The most common problem in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is bleeding. This can be very alarming and distressing but the good thing is that although common, the majority resolve without adverse effect on the foetus. The miscarriage rate is about 1:5 overall.
Bleeding is most often due to insufficient pregnancy hormone, progesterone. The pregnancy then threatens to dislodge from the uterine wall resulting in bleeding. If the bleeding is slight, it will appear as a brown stain but if more serious there will be passage of clots associated with abdominal cramps.
It is prudent to visit your gynaecologist early in the pregnancy ( best time is 5-6 weeks) especially if there has been a previous pregnancy with bleeding ( since bleeding in pregnancy tends to repeat itself with each pregnancy ). Treatment can then be instituted before too much damage has been done. It is especially not wise to come after repeated episodes of bleeding as each subsequent bleed may jeopardise the foetus. A scan can be done to determine if the foetal heartbeat is seen. This is usually detectable at 6 weeks pregnancy. Hormone therapy can then be instituted. If there is heavy bleeding, or a history of more than one miscarriage, it is my practice to administer a course of HCG injections + utrogestan. If only slight bleeding, bed rest and utrogestan is administered. With hormonal treatment, the bleeding should stop within a few days and if it persists more than a week, should be reviewed to exclude other causes for the bleeding.
Bleeding is most often due to insufficient pregnancy hormone, progesterone. The pregnancy then threatens to dislodge from the uterine wall resulting in bleeding. If the bleeding is slight, it will appear as a brown stain but if more serious there will be passage of clots associated with abdominal cramps.
It is prudent to visit your gynaecologist early in the pregnancy ( best time is 5-6 weeks) especially if there has been a previous pregnancy with bleeding ( since bleeding in pregnancy tends to repeat itself with each pregnancy ). Treatment can then be instituted before too much damage has been done. It is especially not wise to come after repeated episodes of bleeding as each subsequent bleed may jeopardise the foetus. A scan can be done to determine if the foetal heartbeat is seen. This is usually detectable at 6 weeks pregnancy. Hormone therapy can then be instituted. If there is heavy bleeding, or a history of more than one miscarriage, it is my practice to administer a course of HCG injections + utrogestan. If only slight bleeding, bed rest and utrogestan is administered. With hormonal treatment, the bleeding should stop within a few days and if it persists more than a week, should be reviewed to exclude other causes for the bleeding.
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