Is Spotting During Pregnancy Normal?

Is spotting during pregnancy normal? The answer to this question is: It depends on what is causing the bleeding or spotting.

Spotting, which can coincide with back pain and cramping in the abdomen, during the first trimester occurs in many women with no adverse effects. Basically, what happens in these cases is the mucus membrane that lines the womb builds a thick collection of blood vessels and as the embryo emplants into the uterine wall a small amount of blood is released. This is nothing to be concerned about. However, alternate causes for similar bleeding can be serious. Since a woman cannot be certain of the cause, precaution is the best the way to go.

Signs that bleeding may not be normal are the progression of spotting to heavier releases of blood, passing of clots and tissue, severe pain or the presence of a fever. Also the color of the blood can be an indicator. Generally, pink and brown are good, but bright red is a sight for concern.

For a long time, bed rest has been recommended when spotting occurs. While there seems to be no reason to believe this prescription is harmful, recent research seems to indicate that staying off your feet has no direct relation to bleeding. Again, this precaution should do no harm and a little extra rest is always a good thing for a pregnant woman.

To sum up our response to the question: Is spotting during pregnancy normal? About 20 percent of women have this condition during the first 12 weeks and for most of them it is not a problem. However, regardless of what she might think, a mother-to-be should notify her doctor and keep the physician updated when this event presents itself.

Once a woman moves beyond the first trimester, bleeding is usually the result of a more serious complication.