Vaginal bleeding and possible pregnancy
You may be pregnant if you:
- Have had sexual intercourse and you have not used any method of birth control.
- Have missed one or more periods.
- Have your period, but there is a lot less bleeding than usual.
- Take birth control pills, but you missed a pill. It is especially risky to miss a pill early in the cycle or pack, or to start your new pack a day or two late.
- Have symptoms of early pregnancy. Symptoms include:
- Fatigue.
- Breast tenderness or enlargement.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Increased urination.
- Have done a home pregnancy test, and the result was positive.
Bleeding during pregnancy needs to be evaluated by your doctor. Moderate to severe bleeding that is accompanied by lower abdominal pain may be caused by an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or another serious problem.
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: August 29, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
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