Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : November 2, 2015 6:55 PM IST
Though spotting can be a common occurrence during the first trimester, second trimester vaginal bleeding isn't a healthy sign of pregnancy. Vaginal bleeding in the middle of your pregnancy can be indicative of a crisis within, which might call for immediate medical attention. Here's what it can indicate:
Placenta previa: Low lying placenta or placenta previa is a condition where the placenta sits low in the uterus and partially or completely covers the opening of the birth canal. 'As the baby grows the placenta moves up towards the upper part of the uterus. But in case a low lying placenta bleeds which is also painless in nature, it still indicates an emergency. Spotting with placenta previa requires immediate medical attention to save the fetus and the mother from its consequences,' says Dr Pooja Mehta, consultant gynecologist, Paras Hospital, Gurgaon.
Uterine rupture. In rare cases, a scar from a previous C-section can tear open during pregnancy and lead to rapid internal bleeding. This can be life-threatening for both the mother and baby. Most of the time such a condition might necessitate an emergency C-section. Other symptoms of uterine rupture apart from vaginal bleeding are pain and tenderness in the abdomen.
Physical exertion: Excessive physical exertion at any time during pregnancy is inadvisable. This can lead to a trauma, dislodging of the placenta and lead to spotting. Get checked by your doctor soon if you have over exerted yourself with any kind of physical activity -- exercise, road travel or doing daily chores, anything can lead to this tragic event. Fetal monitoring with an ultrasound to check on its position and health will be necessary after such an episode.
Vasa previa: In some extremely rare cases the developing baby's blood vessels in the umbilical cord or placenta cross the opening and reach the birth canal. Vasa previa can be very dangerous to the baby because the blood vessels can tear open, causing the baby to bleed severely and lose oxygen. Other signs of vasa previa include abnormal fetal heart rate and excessive bleeding.
At any point of time if you notice spotting during pregnancy reach out to your doctor immediately.
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