Surebaby Answers: Pregnancy Spotting – Is it Normal?

At Surebaby, we want to help you with all your pregnancy questions – so when a user asked us this question on Facebook – we wanted to take the opportunity to answer her right away:

Lethiwe writes, “Just found out I’m pregnant and whenever i have sex i spot. Is this normal? Scared.”

While you should always contact your doctor or midwife when spotting occurs – spotting during pregnancy is perfectly normal. Up to a quarter of pregnant women have seen spotting in early pregnancy.

Although there are some things that you should know:

Spotting vs. Bleeding

It is very important to know the difference between spotting and bleeding. Spotting is very light, similar to what you would have in the beginning or end of your period. It can vary in color – pink to red to brown and can be caused by a range of issues: from sex, to pap smears to a miscarriage at the very extreme.

Bleeding is much more dangerous. It is not light, the flow is much more constant and it can be followed by abdominal pain or cramping. If this is the case, it is very important to see a medical professional immediately.

What should I do?

While it is very normal to be spotting during pregnancy you should always contact your doctor to inform them of what you’re going through. More than likely it will be minor, but it’s always better to find out first hand after an evaluation. They may examine you, give you an ultrasound and run some blood tests to ensure that everything is normal.

If you are bleeding and have cramping, abdominal pain or severe pain of any kind and cannot see your doctor right away – it is recommended that you head straight to the emergency room.

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