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Spotting During Pregnancy - Questions and Answers

From , former About.com Guide

Updated May 03, 2009

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Even though you may know that spotting can occur in viable pregnancies and may not mean anything is wrong, it's normal to worry about miscarriage. Light vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy can occur for a variety of reasons, and here is some helpful information to help you understand pregnancy spotting and why it happens.

What Does Spotting Looks Like?

Generally, the term spotting is used for very light bleeding at any point in pregnancy, which is usually of a small quantity and lasts for a short duration of time.

What Causes Spotting?

Miscarriage is just one possible cause of spotting; light bleeding in pregnancy can have a number of other explanations.

Does Spotting Mean Miscarriage?

Spotting can be a sign of miscarriage, but, as stated above, it can also occur for other reasons.

Is It Implantation Bleeding?

Implantation bleeding may occur very early in the pregnancy, around the time that you would otherwise expect your menstrual period, but the quantity would usually be minimal and bleeding would not last a long time.

What Should I Do If I Am Spotting and Worried?

If the bleeding is very minimal, you can usually wait and see what happens and then mention the matter to your doctor at your next prenatal appointment, but if you're concerned, you can call your doctor for tests to rule out miscarriage.

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