menstruation should stop in the next cycle. If they continue, then the necessary examination should be carried out.

Summarizing all the available facts, as well as analyzing the opinions of specialists and women who experienced menstruation during pregnancy, we can definitely say that the presence of the first menstruation cannot indicate pathology or any diseases that can cause harm to health. They are considered normal during conception in the second half of the cycle. Also, do not confuse bleeding with menstruation. To do this, it is worth remembering the signs of both phenomena, which are described in detail in this article.

But still, to prevent possible complications, as well as for your own peace of mind, it is advisable for every woman who continues to have periods during an expected pregnancy to visit a specialist who will conduct all the necessary examinations and, if necessary, prescribe the correct treatment or prevention.

Many women consider menstruation in the first month of pregnancy to be an absolutely normal, physiological phenomenon, without thinking at all about the reasons for this discrepancy and the possible consequences...

First, let’s remember why menstruation comes to us in the first place. In short, it’s “hormonal”. If conception does not occur, then at the end of the menstrual cycle a drop in hormone levels occurs, for this reason the endometrium of the uterus peels off and bleeding begins. It can be assumed that when menstruation occurs at the beginning of pregnancy, approximately the same thing happens. But such “falls” are one of the most common causes of miscarriages. So, even an ordinary “daub” cannot be ignored, and even more so if the bleeding is profuse. Remember that the sooner you see a doctor and start treatment, the greater the chance of saving the child. But it is worth noting that this is not always possible, unfortunately. Sometimes a miscarriage begins suddenly, and the detachment of the ovum is too large.

Spotty, scanty discharge often occurs during a frozen pregnancy - when the embryo stops developing and dies. But a miscarriage may not occur immediately. In Russia and the CIS countries, if the uterus is not developing, they cleanse the uterus, while in Europe and the United States a wait-and-see approach is used (wait until the body gets rid of the “dead” contents). It goes without saying that everything happens under the regular supervision of a doctor and ultrasound.

Another serious complication, in which the same symptoms occur, is when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. A woman believes that her first period began during pregnancy, but in fact, such a pathological process is occurring in her body. Perhaps one of its most terrible complications is rupture of the fallopian tube. Therefore, early diagnosis is very important. Surgery is required in most cases, but not always. For short periods of time, drug treatment is possible. In addition, sometimes ectopic ones also become non-developing. And then surgery is not required, only observation.

How to diagnose these pathologies in yourself? Using a blood test for hCG. It will be significantly below normal. And if you look at the dynamics, it will decrease somewhat, but it is unlikely to actively grow. On an ultrasound, the fetal egg is not visible in the uterus (if it is ectopic), or it is too small in size, and there is no heartbeat in the fetus, although it should already be at this stage (in the case of a frozen one). But even without these examinations, the gynecologist may suspect something is wrong. During a gynecological examination, the doctor palpates the uterus, assesses its size and tendency to increase. If the uterus does not grow, or is too small for the given stage of pregnancy, a more in-depth examination is prescribed.

Many people are interested in whether menstruation can occur in the first month of pregnancy due to cervical erosion. Of course, there may be scanty discharge, but this is not menstruation at all. It is also necessary to take into account that erosion can be successfully treated even in expectant mothers. And sometimes no treatment is required, and thanks to some hormonal changes, ectopia goes away on its own. To choose the right treatment tactics, you need to take a smear for oncocytology and do a colposcopy. But if the erosion actually bleeds, then in any case, anti-inflammatory, tissue-healing vaginal suppositories and, possibly, other gynecological procedures will be prescribed.

Very often, expectant mothers ask doctors whether menstruation can occur in the first month of pregnancy, to which they answer that it is not and that if this happens, it is necessary to go to the gynecological department for treatment. By the way, about the examination. In some cases, light discharge may be triggered by a gynecological examination, but this is not dangerous. Remember that no examination can provoke a miscarriage. In addition, discharge can appear due to douching (although douching, in principle, is not recommended for expectant mothers) and after rather rough sexual intercourse, since the walls of the vagina during pregnancy become most susceptible to various mechanical influences.

Well, in the end I would like to dispel some myths. Many ladies have heard (of course, not first-hand) that some women (and even doctors!) may not notice pregnancy, since menstruation occurs at their usual time of 3 and 5 months! Such stories, of course, could have happened in the last century in some godforsaken village, where there was adequate medical care. But now, when there are all the possibilities for diagnosing an interesting situation, even independently (tests), this simply cannot happen. Pregnancy can be determined before the delay, 10-12 days after conception, if you donate blood to test for chronic gonadotropin levels. A little later - if you do an ultrasound of the uterus.

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Even the most experienced women who monitor their health can skip pregnancy and come to an appointment with a specialist already from a baby. This is due to menstruation in early pregnancy. They are discharge that looks very similar to the usual critical days, but their reasons are completely different.

Early registration of a pregnant woman is very important. Knowing about her situation, the woman does not take medication, tries to eat well and properly and protects himself more. If there are serious developmental defects, then at the very first screening ultrasound diagnosis many defects can be seen and a decision can be made to continue or terminate the pregnancy.

When do you get your period during pregnancy?

This is very often observed in girls with light and irregular menstruation. Pregnancy is not always a planned event, and not everyone runs to the pharmacy for a test if the delay is a day or two.

The causes of such discharge during pregnancy are:

The cervix is very vulnerable during pregnancy. This is especially true in cases with ectopia and erosion. Even taking smears or having sexual intercourse can cause small amounts of blood to be discharged during pregnancy.

How long can periods last during pregnancy?

Delayed menstruation is the most common sign of pregnancy. But there are exceptions to the rule when menstruation does not stop. Most gynecologists do not consider menstruation in the first month after conception a sign of danger or a pathology. The reasons lie specifically in the fertilization of the egg and the subsequent implantation of the woman’s fertilized egg.

It also happens that in the early stages they do not stop going throughout the entire first trimester. Here you cannot do without an examination by a specialist. First, it is necessary to eliminate the threat of miscarriage and establish the reason why the woman’s body does not respond to conception.

Experts identify several reasons for this phenomenon:

Many women are interested in how many months menstruation can last during pregnancy and until what period is this considered normal. Doctors say that this phenomenon can last no more than 4 months. But even if when carrying a baby There are no pathologies, then monthly bleeding should still alert the doctor and the expectant mother.

How can you tell the difference between spotting and menstruation?

If there are any doubts about the beginning and normal course of pregnancy, it is worth knowing how menstruation when carrying babies, distinguish them from ordinary ones.

Determination of hormones in blood and urine

It is very important to conduct a urine pregnancy test by purchasing one from a pharmacy. This method is the safest and most accessible. It can be done at home without any problems. But if the result is negative, this does not mean that you are not pregnant. It is not always informative in the early stages. For a more accurate result, it is worth taking a blood test to measure the level of human chorionic gonadotropin. You can find out the correct result already on the 10th day after conception. If it is positive, then conception has occurred, but if it is negative, then no.

If a girl watches, then she will also be able to determine whether it is menstruation or discharge during pregnancy. Direct evidence that fertilization has occurred is a temperature in the rectum above 37 degrees.

How you feel

For many women, pregnancy is accompanied by symptoms such as:

These symptoms will persist even with abnormal discharge during pregnancy.

By the nature of the discharge

In most situations, discharge that can be confused with menstruation during pregnancy is unusual. It is for this reason that they arouse suspicion and doubt in a woman. But based on reviews, one can judge that if monthly discharge was normally meager, then women don’t notice the difference. You need to pay attention to the following factors:

If spotting appears after a delay.
If they are clotted and unusually abundant.
If they started earlier than expected.
Lasts only 1 or 2 days.
Minor.

Algorithm of actions when in doubt

If a woman does not rule out that she may be pregnant, but she has discharge, then she immediately needs to visit a specialist. Under no circumstances should you take any medications or use traditional methods in order to intensify your periods and cause termination of pregnancy, as a continuation of the miscarriage that has begun.

It is better not to try to stop the bleeding with medications and herbs. This will not stop the discharge, but it may have a negative effect on the health of the fetus and the expectant mother. The most correct algorithm for female actions is:

To the question that interests all women about whether there can be menstruation during the period of bearing a baby, experts give a unequivocal answer that these two concepts are absolutely opposite to each other. Even minor bleeding during pregnancy is a pathology that requires medical supervision and, possibly, emergency treatment.

It is for this reason that if you have any doubts about your condition, you should immediately visit a specialist. And this needs to be done as quickly as possible. After all, if a woman delays visiting the clinic, this can lead to disastrous events.

Women are often concerned about the question: can they menstruate during pregnancy? This is of interest to both those who plan to become mothers and those who do not want to give birth. Typically, girls begin to worry if the spotting has passed after a delay, that is, some time after the expected next menstruation. It’s not clear: could this be pregnancy or just a cycle failure?

First, let's define the terminology. Physiological female processes are designed in such a way that menstruation stops if conception occurs. Therefore, doctors give an unequivocally negative answer to the question of whether menstruation can occur during pregnancy.

But it's not that simple. After conception, especially in the early stages, bleeding can indeed occur, and this condition can easily be confused with menstruation. Sometimes this is abnormal bleeding, which requires urgent medical attention.

Quite often, women find themselves in an unclear position. It happens that a woman is confident in her pregnancy, but she begins to have spotting. It happens that conception is unlikely, but menstruation came after a delay, it is unusual in nature (for example, it is too weak or began earlier than usual). In this case, you need to take a pregnancy test during menstruation, which is in doubt.

Now the main thing is to establish the presence (or absence) of pregnancy as quickly and accurately as possible. To do this, a rapid test is performed to determine the concentration of hCG in the morning urine. This is the same test that is sold in any pharmacy. Since it is spotting that causes a flurry of questions, many people take a pregnancy test during their period, worrying about how reliable its results will be.

How to use the test

During menstruation, the test can show the same as in their absence. In order to get a real result, follow the rules of its implementation:

Drink less fluid the day before, especially in the evening, to increase the concentration of morning urine. This is especially important in the very early stages;
before the first morning urination, wash yourself thoroughly and insert a tampon into the vagina;
collect the first portion of urine into a sterile container;
make sure that the test has not expired and is packaged intact;
lower the test strip only to the level specified in the instructions, not deeper;
observe the time for assessing the result.

As a rule, a pregnancy test during menstruation is negative. Often, premenstrual syndrome in its symptoms is similar to the first signs of conception. And a woman is mistaken when she mistakes PMS for pregnancy.

Rarely, but another option is possible: conception did occur. But on the first day of menstruation, the test has not yet shown it, because the period is too short. You can repeat the test a little later, which can show pregnancy after menstruation, since as the period increases, the concentration of hCG in the urine increases. But, we repeat, then this is no longer menstruation, but a completely different bleeding (more on this below).

A positive test result is the best answer to the question of how to distinguish menstruation from pregnancy for those who dream of a baby.

Since the test can be erroneous, especially if done on the first day of your period, you can donate blood to test for the presence of hCG. This analysis is able to determine conception - already in the first month of pregnancy, approximately 10-15 days after fertilization.

Types of bleeding

Girls who do not have hormonal disorders usually know when their periods should start, how many days they can last, and what the total length of the cycle is and the normal type of discharge. Therefore, it is easier for them to suspect signs of pregnancy during false periods. The rest have to rely on general knowledge.

Vaginal bleeding is assessed according to several criteria.

In count:

spotting,
meager,
normal,
plentiful.

By color:

brown;
dark (“black periods”);
red;
bright scarlet.

By consistency:

liquid;
with particles of the inner lining of the uterus;
thick – when a significant blood clot can be detected.

By duration: every woman knows her usual cycle - for some, menstruation is short and ends in three days, for others it lasts more than seven days.

Menstrual-like bleeding may differ from normal periods. A change in the nature of the usual discharge may indicate pregnancy during menstruation (more precisely, during bleeding). Pay special attention if:

menstruation began prematurely;
scanty periods began;
ended faster than always: it happens that menstruation lasts for one day;
the discharge had an unusual color, the so-called black periods, brown or pink;
the consistency of the discharge has changed. Signs of menstruation with clots or discharge appeared; on the contrary, the discharge became too thin;

Scanty or spotting discharge is observed when:

hormonal disorders,
inflammatory processes,
taking hormonal contraceptives,
use of intrauterine contraception,
traumatization of the mucous membrane of the cervix and vagina during aggressive sexual intercourse, medical or hygienic manipulations.

In addition, if, after a delay, brown spotting occurs, accompanied by abdominal pain and a deterioration in general condition, it may be a manifestation of an ectopic pregnancy.

Heavy discharge that appears suddenly is difficult to confuse with menstruation; it should alert a woman, since heavy bleeding is a direct threat to life.

Discharge during intrauterine pregnancy

When the fertilized egg implants into the wall of the uterus, a small amount of blood is released. This is implantation bleeding, it is often confused with scanty menstruation and it is believed that the period came ahead of schedule. There is very little blood, usually just a few drops of pink or brown. Implantation bleeding is normal and does not threaten pregnancy.

Bloody discharge that looks like menstruation during early pregnancy is a sign of hormonal imbalance. If there is a lack of progesterone, the hormone that maintains pregnancy, the body may decide that it is necessary to normalize the menstrual cycle and start it. Then menstrual-like bleeding may occur. A strong contraction of the uterine walls at this moment can prevent the embryo from fully attaching, and then the woman may not even know about her conception, considering her periods to be normal.

How to find out if pregnancy is possible after menstruation, a gynecologist will tell you. Most likely, the doctor will send the patient for blood tests and an ultrasound examination. For your part, listen carefully to your body during a doubtful period. A woman herself can determine the signs of pregnancy if she has her period:

bursting painful sensations in the mammary glands, their enlargement and release of colostrum when pressing on the areola;
frequent urination;
taste and olfactory changes, cravings for unusual foods, inedible substances;
drowsiness, fatigue, irritability;
the appearance of acne and pigmentation on the skin.

Yes, it could be pregnancy. This condition usually inspires those who really want to get pregnant. But in reality, it often turns out to be a sign of PMS during normal menstruation. If you haven’t gotten your period, you don’t have to wonder for a long time how to distinguish the symptoms of PMS from pregnancy; it’s better to do a home rapid test and go to a clinic to see a specialist.

Probability of fertilization depending on the day of the cycle

The menstrual cycle of women is a very variable process. There are girls whose periods go “like clockwork,” but this is rare; the timing is influenced by many factors - climate, stress, illness. Under such conditions, the egg can be ripe for conception at almost any time. This is unlikely on the first day of your period, but in the last days it is quite possible. Therefore, the situation when fertilization can occur in the early stages after menstruation is not so rare.

It is important to understand that pregnancy that begins during menstruation is a variant of the norm. And bleeding that occurs after conception, the so-called pregnancy through menstruation, is a sign of pathology, possibly serious, which can threaten the health and life of the mother and baby.

Therefore, all doubts and questions about how to distinguish pregnancy from hormonal dysfunctions, whether menstruation can occur during pregnancy and how to distinguish them from normal ones should be asked to a gynecologist during a face-to-face consultation. The doctor will indicate what other tests, analyzes and examinations should be taken in order to understand the ambiguous situation.

You should not engage in self-diagnosis, much less prescribe treatment; this is dangerous both for a pregnant woman and for one who does not plan to have a child. If the bleeding is severe, if there is pain, you should call an ambulance or immediately consult a doctor on the first day of your period.