Even if pure joy doesn’t immediately wash over you the moment you find out you’re pregnant, my experience is that the majority of women who choose to continue their pregnancy quickly form a bond with their growing baby. Both fortunately and unfortunately, you might say. Fortunately, because love and attachment are rarely bad for the soul - unfortunately, because they can create a lot of (often unnecessary) anxiety and frustration. And that feeling doesn’t go away once the baby is born. In fact, I’ve never in my life been as worried, scared, and frustrated as I have since becoming a mother—because I love my children so deeply that it almost hurts.
One of the biggest worries many pregnant women face (often found in their underwear) is bleeding. Spotting during pregnancy. It’s awful! Not necessarily the bleeding itself, but the feeling you get when you suddenly see that red spot in your underwear or on the toilet paper after wiping. After all, you’re not supposed to bleed when you’re pregnant… are you?
And no, you’re not supposed to - but in the vast, vast majority of cases, it’s completely harmless.
One of the cruelest things about bleeding is that it often happens in the first trimester - when the baby is still so tiny that the mother has no way of feeling if it’s okay, which is, of course, the biggest concern. Am I having a miscarriage?! But for the overwhelming majority of pregnant women who experience bleeding, it has nothing to do with miscarriage - especially if the bleeding is light. The mucous membranes in the uterus (as well as in the nose and mouth) change during pregnancy, and just like many pregnant women experience bleeding gums when brushing their teeth, the cervix can do the same. At the same time, the growing uterus is being flooded with much more blood than usual, as the baby needs nourishment from the placenta, which must be well oxygenated. This, combined with more delicate mucous membranes, increases the likelihood of bleeding. Harmless bleeding, mind you.
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Most often, the bleeding is triggered by some form of activity - heavy lifting, intense physical exertion, or sex - but it can also appear completely out of the blue, for no reason at all.
Only if the bleeding becomes heavy and is accompanied by cramping pains should you seek medical attention.
So, dear pregnant mama, I completely understand if you panic when you first spot that light pink streak of spotting in your underwear. But in all likelihood, it means nothing more than that your uterus is working hard to prepare and protect your growing baby. Good luck!