There can be many physical reasons why vaginal bleeding happens during early pregnancy. However, often the cause remains unknown. About 30% of pregnant women are examined for bleeding without finding a definite cause - ultrasound examinations appear normal, the baby appears healthy and is growing and everything seems well. Vaginal bleeding may never happen again during the pregnancy, or light spotting may occur periodically. If you start to bleed again, let your caregiver know. The following is a brief summary of some possible physical causes:
A miscarriage. Bleeding during early pregnancy may indicate a miscarriage (or be an early sign that the miscarriage will happen at some stage). For around half of the 30% of pregnant women who experience bleeding during early pregnancy, this is unfortunately what unfolds. You can read about this in more depth in
miscarriage.
An ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy (or out of place pregnancy) occurs when the woman's egg is fertilised, but implants in the fallopian tube before it reaches the uterus. It is estimated that about 1% of pregnancies are ectopic. The most common physical sign of an ectopic pregnancy is severe pain in the lower abdomen (usually around 5 to 8 weeks of pregnancy). However, some women also experience slight vaginal spotting or bleeding (but this does not always occur). Occasionally the woman is not aware she is pregnant but feels she has a period that seems unusually lighter or heavier than a normal period, or prolonged bleeding with spotting, or the blood can look dark and watery (similar to prune juice). You can read more about symptoms and treatments in
ectopic pregnancy.
Polyps, or small pieces of tissue overgrowing inside the vagina. Just as skin tags can appear on the skin during pregnancy (due to an increase in the woman's metabolism), so too can skin tags grow in the vaginal area. Polyps may start to bleed on their own, or through rubbing with sexual intercourse.