Spotting During Pregnancy: When Should You Be Alarmed?

Spotting during the early stages of pregnancy is not unusual. It’s similar to the pink, brown, or red scant spotting at the beginning or end of your period. But if you’re spotting or bleeding in the second or third trimesters of your pregnancy, it could be a sign of something more alarming.

Learn about the causes of pregnancy spotting and bleeding, and how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help.

Causes of Spotting During Pregnancy 

There are a few reasons for this instability, including: 

• Inadequate progesterone in the mother’s body 
• The embryo is in a bad placement after implantation 
• Being overworked and stressed 

This type of light bleeding that’s not accompanied by abdominal pain usually goes away with enough rest and avoiding too much movement or exercise. 

When It Could be More Serious 

Different symptoms accompanying spotting or bleeding during pregnancy can indicate different conditions.

Early or natural miscarriage 

Occasionally, newly pregnant women experience a natural or early miscarriage. Vaginal bleeding is accompanied by abdominal pain, discomfort and cramps in the lower abdomen, and backache. 

“Bleeding during the first trimester isn’t normal and shouldn’t be taken lightly, but don’t let anxiety wash over you. Instead, the first thing you should do is to go for tests to rule out all possibilities,” Physician Tiang advises. 

Miscarriage later in the pregnancy 

Issues with a pregnancy can also lead to a miscarriage later. In this case, bleeding is accompanied by:  

• Abdominal pain 

• Backache 
• A palpable sinking sensation in the lower abdomen 
• Your baby feeling restless in the womb 

Ectopic pregnancy 

An ectopic pregnancy is when the embryo implants outside of the uterus. Not only can this stop the embryo from growing, but this condition also poses a great danger to the mother. Bleeding is accompanied by symptoms of a miscarriage, plus the below additional symptoms: 

• Severe abdominal pain 
• Extreme light-headedness or fainting 
• A pale appearance 

• Heart palpitations 
• Internal bleeding 

Causes of Spotting and Bleeding During Pregnancy in TCM 

“TCM believes that pregnancy requires sufficient blood and qi (vital life force) to nourish the foetus,” Physician Tiang states. The onset of pregnancy depends on an environment that is good for fertilisation and embryo growth.

First-trimester bleeding usually indicates issues with blood, Kidney qi, and Kidney yin (cool, passive energy). These Deficiencies which are yin in nature can result in an imbalance where there is a hyperactivity of yang (warm, active energy). This leads to Heatiness and shows symptoms including: 

• Bleeding 

• Dizziness 
• Heart palpitations 
• Dry mouth 
• Insomnia 
• Irritability 

Nourish Your Yin and Blood 

Preventing spotting and bleeding while you’re pregnant should begin even before your pregnancy. The central goal of TCM is to nourish your yin to prevent your yang from being overpowering.

Tonify your body to strengthen your blood qi with these herbal foods: 

• Ba Zhen Decoction (八珍汤) or Ten Essence Herbal Soup (十全大补汤) 
• Bak Foong Pills (白凤丸) if you also experience backache and Cold intolerance
• Nourishing, healing foods like chicken soup and bone broth (or even pure chicken essence) 

Physician Tiang notes that nourishing yin is especially important for pregnant mothers with weak constitutions. But for all pregnant women, this is a time of calm and rest while your baby grows and you take care of yourself. Avoid overworking, stress, and excessive sexual intimacy.

She lists a few other things to avoid that are obvious but still worth reminding: 

• Strenuous exercise 
• Smoking 

• Drinking alcohol 
• Consuming too much caffeine or foods that can cause uterine contractions 

Lastly, Physician Tiang reminds mothers to not diagnose themselves when experiencing spotting or bleeding during pregnancy. She says, “Apart from regular health screenings at the hospital, it’s recommended that you consult a trusted TCM practitioner to regulate your constitution to keep your foetus in a healthy state.

When consuming supplements, do check with your doctor to ensure they are appropriate for the optimal health of you and your baby and heed the advice of a TCM practitioner before taking tonics to nourish your yin and blood.” 

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