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Is It the Same as Implantation Bleeding?

Sometimes decidual bleeding is confused with and assumed to be implantation bleeding, another type of bleeding that can occur in early pregnancy.

When the fertilized egg makes its way down the fallopian tube and into the uterus, it implants in the uterine lining and is covered over by the endometrium. Shortly before the egg has completed the implantation process, there may be some bleeding.

This usually occurs about four weeks after the last menstrual period, or six to twelve days after ovulation. Implantation bleeding is characterized as light spotting and, like decidual bleeding,  it can cause a woman to think she isn't pregnant and that she's experiencing a normal period.

Both of these types of bleeding are not considered harmful and are usually referred to as first trimester bleeding.

Sometimes pregnant women experience light bleeding after sex or after an internal examination by the physician. This may be caused by the breaking of delicate blood vessels in the vaginal canal that become swollen with blood during pregnancy.

Can It Be Something Else?

In spite of the relative harmlessness of these types of bleeding, women should take any vaginal bleeding during pregnancy seriously and have it checked out with the physician. Bleeding can be a signal that something is seriously wrong and there may be a condition that can adversely affect a woman's health.

Some of the more serious possibilities include:

· cervical cancer

· vaginal infections

· impending miscarriage

· ectopic pregnancy

· molar pregnancy

Why This Isn't Your Period

If you think you are pregnant and you've been experiencing some bleeding, check this article out to see why it can't be your period.