Can I be Pregnant and Still Have a Period? 6 Reasons to be Aware!

Can I be Pregnant and Still Have a Period¹? Many women wonder about this during pregnancy. According to health experts, a girl can’t get her period when pregnant. The answer is a simple NO. However, a girl might experience light bleeding during pregnancy which might look like period blood.

Keep reading the article to know more about whether can I be pregnant and still have a period.

1) How to Know If You Are Pregnant?

The earliest sign of pregnancy is a missed period cycle. As soon as you miss your period in any month, you can take a home pregnancy test. There are many pregnancy kits available in the market for pregnancy tests. The other symptoms of pregnancy include fatigue, tiredness, pain in the abdominal region, frequent urination, mood swings, vomiting, and many more.

In case your kit shows negative but you have missed your cycle, you should consult a doctor to get an accurate result. It requires medical attention.

2) Can I be Pregnant and Still Have a Period?

Can I be pregnant and still have a period? The answer is no but you might experience bleeding. Bleeding is very common in early pregnancy as most women experience it. However, it would be wrong to say that you can be pregnant and still have your period. Biologically, it is impossible to happen. This is because ovulation occurs each month in girls when the ovary releases an egg which is to be fertilized by sperm.

In this scenario, the uterine lining gets thicker to receive the fertilized egg to implant. If a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, it is said that the woman is pregnant. However, when the egg is not fertilized, both the egg and the uterine lining flow out of the body through the vagina in the form of a menstrual period.

The question is can I be pregnant and still have a period? The short answer is no. You cannot get your period when you don’t ovulate eggs or release the eggs to be implanted in your uterus. You will start getting your periods a few weeks after giving birth to the child.

3) What to Know About Period-Like Bleeding During Pregnancy?

The most important thing is to know that you can never get a period when you are pregnant. Even if you experience bleeding, don’t take it as your cycle. The second thing to know is that this is very normal in early pregnancy and there is nothing to be worried about. There are various reasons for bleeding in early pregnancy ²as well as later pregnancy.

To be on the safer side, you should keep a check on the color of your discharge and keep track of how heavy you are bleeding. It is also advisable not to use tampons and keep track of how many pads you are using.

However, if your health conditions get worse, it is important to seek medical attention from health experts.

4) What Are the Causes of Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy?

It is common for a girl to experience bleeding and spotting during the first, second, and third trimesters. People might wonder about the causes behind this. There are many reasons behind this which will be discussed in this article.

4.1) Implantation Bleeding

Health experts define Implantation bleeding as a small amount of spotting or bleeding that is not uncommon for women during pregnancy. It mostly occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself into the lining of the uterus. It is the most common reason for bleeding in the first trimester.

It might look like your period but this is not true in any case. Implantation bleeding is much lighter in colour ranging from light pink to light rust while menstrual blood is typically dark red and dark brown. Moreover, menstruation is associated with heavy bleeding. It does not imply any problem as it is very common in pregnant women.

4.2) After Penetrative Vaginal Sex

Melissa Esposito, M.D., a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist at Shady Grove Fertility Center in Washington, D.C., says that there might be a possibility of bleeding after sexual intercourse or any vaginal penetration.

This is because the cervix becomes more sensitive when you are pregnant. This results in increases the chances of stimulation and might result in light bleeding. The cervical changes are also responsible for period-like symptoms in the first trimester.

Check Out: How Much Coffee Can You Drink While Pregnant? An Amazing 101 Guide!

4.3) Miscarriage

Miscarriages are not very common but in case, it happens, it occurs during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It is defined as the loss of pregnancy. It occurs in early pregnancy even before you know you were pregnant.

Miscarriage is usually associated with uterine cramping. You might also experience blood clots flowing from your vagina. In case, you are experiencing these symptoms, consult a doctor as soon as possible.

4.4) Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy³ may also be one of the various reasons for bleeding in the first trimester. The other symptoms include dizziness, severe cramping, and other causes. In some cases, it is also termed a medical emergency.

Ectopic pregnancy is defined as the process when a fertilized egg implants itself outside of the womb, mostly in one of the Fallopian tubes. The fetus starts stars to grow in a fallopian tube. The amount of bleeding in ectopic pregnancy may vary from person to person. However, it might be life-threatening in some cases when eggs get stuck and the pregnancy continues. In these cases, you need to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

4.5) Preterm Labor

In most cases, preterm labour is also one of the various reasons for vaginal discharge in the second trimester. It usually, occurs when the contractions result in the opening of the cervix. Preterm labour might result in the premature birth of the baby which is a major health risk for both, the baby and the mother.

The warning signs for this include menstrual cycle-like cramps, dizziness, headache, and backache below the waistline. It might feel like pelvic pressure is pushing your baby down. If you feel these symptoms, it is better to seek immediate medical attention by consulting a doctor.

4.6) Other Causes

The other potential causes for vaginal bleeding during pregnancy includes molar pregnancy, uterine rupture complications in pregnancy, placental abruption⁴, cervicitis, placenta previa, subchorionic hemorrhage (bleeding between the wall of the uterus and the placenta), and many more.

Can I be pregnant and still have a period? We are sure our readers would have understood that it is not possible. Light bleeding and spotting are very common in pregnancy but it is not possible to have a full menstrual cycle during pregnancy. It is considered normal, however, in case, there is pain and you have a more serious issue, it is advisable to see a doctor as soon as possible.

1. Wilcox, Allen J., et al. “Natural limits of pregnancy testing in relation to the expected menstrual period.” Jama 286.14 (2001): 1759-1761. ↩︎
2. Breeze, Carol. “Early pregnancy bleeding.” Australian family physician 45.5 (2016): 283-286. ↩︎
3. Murray, Heather, et al. “Diagnosis and treatment of ectopic pregnancy.” Cmaj 173.8 (2005): 905-912. ↩︎
4. Oyelese, Yinka, and Cande V. Ananth. “Placental abruption.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 108.4 (2006): 1005-1016. ↩︎

Last Updated on May 13, 2024 by Namrata