Pregnancy and blood loss: the fear for every pregnant woman. The blood loss can occur after sex, but can also occur spontaneously. The color of the blood can vary from pink to red, or even brown blood. What does blood loss during pregnancy mean?
Is blood loss serious?
In most cases there is nothing to worry about when bleeding occurs during pregnancy. However, bleeding can also indicate an underlying problem. Every bleeding during pregnancy must therefore be examined carefully: when did the bleeding occur, how much blood loss is involved and how long does the bleeding last?
Pink blood
Blood loss during pregnancy can have different colors. The lightest form is pink blood. This concerns a very small amount of blood mixed with mucus. This causes the blood to turn pink. The lighter the color, the less blood is present in the mucus. Pink blood can be a harbinger of more blood loss, which will occur the same day or a few days later. But it can also only be pink blood: a single drop of blood loss that quickly disappears.Pink bleeding can occur after implantation, during pressure increase (straining, coughing, sneezing, lifting) or after intercourse. Pink blood can last for several days or even continue throughout the pregnancy. Pink blood loss that turns into red blood will therefore increase in quantity. In this case there is sometimes more going on.
Red blood loss
Red blood loss can vary from light red to dark red. This usually involves bright red blood loss. Red blood loss contains more blood than pink blood. We then speak of a few drops to an amount that must be collected with a large sanitary towel.Blood that is bright red in color means fresh blood: the bleeding is therefore immediately visible. When blood is visible, bleeding is also taking place. In most cases, blood with a bright red color does not mean anything serious. This can occur after implantation or due to pressure on the uterine wall due to coughing or sneezing, but also due to lifting. The uterine wall is highly vascularized and can bleed more quickly under the influence of pregnancy hormones. Blood loss can also occur after sex. The cervix then becomes slightly irritated, causing bleeding. If the blood loss stops after a few hours, there is nothing to worry about.Blood loss that increases or persists is cause for greater concern. A miscarriage can occur: blood loss often occurs well before the miscarriage. But there can also be a threat of miscarriage: in some cases the body recovers and a miscarriage does not occur.Blood loss in the first three months is the most exciting: miscarriage is most common during the first three months of pregnancy. Bleeding should therefore always be taken seriously, but in most cases it is not a cause for concern. The midwife always wants to know how much blood loss is involved, how long it lasts and what color the blood is. He also wants to know when the blood loss occurs. Based on this information, the midwife can assess whether an ultrasound should be performed.
Brown blood
After bleeding has occurred, brown blood may appear. Brown blood is old blood that has been in the uterus or cervix for some time. Old blood turns brown because hemoglobin oxidizes: a kind of rusting, actually, although this is not the right word for it.Bleeding during pregnancy is not always noticed. Sometimes it concerns a small amount that is not immediately discharged to the outside. The blood then remains in the uterus for a while where it turns brown. Brown bleeding is an old bleeding that has already passed.Even after blood loss with a red color, brown blood will still occur in most cases. This is blood that has been left behind and is ultimately drained away.Brown blood can also occur before major bleeding occurs. The body is busy with ‘something’ and a slight bleeding occurs that is not immediately drained. This bleeding then stops and the body releases brown blood. After one to several days, the bleeding may start again, this time red to bright red in color. Brown blood can therefore be an omen of something bigger, but in most cases it will show that there is an old bleeding.
read more
- Abdominal cramps during pregnancy
- Lots of blood loss during childbirth
- Blood loss and pregnant