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| |    Getting a 'Period' While Pregnant by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. and Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. Many women report getting what seem like regular periods during early pregnancy. How can this be? First of all, it helps to realize that since the hormones of pregnancy totally prevent ovulation, the bleeding is not truly a menstrual period, but rather early pregnancy bleeding. That said, the perception of having a menstrual period (or more than one) in early pregnancy can confuse the due date and delay some pregnant women from seeking appropriate and timely medical care. Implantation bleeding Many mothers-to-be get a few days of bleeding right around the time that the early embryo is burrowing into the wall of the uterus. On average, this occurs five days after conception and may be confused with an early period, especially if the woman is not keeping close track of her cycles. This implantation bleeding is normal and is not a sign of any problem with the pregnancy. The biggest problem with implantation bleeding is that it can lead to a mistakenly later due date if it is counted as a menstrual period. The real last period from which the due date should be calculated would be the prior one. Conceiving while using birth control pills Women who get pregnant while on the Pill might have intermittent bleeding before it is obvious that they are pregnant and they stop taking their pills. The calculation of the due date based on these episodes will most likely be inaccurate, so ultrasound is almost always needed to date a pregnancy in this situation. Early pregnancy bleeding Bleeding in early pregnancy is a common occurrence, but this does not signal a true menstrual cycle, as pregnancy hormones prevent the ovary's release of an egg as well as the buildup and subsequent shedding of the uterine lining. If these episodes are intermittent, they can be perceived as periods, and the mother-to-be may not recognize that she is pregnant. In instances where a couple is unaware that they are expecting, it can be particularly emotionally challenging to find out about the pregnancy at the same time they are told that the bleeding might signal a problem. Figuring out the due date It can be hard to calculate when the baby's due when you aren't sure which period was the true last menses. A number of timing issues can help provide a ballpark estimate of when conception took place: when you had unprotected intercourse, when the pregnancy test turned positive (especially if there were some negative results before the positive one), and when you first noticed symptoms of pregnancy (such as breast tenderness or nausea). Usually an ultrasound is needed to narrow down the dates. Identifying the due date is quite important in prenatal care, since some tests, like the triple check, are standardized by the exact number of weeks gestation. In addition, most couples (as well as their practitioner) want to have some idea of when to expect the baby!
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