Can I have periods when I am pregnant?

Even though, you might have heard of women who have had periods when pregnant, this is scientifically not possible.

This is because when a woman gets pregnant, her body produces hCG, which means that her menstrual cycle has stopped. However, this is not the same as saying that a woman cannot experience bleeding, which resembles a period. This is medically known as spotting during pregnancy. Due to unawareness about the situation, one might confuse this bleeding with a light period.

Women can experience bleeding during pregnancy, because of the following reasons:

Implantation bleeding or spotting. This kind of bleeding happens when the fertilized eggs, attached to the lining of the uterus, cause the lining to shed and thus, leads to light bleeding for a week or for a few days. Usually brown, pink or light red in colour, it can be mistaken for a light period.

Bleeding after the use of birth control. Women sometimes suffer from irregular cycles of periods after taking the pill. If a women has recently stopped taking the pills and is pregnant, then one might experience spotting because of the hormonal changes. This is more like an intermittent bleeding, rather than an actual period.

Ectopic pregnancy. One of the main symptoms of ectopic pregnancy includes vaginal bleeding. This vaginal bleeding may look similar to a period. Accompanied by shoulder pain, nausea, dizziness and rectal pressure, ectopic pregnancy may give an illusion of a period.

Miscarriage. Bleeding or spotting can be an early sign of miscarriage and should be a cause for concern. It often starts with light spotting. If you bleed during pregnancy, you should contact your doctor immediately.