Pregnancy can definitely be a thrilling experience, but it may put you under stress when you notice several worrisome symptoms. Since your body is undergoing serious hormonal and physical changes, it is obvious to deal with body aches, cramps, extremely morning sickness, sciatica, swollen breasts, and sometimes bleeding. While most women handle other symptoms quite well, they just freak out when you notice unexpected bleeding.
No doubt, it can be frightening whether you experience bleeding at 11 weeksor you notice bleeding in early pregnancy 6 weeks. It can happen for many different reasons, and sometimes, the underlying cause can be quite serious – it still doesn't mean you will lose your baby. Keep reading to learn more about experiencing unexpected bleeding at 6 weeksor 11 weeks.
Bleeding at 11 Weeks Pregnant, Is It Serious?
Ideally, a pregnant woman should not experience any bleeding until she gives birth to her baby, but it is not unusual for women to experience some bleeding during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. About 30% of all pregnancies involve vaginal bleeding that usually indicate underlying problems. After vaginal bleeding, about 50% of these 30% who experience bleeding continue with their pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby. The remaining 50% may experience a miscarriage.
Bleeding at 6 weeks pregnant or 11 weeksmay range from a bloodstained discharge found on toilet paper to bleeding that could be as heavy as you experience during a normal period. If it's that heavy, it may lead to a miscarriage. The blood can be pink, bright red, or brownish in color and may accompany with backache, period-like pain, and mild cramping.
What Causes Bleeding at 11 Weeks Pregnant?
If you're experiencing bleeding in early pregnancy 6 weeks or at 11 weeks pregnant, this may represent certain issues.
1. Miscarriage
Bleeding during the first 12 weeks could be a sign of miscarriage because it's quite common in early pregnancies. Most of the times, first trimester bleeding indicates a miscarriage, but that doesn't automatically qualify to the fact that you will miscarry as well or have already lost your baby because you bled. You may also notice other symptoms of miscarriage, including lower abdominal cramps and tissue passing through your vagina.
2. Ectopic Pregnancy
When the fertilized embryo doesn't implant itself inside the uterus and goes in the fallopian tube, it's called ectopic pregnancy. Sometimes, the embryo grows and ruptures the fallopian tube, which can be lethal for the mother. Ectopic pregnancy is not that common though and only 2% of cases fall into this category.
3. Molar Pregnancy
In this rare condition, abnormal, cancerous tissues starts growing inside the uterus and sometimes spread to other body parts as well. Vomiting, nausea, and rapid enlargement of the uterus are the most common symptoms of molar pregnancy.
4. Breakthrough Bleeding
Sometimes, you experience bleeding at 4, 8, or 12 weeks of pregnancy. It is called "breakthrough bleeding", which usually occurs at your normal period date. You will experience some other symptoms that may be associated with your regular period symptoms, such as cramps, backache, bloating, pelvic pressure, and abdominal pain. You experience these symptoms usually before your period, but you won't witness a period because you're already pregnant. Basically, your body releases hormones that keep your period from occurring, but it is not the case when the hormone levels aren't that high yet. You may experience this for the first three months. The good thing is that even if you experience breakthrough bleeding throughout your pregnancy, you may still have healthy babies.
5. Bleeding After Sex
A large majority of women experience bleeding after sex, and it could happen at any time during pregnancy. You don't have to worry about it though. You experience this situation because of softening of your cervix and increased blood supply to this area. It is a good idea though to explain your situation to your midwife or doctor to ensure there is no underlying cause of bleeding. It is not always that easy to answer the most personal question about having an intercourse, but it will really help your caregiver in making a right diagnosis. It is worth mentioning that you don't need to stop having sex, but you can be a bit careful and prevent any bleeding from occurring.
6. Additional Causes
You may bleed during pregnancy due to certain cervical changes caused by extra flood flowing to it. In this situation, or a Pap test may cause bleeding, but it isn't that serious. You may also bleed due to an infection of the vagina or cervix, or you may have a sexually transmitted infection, such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and herpes.
What Should I Do?
It doesn't really matter if you're experiencing bleeding at 11 weeks pregnantor any other time during your pregnancy, you should go see your doctor for proper diagnosis. Vaginal bleeding is not always serious, but it could be due to something more serious such as ectopic pregnancy. You are probably fine if you're just experiencing mild cramping, lower back pain, and unusual sensations during pregnancy, but you should talk to your doctor if you are experiencing all these symptoms with bleeding.
You also need to understand that if you experience bleeding any time until you're 20 weeks pregnant, it is always considered harmful and may lead to miscarriage. Your doctor will help identify the right cause of bleeding early in your pregnancy. You may also experience bleeding after 20 weeks, which is called an antepartum hemorrhage (APH), so be sure to communicate with your caregiver to resolve any underlying issue.