Can I have periods during pregnancy? Can you have periods during early pregnancy? Other complaints from the woman

Sometimes pregnant women discover signs of menstruation, i.e. vaginal bleeding. Can menstruation occur during pregnancy? Is it dangerous or completely acceptable? What do specialists in gynecology and obstetrics say about this?

Physiologically, the appearance of menstruation in pregnant women is by no means characteristic symptom. After all, in fact, menstruation is the exfoliating endometrium, which grows on the uterine wall in the first half of the cycle. If conception does not occur, then it disintegrates and comes out in the form of menstrual flow. If fertilization occurs, the endometrium, on the contrary, strengthens to provide the baby with additional protection. Therefore, there are no periods during pregnancy. If menstruation during pregnancy is on early stages However, they begin, then the woman gets scared, since the symptom indicates a spontaneous interruption. And if the spouses for a long time were waiting for conception, then such a circumstance seriously upsets and unsettles.

Typically, patients present menstruation as any vaginal discharge, which is not entirely true, because the source of bleeding can be different. How do you get your period? Under the influence of the progesterone hormone, or, more precisely, against the background of its decrease towards the end of the cycle, it begins to exfoliate, menstruation begins. Every month menstrual cycle repeats itself, the endometrial layer grows again and comes out again with menstruation.

Therefore, if a pregnant woman begins to menstruate, that is, the endometrium begins to come out, then talk about normal development no fruit possible. But in practice, it often happens that patients find out about conception only at 3-4 months, because before that their periods were on time. Why do I get my period during pregnancy?

Origin of bleeding

In fact, menstruation during early pregnancy, or more precisely, uterine bleeding, can begin for many reasons.

  • Threat of impending miscarriage;
  • Death of the embryo;
  • Development ectopic pregnancy;
  • Features of the uterine structure, for example, bicornuate, etc.

The threat of miscarriage is accompanied mainly by scanty, dark discharge, which is complemented by nagging pain, similar to premenstrual pain. If the embryo dies, there may be no signs for a long time. A positive factor The appearance of symptoms is considered to help early notice problems with pregnancy. Similar signs of menstruation during early pregnancy include acute pain and spotting. dark discharge, softening the mammary gland, etc.

The ectopic location of the embryo is also accompanied by pain at the implantation site ovum, and with physical activity and movement the pain, as a rule, only intensifies. In such cases, not very heavy periods are observed during pregnancy with dark blood. If the bleeding is severe and prolonged, then this may indicate that the process of spontaneous detachment of the embryo has begun. We cannot exclude the possibility that the cause of bleeding may be the unusual structure of the uterus. For example, with a bicornuate uterus, the fetus is implanted in only one part of it, while the other continues to menstruate monthly. Of course, this state of affairs cannot be considered normal, but menstruation in the early stages of pregnancy with such a feature is quite understandable.

Another situation may occur when a woman has sexual intercourse, and soon her period comes, then unprotected contact it wasn’t, but the woman was able to get pregnant. This is possible if pregnancy has already occurred at the time of menstruation, this happens when late ovulation. Hormonal processes have not yet had time to start, so bleeding begins on the prescribed days. Simply, the fertilized cell was sent to the uterus when menstruation began in early pregnancy. Which is understandable, because completed conception is considered to be the time during the implantation period, when the cell is fully embedded in the uterine wall, and not the moment the cell is fertilized by sperm.

If the fact of pregnancy has already been confirmed by tests and ultrasound examination, then any menstruation at the beginning of pregnancy and even minor bloody smears should be considered as a serious abnormality requiring examination by a doctor.

Heavy menstruation with clots in pregnant women

Usually, cases associated with menstruation during pregnancy, whatever they may be, indicate a threat of miscarriage or a miscarriage that has already begun. The reason for rejection may be various factors like:

In such situations, they do not say that menstruation occurs during pregnancy, because we're talking about about uterine bleeding. If a pregnant woman experiences heavy bleeding with impurities blood clots or there is only one large clot, brown dark scanty periods appeared during pregnancy, then you need to call an ambulance. Such manifestations of pregnancy can begin when there is a threat of spontaneous abortion, ectopic implantation of the embryo or its death. Over a long period of time, similar clinical picture indicates placental presentation or detachment. Pathological bleeding accompanied by intense pain and hyperthermia, malaise and nausea.

Pregnant woman has menstrual flow after sex

Classic sexual intercourse is not dangerous and will not cause a miscarriage. But some patients may experience brownish discharge after this. These are not ordinary periods, but bleeding caused by more abundant blood flow in the pelvis, which is why the mucous tissues become much more sensitive and are therefore easily damaged during sexual intercourse. Typically, such smears are not dangerous, but it is still worth talking to your gynecologist about this. If noticeable bleeding occurs after each intimacy, then you will have to abstain from sex for now.

Should go gynecological examination, find out if there are any deviations, whether sexual intercourse is possible during further pregnancy, etc. If the obstetrician-gynecologist does not identify any pathologies, then you can resume sex life. In such a situation, it is better to use panty liners to understand the color of the discharge and its abundance. The doctor will need this information to more accurately assess the condition. But you should stop using tampons. If, in addition to blood, discharge from the vagina large clots and pieces of tissue, nausea and vomiting attacks and dizziness bother you, severe pain in the uterus, immediate medical intervention is required.

Menstruation with ectopic

When the ovum is located ectopically, implantation most often occurs in fallopian tube. In fact, conception occurs, therefore hormonal processes also start, the content increases human chorionic gonadotropin. Therefore, menstruation also stops. But in the first weeks you may be bothered by bloody brown daub, which a woman mistakes for menstruation. The outcome of such an ectopic pregnancy can be reduced to spontaneous detachment of the ovum and abortion, or rupture of the fallopian tube. Can I get my period during pregnancy? In such a situation, any outcome is accompanied heavy bleeding, the consequences of which can be sad. This is why identifying early pathology is vital.

It often happens that bleeding coincides with the next menstruation, which prevents a woman from noticing in time interesting situation. After all, she believes that she began to menstruate during pregnancy, which she does not even know about. But an ectopic can be recognized by other signs:

  • Hypotension;
  • Weakness;
  • Frequent fainting and dizziness;
  • Attacks of severe pain in the area of ​​one of the tubes, reflected by lumbar and rectal pain;
  • You can have periods during pregnancy outside the uterus, but they become scanty.

If you suspect ectopic pregnancy, you must be examined and undergo ultrasound diagnostics, pass lab tests for the determination of hCG. These measures will help determine whether pregnancy is possible.

Features of bleeding during pregnancy

To distinguish uterine bleeding from menstrual bleeding, you need to know for sure which periods are typical for pregnancy. Being confident in the absence of conception, the patient should be wary of any deviation from the norm. For example, the duration of menstruation has noticeably increased, the nature of the discharge has changed, it has become abundant or scanty, or began to occur between menstruation, etc. Such signs are accompanied by severe pain, feeling unwell, which requires mandatory consultation with a doctor.

It is possible to have periods during pregnancy. They can be distinguished from bleeding by several signs. For example, they are usually scanty and spotty, brown color, often have a watery consistency with bloody streaks. Such discharge begins with delays, often quite long. Uncharacteristic signs may be present, for example, before menstruation there were painful sensations, and now they are missing. The difference with bleeding is how long it can last. menstrual flow. Real menstruation in pregnant women can only be observed during early periods pregnancy, when the patient does not yet know about the position. Such periods last no more than 2-3 cycles, although exceptions are possible.

What are the dangers of menstrual flow in pregnant women?

Whether there are periods during pregnancy, we have already figured it out. True menstruation poses no threat to pregnancy, but bleeding can seriously harm maternal health and the viability of the fetus. Self-diagnosis when bleeding appears is inappropriate, so any hint of such a sign requires urgent contact with the LC. Unfortunately, today pregnant women often seek advice on various forums or ask their mother or friends for advice. Such stupidity leads to the fact that time is wasted and it is no longer possible to maintain the pregnancy.

Therefore, any changes in condition should not be left without the attention of the patient, be it the occurrence unusual discharge, painful ailments, etc. You should immediately consult a doctor if symptoms such as:

  1. Scarlet or bright red bloody discharge;
  2. Side bleeding symptoms in the form of nausea and vomiting syndrome and severe sharp pain in the uterus or on the side of it;
  3. Pieces or clots present in the discharge;
  4. Excessive pallor and dizziness, noticeable weakness or fainting, headaches, etc.

Presumable diagnosis for similar manifestations may involve pathologies such as ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole, spontaneous abortion, etc.

When there's nothing to worry about

Any bleeding if a woman is pregnant cannot be normal, but there are still situations when there is nothing to worry about. Slight bloody smears can occur due to hormonal disorders and during the implantation of a fertilized egg, when pregnancy occurs immediately before menstruation, etc. In addition, a similar phenomenon is possible in cases where two cells matured and were released during ovulation, but only one was fertilized.

Also, brownish spotting may appear due to excessive levels of androgens or progesterone deficiency. Such violations are generally not dangerous, but how long they last is of considerable importance; if there are serious deviations, they need correction. Implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine walls can last quite a long time, about a couple of weeks. With such a long passage of the cell into the uterus, the hormonal status does not have time to adjust to the pregnant state, so menstruation begins. In obstetric practice, there are quite a few patients who had menstruation in the first trimester.

Is it possible to get pregnant during menstruation or late ovulation?

Many people believe that it is absolutely impossible to get pregnant during menstruation. But this opinion is not entirely correct, because experts do not exclude such a possibility at all. This is also acceptable before menstruation, when the egg, by definition, can no longer be fertilized. But this is possible for a reason late offensive ovulatory period, just before menstruation. In such a situation, the delay is observed only in the second month of gestation, and normal periods will come immediately after conception.

Therefore, myths regarding whether menstruation can occur in the early stages have been debunked. This is quite real, however, it is important to distinguish them from uterine bleeding, which are incredibly dangerous for the fetus and mother. Menstruation in the first and sometimes the second cycle is considered safe. A longer presence of bleeding in pregnant patients already indicates the pathological nature of the bleeding.

If this happens, remain sane and calm. Analyze the events of the last days, whether there was sexual intimacy, physical activity, etc. Perhaps the reason is too passionate sex. Then it’s worth discussing these issues with your spouse to avoid undesirable consequences. And be sure to consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist to exclude the pathological origin of bleeding.

Some girls regularly use special tests to find out if they are pregnant, while others determine successful conception on delay of menstruation. However medical practice shows: many patients are registered only in the third or fourth month, and all because they began menstruation during pregnancy. When this happens, the fair sex has no idea about her situation. There are many such cases, so read the information in which situations this is possible.

Can I get my period during pregnancy?

It is worth immediately noting that menstruation during pregnancy is impossible due to physiological reasons. Understanding the process of conception will help you understand this. Since school, girls have known that menstruation is a consequence of the detachment of an unfertilized egg: every month a woman reproductive system produces a new cell. If pregnancy does not occur during the ovulation period, the endometrium (the tissue of the uterine walls) begins to contract, pushing out the egg to eventually make room for a new one. Appear bleeding, along with which it peels off.

If a girl becomes pregnant, the physiological processes inside the uterus occur differently: so that the endometrium stops contracting and does not push out the fertilized egg, the ovaries secrete a special hormone, progesterone. Thanks to its action, the tissue lining the uterus grows and becomes thicker, and then the fetus can be well established inside the organ. In addition, progesterone protects the embryo from endometrial contractions, which, if the hormonal balance is incorrect, can cause miscarriage. Menstruation does not occur during pregnancy.

In the early stages

For those who still doubt whether they can have periods if fertilization is confirmed, doctors give a clear answer - no, although many women experience discharge in the early stages, reminiscent of menstruation. There are several possible reasons this condition – some of them are not dangerous for the body’s condition expectant mother and baby, while others can greatly affect the health of both. Therefore, at the first sign of menstruation during pregnancy, it is advisable to go to a professional for examination. Why red discharge may begin:

  • The egg did not reach the implantation site. Until the fetus is firmly established in the womb (from a week to two), the body still “does not understand” that pregnancy has occurred. Then he releases another egg, which can subsequently be released along with endometrial clots. This the only case simultaneous pregnancy and full menstruation. After embryo implantation, the menstrual cycle should stop. The delay will occur only a month after the formation of the embryo. In that in a rare case There is no threat to the mother's position.
  • Simultaneous production of two eggs at once. Occasionally, menstruation may occur during pregnancy if two cells mature in the ovaries at once. During sexual intercourse, one can be fertilized, while the other is released along with blood in the form of menstruation. To check whether conception has occurred, a girl must know whether it is possible to take a pregnancy test during menstruation. Doctors say that menstruation does not affect the credibility of the results.

The reasons described above are not dangerous for physical condition a representative of the fair sex who has become pregnant. However, if there are such unpleasant symptoms like pain below, in the side of the abdomen, heaviness, copious discharge blood, you should definitely consult your doctor. The cause of such conditions may be serious hormonal disorders, the threat of miscarriage, infectious diseases, internal injuries, ectopic pregnancy. A small spotting discharge in the first month is considered normal - fetal washing, as doctors call it.

In the second and third trimester

If you experience anything resembling menstruation during pregnancy later(second, third trimester), a woman should definitely go to see a specialist. At this time, discharge is not considered normal and can serve alarm bells serious pathologies in organism. Serve strong blood waste red or Brown can inflammatory processes, placental abruption, premature birth , miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy. If painful sensations are present, you should not postpone your trip to the doctor, but it is advisable to call an ambulance.

Causes of bleeding

Safe reason bleeding in the early stages of pregnancy is a condition called fetal washing. This bleeding is small spotting clots of red, brownish or pale pink color, appearing due to the formation of new vessels around the established fetus. Vascular network thin next to the embryo, easily damaged, so its particles often peel off. Other pathologies pose a threat to the mother’s health, which will be discussed in more detail below.

Washing a fetus whose symptoms are unknown to a wide circle expectant mothers, another risk area. If bloody discharge occurs, it is necessary to remove possible diagnosis, since washing can serve as a warning about placental abruption, and this is already serious problem, sometimes leading to disastrous results. There is no need to panic, but it is important to get advice in any case of menstruation-like discharge.

Hormonal imbalance

Hormones help regulate the process of bearing a child, so it is extremely important that hormonal background the girls were ok. If the body does not produce enough progesterone, the endometrium may shrink, which can cause miscarriage. The walls of the tissue lining the inner surface of the uterus will not be thick enough to securely attach the embryo. The second reason for bleeding on a hormonal background is an excess male hormones, which can provoke detachment of the fertilized egg.

There is a solution to this problem: in order to improve the process of fetal development, a specialist prescribes drugs that regulate the production of necessary hormones or replace them. If a woman has a lack of progesterone in her body, the doctor may prescribe special pills or injections. If the level of this hormone is low, emergency hospitalization with bed rest.

Risk of miscarriage

The threat of miscarriage arises as a result of hormonal disorders, and for physiological reasons. On initial stage pregnancy, fetal rejection can be caused by endometriosis, the presence of fibroids, hyperandrogenism (excess of male hormones). The threat of miscarriage is real if the embryo is not well established in the endometrium. Then there is no normal oxygen supply to the fetus, which leads to its death and rejection by the body.

Ectopic pregnancy

To reduce health risks, a woman should consult a doctor at the first symptoms indicating an ectopic fetus. If a specialist suspects a pathology, an ultrasound examination will be required. It will show where the embryo is located. If the fears are confirmed, the doctor will prescribe an urgent operation to remove the fetus. This is done using laparoscopy, an operation that does not require cutting the tissue. The intervention is carried out with a camera through small holes in abdominal cavity.

An ectopic pregnancy is dangerous condition for the life of the woman and the fetus. With this pathology, the fertilized egg is not fixed in the uterus, as needed, but is implanted in the fallopian tube. There the embryo begins to grow and develop. As the fetus gets larger, the walls of the tube stretch, which can cause it to rupture. There will be abundant internal bleeding, in which a woman needs urgent hospitalization. Ectopic pregnancy is accompanied by the following symptoms:

  • pain in the lower abdomen, increasing with time of fetal growth (especially felt when changing body position, walking, running);
  • spotting that resembles menstruation;
  • low level HCG.

How to distinguish periods from bleeding

The appearance of menstruation during pregnancy must be clearly recognized. Menstruation is different from bleeding caused by hormonal or other disorders during pregnancy. At first, the discharge takes on a spotting appearance, it is not too abundant, it is scanty. A girl can detect pregnancy through periods that are different from usual. This is possible even if the test shows negative result.

When to see a doctor immediately

You should definitely go to the doctor if bleeding starts late in pregnancy. Copious bleeding - bad sign, when it appears, you should immediately go to the hospital. This condition can be a threat to the life of not only the unborn child, but also the pregnant woman. If blood loss is accompanied by clots, painful sensations– spasms, acute pain- worth calling ambulance, without waiting next day for a hospital visit.

When not to sound the alarm

If the test showed positive result, and your period came on schedule in the month of conception, there is no need to worry in vain. This may be due to the fact that the fetus has not yet implanted in the uterus, and the body is rejecting another egg. Also, do not worry if periodic discharge has a pale pink tint. Small, scanty, spotting bleeding is a wash of the fetus. However, if this happens on an ongoing basis, the discharge is frequent character, just in case, it’s worth checking with a doctor to check the child’s condition and hormonal levels.

Video: about menstruation during pregnancy

Many girls wonder if they get their periods during pregnancy. Knowledge of how the processes of completion of menstruation and the beginning of fetal development occur will be useful to representatives of the fair sex who are planning a child. This will help distinguish normal monthly spotting from the bleeding that occurs during pregnancy. To help the girl figure it out, a special video was created with detailed explanation. Watch a useful video about the causes of bleeding that occurs at the first or recent months carrying a child:

When a woman is able to get pregnant, she changes a lot. At this time, changes occur not only external, but also internal.

One of the first signs of an “interesting” situation in a woman is the absence of menstruation at the scheduled time. There are cases when menstruation occurs despite the fact that the woman has already become pregnant. This is explained by the fact that when the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, implantation bleeding occurs.

During a very heavy bleeding and contraction of the muscles of the uterus, a pregnancy that has just begun can immediately end. Despite this, often the embryo goes through all the difficulties and remains in its place. A woman with such a pregnancy may not even suspect that a pregnancy has arisen in her. new life.

If you listen more carefully to your body, you may notice symptoms indicating pregnancy. When menstruation ends, the symptoms of the presence of an embryo in the female body will become much more noticeable. So what are the signs of pregnancy after menstruation?

Pregnancy and menstruation - what are the symptoms?

If your period comes on time or with a delay of several days, there is no guarantee that a little person has not been born inside. But during pregnancy, even if there is menstruation, some signs may indicate conception.

Periods during pregnancy often indicate problems. It is possible that there is a threat of miscarriage or that the woman has an ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion about your interesting situation, you should contact a specialist. With an ectopic pregnancy, the outcome can be fatal.

So, what signs may indicate pregnancy if your periods go as usual:

  • Sign one
    Unusually scanty menstrual flow is a symptom that a woman has become pregnant. Not only the amount of discharge changes, but also its color and duration. Such “menstrual” discharge can be repeated for several months until the symptoms of pregnancy become obvious, namely, the tummy grows significantly and there is a clear sensation that the fetus is pushing.
  • Sign two
    Signs indicating that a woman has become pregnant are pain in the area mammary glands, their enlargement (both breasts undergo enlargement equally relative to each other) and the release of whitish colostrum (discharge either occurs spontaneously or with slight pressure on the parapapillary area or nipple). This indicates that the body is preparing to breastfeed the unborn baby immediately after birth.
  • Sign three
    More frequent urge to urination. Even during the early stages, when a woman has managed to become pregnant, frequent urination is observed. During pregnancy, the urge to urinate is strong, and the amount of fluid excreted is insignificant. When a woman finds an “interesting” position, her uterus immediately begins to grow and after a while puts pressure on bladder. Under the influence of the pressure of the uterus, the bladder also changes in size, it is compressed and its ability to accumulate fluid (urine) is significantly reduced.
  • Sign four
    When a woman gets pregnant, her taste preferences change dramatically. Dramatic changes in the taste of women sometimes simply surprise others. By eating desired edibles in moderate amount, a woman supplies her body with the substances it lacks. Taste preferences sometimes change towards pica. Pica is an irresistible desire to eat inedible substances (chalk, starch, earth). Naturally, during the manifestation of pica, you should refrain from consuming inedible substances.
  • Sign five
    The body of a woman who has managed to become pregnant undergoes great amount internal changes. In the initial time, after a woman has become pregnant, the symptoms of these changes are not too obvious. After some time, the manifestations of changes occurring in the body become clearly visible. A woman quickly gets tired, tired and becomes less restrained, which is due to the small organism inside her. The embryo grows and immediately requires energy from the female body for its development, despite its tiny size.
  • Sign six
    Often, when a woman has become pregnant, Montgomery tubercles appear. Montgomery's tubercles are called small bumps appearing immediately after conception on the areola of the breast.
  • Sign seven
    During pregnancy, the fetus grows inside the uterus, thereby stretching it. The uterus is located in the abdomen and naturally, as the size of the uterus increases, the size of the abdomen increases. The abdomen takes on a round, protruding shape, significantly large sizes than before pregnancy.

Changes are “visible” - wait for replenishment

At a later date, strong external changes. There is an opinion that a pregnant woman’s appearance (face, body) changes when she is expecting a girl. But when a boy is due, the woman becomes more attractive. But that's just folk signs, although it’s worth taking a closer look and checking your guesses.

During the time when a woman has become pregnant, her skin often changes:

  • chloasma appears. Chloasma is pigmentation skin women due to increased secretion of melanotropin. After the end of pregnancy, after some time, the pigmentation will gradually disappear, and the skin will take on its normal appearance;
  • pigmented line along the abdomen. A dark line usually appears by 3 months after conception;
  • acne. After a woman has become pregnant, her skin undergoes significant changes; pre-existing acne pimples either appear or disappear;
  • "stars" on vessels. Spider-like veins appear all over female body and is clearly visible through the skin. This appearance is facilitated by an increase in the female sex hormone (estrogen) in the blood;
  • stretch marks on the skin. Stretch marks appear in the second half of pregnancy and directly depend on heredity, the amount of weight gained and the structure of the woman’s skin. When a woman has become pregnant, the collagen fibers of the skin rupture and stretch marks appear. The skin areas in the abdomen, thigh, and chest are subject to the appearance of stretch marks;
  • erythema of the palms. When a woman has become pregnant, the level of estrogen in her blood increases and this leads to redness of the palms or the appearance of red spots on them;

Conclusion: in about the time of appearance initial signs pregnancy, you should listen to yourself more carefully, perhaps you managed to get pregnant.

Many women are sure that pregnancy cannot occur during menstruation. Most often this is true. But there are also exceptions. Although the probability of conception is small, it is still not zero. Therefore, you should not think that you can have sex during menstruation without thinking about contraception. In this situation, the most suitable means is a condom that will not only reduce the risk of becoming pregnant during menstruation, but will also protect the uterus, which is most vulnerable during this period, from infection.

Pregnancy can only occur after ovulation. There are 14 days between it and the start of the next period. To determine on which day of the cycle ovulation will occur and days favorable for conception will occur, it is necessary to subtract 14 from the total duration of the cycle. So, for example, with a 26-day cycle, ovulation occurs on approximately the 12th day.

Taking into account the fact that sperm remain active for several days, the period from approximately 10 to 19 days of the cycle is considered favorable for conception in this case. During the rest of the period, pregnancy is extremely unlikely, especially during menstruation.

The first 2 days after the start are considered the most “safe” menstrual bleeding. Firstly, it is almost impossible for sperm to enter the tubes through the cavity of a bleeding uterus. And secondly, the increased acidity of the vaginal environment during this period is detrimental to them. Even if there is a chance for fertilization, the embryo will not be able to gain a foothold in the uterus, which is completely free of the endometrium. In addition, sex these days causes the greatest discomfort.

However, as you know, the duration of a woman’s cycle is individual, and in addition, not everyone has it strictly regular. Therefore, doctors warn that one should not rely only on calculations. When having sex, even during menstruation, it is necessary to use protection.

When can pregnancy occur?

Sometimes women keep a special calendar, with the help of which they calculate “dangerous” days, considering this method of protection reliable. However, very often inexperience and ignorance in matters of physiology let them down.

It is possible to get pregnant during menstruation in the following cases:

  1. A woman has a short menstrual cycle (20-21 days). In this case, ovulation occurs on days 6-7, and may well occur in last days menstruation, when pregnancy occurs.
  2. Menstruation comes irregularly. Calculate without dangerous days almost impossible.
  3. Not one, but 2 eggs matured in the ovaries; ovulation occurred twice in one cycle. In this case, the first egg was not fertilized, died, and menstruation began. But on the eve of menstruation, so-called “spontaneous ovulation” occurred, that is, a second egg appeared, which was fertilized on the 2-3 day of menstruation. This turned out to be possible due to the vitality of sperm that entered the fallopian tubes during sexual intercourse, which took place a few days before menstruation. Spontaneous ovulation is a rare phenomenon and most often occurs when a woman has a genetic predisposition.
  4. There is a disruption in physiological processes. This often occurs after abortion, ovarian surgery, inflammatory diseases genitals.
  5. Doubts often arise whether it is possible to get pregnant during menstruation during menopause. In women over 40 years of age, unexpected long delays appear; cycles are most often anovulatory. Believing that conception is no longer possible, a woman stops using protection and allows herself to have sex on any day of the month, which leads to an unplanned pregnancy.
  6. Cycle disorders are quite common in girls during puberty. The risk of conception during menstruation is quite high.
  7. You can become pregnant during menstruation if you have irregular sex life, after prolonged abstinence, as well as if you have diseases associated with endocrine disorders, taking hormonal medications.
  8. The order of reception is violated oral contraceptives. Their action is based on suppressing ovulation. If you suddenly stop taking the pills, menstrual-like bleeding begins. After short-term use of COCs, when the body’s hormonal levels did not have time to change significantly, reproductive function is restored quickly, ovulation and fertilization occur. As a result, a woman will believe that she became pregnant when she had her period.

Warning: The reasons for the shift in the course of the cycle processes may also be abrupt change climatic conditions or time zones nervous stress. Such factors provoke hormonal disbalance, leading to unexpected consequences.

Sometimes so-called “implantation bleeding” is mistaken for menstruation. Scanty bleeding appears 7-10 days after conception occurs. Its cause is damage small vessels endometrium during the implantation of the embryo into it. At the same time, a woman may become convinced that she became pregnant during her period.

In the first months of pregnancy, “false periods” also appear - minor bleeding that occurs during a sharp change in hormonal levels.

Video: Why pregnancy can occur during menstruation

What contraception should you use during your period?

The need for contraception is not only due to the possibility of conception during menstruation. During this period, the risk of infection entering the woman’s internal genital organs and infection with pathogens of sexually transmitted diseases increases significantly.

The least reliable is calendar method contraception. It is suitable only for women with absolutely regular cycle menstruation. In this case, the woman must be completely healthy, her condition should not be affected by any negative factors. Since compliance with all these conditions is incredible, the protection is far from 100%.

Hormonal birth control pills They have an effect only with long-term systematic use. How emergency remedy They do not use contraception. In addition, their effect weakens when simultaneous administration some medicines(antibiotics, phytohormones).

There are birth control pills and suppositories with other effects. They do not suppress ovulation, but they make vaginal mucus thicker. In this case, the entry of sperm into fallopian tube becomes significantly more complicated. However, the risk of unwanted pregnancy it is still quite large.

The most reliable way is barrier contraception using a condom.

You can reduce the risk of diseases if you have sex with a regular partner and have complete confidence that he does not have sexually transmitted infections.


A joyful moment in a woman’s life can be very different. For some it is planned and scheduled day by day, but for others it is a surprise until the last moment. Yes, yes, this is not a joke or a prank. It happens that not only for the future father, but also for the mother, an interesting situation is very, very unexpected.
The well-established opinion that menstruation stops during pregnancy and is reliable sign successful fertilization, takes place, as well as the use of calendars as a method of contraception. However, everywhere there are exceptions.

Female sexual anatomy

Before discussing whether menstruation is possible during pregnancy, let us turn once again to the entire process of the menstrual and ovarian cycles, as well as pregnancy itself.

In the ovaries still at intrauterine development A small female person is laid with a huge number of oocytes (several million future eggs), which remain there all their lives. During puberty, about 300 thousand cells remain in a girl’s ovaries, of which 300-400 will mature and be released over the course of her life (depending on the length of the cycles and the duration reproductive age). Every month, one egg, matured under the influence of hormones, is released into the fallopian tube, where fertilization should occur. If this does not happen, the egg is destroyed and removed from the body.

Blood. Blood during menstruation is separated inner layer the uterus (endometrium), which is destroyed if the implantation of the egg does not occur.
Thus, menstrual discharge is mostly a destroyed egg and endometrium.

Periods during pregnancy - truth or myth?

The first and less pleasant option is bleeding. It is the loss of blood in an unnatural way. This happens, for example, when it is known for certain that fertilization has occurred, and from physical activity, injuries, infections, blood may appear. An alarming sign that is a symptom requiring urgent intervention. Bleeding can often accompany spontaneous abortion. The reasons, as already mentioned, can be different: from overexertion to injury. IN in this case blood appears when the embryo is rejected, and it is difficult to help here, all that remains is to avoid complications.

Another option is when a woman lives a normal life, without even suspecting that she is no longer alone. A bunch of interesting cases, when ladies walked for months (or even the entire term), and then, as they say, “out of the blue” they called an ambulance, not understanding what was happening, and gave rise to the question: “do menstruation occur during pregnancy?” Here we need to dwell in more detail.

What means?

First, let’s define what is meant by menstruation in this case. Regular (which is important) bleeding most often means the onset of menstruation. However, no one thinks about their nature. So-called " color pregnancy“exists, and to deny that pregnancy and menstruation are incompatible would not be entirely correct.
The reasons may vary. For example, it happens that the production of eggs continues to function in the female body even after fertilization of one of them. In this case, there may be a slight and regular bleeding. However, such a case is quite rare.

Menstruation during pregnancy is possible up to the first month. This is explained by the fact that during fertilization the egg may not have time to reach the implantation site, which will not stop the onset of menstruation. With this development of events, the classic “delay” will appear when the embryo has already grown a little. In this case, menstruation during pregnancy is true in nature, and stops as expected after receiving a hormonal signal.

Are they mutually exclusive?

No less important issue along with the interest in whether menstruation occurs during pregnancy is another. Namely, is pregnancy possible during menstruation? This is where it should be said, perhaps a new thing for someone - yes. Human body, and even more so for women, is unpredictable. It is precisely because of this peculiarity that one cannot completely trust any one method of contraception.

There is an opinion that sex during menstruation is the safest in terms of conception (however, one should not forget how much more receptive it is during such a period female body to various infectious agents). However, this is not the case. It has already been noted above that hormonal levels, and even more so in modern world stress and harmful environment, the thing is very fragile, shaky, and therefore unstable.

Find a woman in our time who does not have hormonal problems perhaps somewhere high in the mountains, living under the supervision of mountaineers. No matter how funny it may seem, it is true. It is precisely because of the frequent imbalance of all body systems that it needs support and help.

A simple example on our topic. Menstruation occurs after the destruction of the egg. Theoretically, there is nothing to be fertilized. But don't forget that everything in the body is controlled by hormones. All you have to do is give a signal to the pituitary gland, and a fresh oocyte will immediately be released from the ovary. By the way, this is also one of the possible reasons for the appearance of twins, when, due to the action of hormones, two eggs are released at once, and two sperm have a chance to convey their genetic material to the target.

So, returning to the question “pregnancy and menstruation”, this fresh oocyte is capable of fertilization against the background of menstruation. As a result, the couple is then perplexed: “How?!”, if all the other times other methods of contraception were used. Exactly similar situations force any doctor to advise combined methods protection.

Let's summarize

Pregnancy and menstruation do not exclude each other, but you should be very careful and careful about such a statement. Firstly, if you already know for sure that you are pregnant, then any appearance of bloody discharge is a urgent reason visit a doctor. Since this can be either a minor random symptom or a sign of a miscarriage.

Secondly, there are many cases where menstruation occurs during pregnancy, but the woman does not know about her situation. Therefore, you shouldn’t be too surprised if one fine day, after you “gain a few kilograms from your mother-in-law’s borscht,” you call an ambulance and suddenly lose weight.

Quite an interesting situation, but to the question of whether menstruation occurs during pregnancy, the answer, as a rule, is no. If you are one of those exceptional cases, when in such circumstances there is already a new life inside you, then you are a unique woman. In any case, no matter how much debate there is about whether there are periods during pregnancy or not, the key to health is always an attentive attitude towards yourself. Regular visit preventive examinations at the gynecologist, management healthy image life and observance of culture intimate relationships, will support you even if one day you learn something unexpected and interesting about yourself. It may come as a surprise, but you won't have to worry.