A doctor who specializes in pregnancy and childbirth, Dr. Labaran Aliyu, has warned that bleeding from the vagina during pregnancy is not normal and could mean that the placenta is in the wrong place, a condition called placenta previa.
Aliyu, who works at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano State, said that a pregnant woman cannot have her period at the same time, and advised pregnant women who notice any bleeding to go to a hospital and see an expert for proper check-up and treatment.
Placenta previa, according to Mayo Clinic, is a problem that happens when the placenta covers part or all of the opening of the uterus (cervix) during pregnancy.
“The placenta is an organ that grows in the uterus when a woman is pregnant. Usually, the placenta attaches to the top or side of the uterus. In placenta previa, the placenta attaches low in the uterus.
“The placenta may cover part or all of the opening of the uterus, called the cervix. Placenta previa can cause a lot of bleeding in the mother before, during or after giving birth”, it explained.
Experts say that the main causes of death for pregnant women are heavy bleeding (haemorrhage), infections, high blood pressure, problems during delivery and unsafe abortion.
In an interview with PUNCH Healthwise, the Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Bayero University, said that bleeding during pregnancy is a sign of trouble and urged pregnant women not to ignore it.
He said that women should not think that bleeding during pregnancy is the same as having their period, warning that it could also mean that they are losing their baby, especially in the early stage of pregnancy.
Aliyu said, “A woman cannot be pregnant and have her period. Any bleeding that happens after pregnancy is confirmed is not normal and shows that there is something wrong with the pregnancy.
“Any pregnant woman who experiences such should visit a hospital to see an expert for proper investigation and to find out the reason for the bleeding.
“If the bleeding happens in early pregnancy, it means that they are losing their baby. There are different types of losing a baby. It can be threatened or it has happened or the baby has died and not yet come out.
“Whatever it is, if there is bleeding after pregnancy is confirmed in the early stage, it means that there is something wrong with the pregnancy. “
The doctor said that the first sign of pregnancy is when a woman stops seeing her period.
“If a woman can get pregnant and she does not see her period, the first thing she thinks is that she is pregnant. So, if pregnancy is confirmed and bleeding starts again, it means that there is a problem with the pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant and she is bleeding, it is not her period. Bleeding during pregnancy is a dangerous sign.
“Only doctors can confirm what the problem is and give the right treatment. So, no woman should take bleeding during pregnancy lightly. It must be checked, cause found out and treatment given”, he said.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that bleeding in the first three months of pregnancy happens to about 15–25 per cent of pregnant women, adding that bleeding later in pregnancy can be more serious.
The doctor also said, “If the bleeding happens later in pregnancy, like around six to nine months, it can still mean that they are losing their baby or that the placenta is in the wrong place.
“When the placenta is low in the uterus, it may cover part or all of the cervix. This is called Placenta previa and may cause bleeding from the vagina.
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