Causes & Treatment for Excessive Bleeding During Pregnancy

Understand your treatment options if you experience bleeding during pregnancy

Bleeding during pregnancy isn’t always a cause for concern, but it’s important to seek medical advice whenever you experience bleeding or spotting during pregnancy to ensure the well-being of you and your baby.

Your doctor should be able to assess the situation, perform necessary tests and examinations, and provide appropriate guidance or treatment based on the underlying cause. They should be able to determine whether the bleeding is a normal part of pregnancy or if further intervention or monitoring is required.

This article will discuss the most common causes, treatment and complications of bleeding during pregnancy.

Is bleeding during pregnancy normal?

Bleeding occurs in approximately 25% of all pregnancies, making it fairly common. It doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong. In fact, some women experience minor bleeding throughout their pregnancies and go on to have healthy babies.

However, if a woman has heavy bleeding, also known as hemorrhage, they should always discuss it with their doctor right away, as it could signify a more serious complication such as miscarriage. This typically occurs prior to the 20th week of pregnancy.

What are the most common reasons for bleeding during pregnancy?

There are various possible reasons why a woman might bleed during different trimesters of pregnancy.

First-trimester bleeding

The following are the most common causes of bleeding during the first trimester:

• Ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. This is a dangerous situation that can cause heavy bleeding and severe pain. An ectopic pregnancy is not viable and can lead to loss of fertility or even death if the woman isn’t treated in a timely manner with surgery.
• Miscarriage. Miscarriages (loss of pregnancy before 20 weeks) can happen for various reasons but most often occur due to genetic or chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. Other contributing factors may include hormonal imbalances, maternal health conditions such as diabetes or thyroid disorders, uterine abnormalities, infections, immune system disorders, or lifestyle factors like smoking, drug use or excessive alcohol consumption. Bleeding is often the first sign of a miscarriage.
• Molar pregnancy. A molar pregnancy is a rare situation in which an abnormal cluster of cells develops in the uterus instead of a fetus. This is a dangerous condition that can lead to bleeding. In some rare cases, a molar pregnancy can become cancerous.

Second- and third-trimester bleeding

There are also a number of reasons bleeding might occur during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, including the following:

What tests should be done if you’re experiencing bleeding during pregnancy?

If a woman experiences bleeding during pregnancy, their doctor should perform an exam and order appropriate tests to determine the cause, including:

How to stop bleeding during pregnancy

The treatment for bleeding during pregnancy varies based on the cause. Often, women are told to get bed rest, stay off their feet and avoid any strenuous activity, including sex. The doctor may also tell a woman to avoid traveling. In some cases, closer monitoring, hospitalization and surgery might be necessary.

What questions should a doctor ask about bleeding during pregnancy?

If a woman sees her doctor with concerns about bleeding during pregnancy, the doctor should ask certain questions to determine a cause and treatment, including:

When might complications from bleeding during pregnancy be medical malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional deviates from the accepted standard of care, resulting in harm to the patient. In the case of bleeding during pregnancy, potential instances of medical malpractice may include:

• Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose. If a healthcare professional fails to recognize the seriousness of the bleeding or misdiagnoses the underlying cause, leading to delayed or inadequate treatment, it could be considered medical malpractice. For example, if a doctor fails to diagnose placenta previa and allows the mother to deliver vaginally, resulting in harm to the mother or baby, this failure to diagnose could be medical malpractice.
• Inadequate monitoring or follow-up. If a healthcare professional fails to appropriately monitor the patient’s condition or neglects to provide necessary follow-up care, resulting in preventable complications or worsening of the situation, it may be deemed medical malpractice.

Contact an experienced birth injury lawyer

At Brown Trial Firm, we understand the physical, emotional and financial toll that a birth injury takes on a family. It’s important to understand that if your baby suffered a serious injury or death because of a medical professional’s failure to treat or diagnose your bleeding during pregnancy, you may be entitled to substantial compensation.

If you have questions about the birth injury lawsuit process or want help filing your claim, contact attorney Laura Brown at Brown Trial Firm. Laura has years of experience in birth injury law, helping families like yours all across the U.S. get the compensation they deserve.

Contact her today for a free consultation of your case.