Any kind of bleeding during pregnancy can be scary, but what if it happens in those later

months?
Bleeding in late pregnancy affects about 1 in ten mums-to-be. Less common than in the first
trimester, its not always indicative of a serious problem, but you should tell your doctor or
midwife right away to get checked out and find out whats going on.Why you might be bleeding:

1. Changes in the cervix

During pregnancy the cells of your cervix can change and it can soften, which can make it more
likely to bleed, particularly after sex. This is called cervical ectropion and its harmless.

Or it could also be a harmless growth called a polyp, which can cause bleeding at any point in
pregnancy, says GP Dr Philippa Kaye.

2. Vaginal infections
Thanks to your surge in pregnancy hormones, youre more likely to get a vaginal infection. The
most common one in pregnancy is thrush, which is a yeast infection and is treated with anti
fungal medication that poses no problems for your baby.

Bleeding can also be caused by an STI such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia, says Philippa. These
can be treated with pregnancy-safe antibiotics.

3. A show
A show in late pregnancy is a small amount of blood mixed with mucus, a sign that plug sealing
your cervix is coming away. Its usually a sign that labour is about to begin, and can happen a
few days before contractions start or during labour itself.

4. Placental abruption
This is when the placenta comes away from the wall of the uterus and it can cause bleeding. If
this happens near the end of your pregnancy your baby may be delivered early. But its quite
rare, only occurring in around one in 50 pregnancies.

5. Placenta praevia
Placenta praevia, or a low-lying placenta is when your placenta is sitting at the bottom of the
womb near the cervix. Sometimes it blocks the cervix and your babys way out completely.

This is common in early pregnancy, and it usually moves out of the way as pregnancy
progresses. If it is still lying low after 20 weeks, its placenta praevia.

The bleeding relating to placenta praevia is general painless, says Dr Kaye. You could bleed
very heavily during pregnancy or during the birth if you have placenta praevia, and if thats the
case, emergency treatment is available. Your hospital team may also recommend a caesarean if
the placenta doesnt move away from the cervix to let your baby pass.
6. Vasa praevia
Vasa praevia happens when foetal blood vessels run through membranes covering the cervix.
When labour begins and your cervix dilates the vessels can break and this causes heavy vaginal
bleeding.

It can be spotted before birth on an ultrasound scan, and the baby survival rate is 100 per cent
when its spotted before birth.

All women who have booked for antenatal care with a hospital will have a phone number to ring
to discuss any worries, says Dr Kaye, However if youre bleeding heavily or in severe pain, call
999.

If you do find youre bleeding in late pregnancy, your doctor or midwife will examine you and
ask about any other symptoms youre having.