Early pregnancy spotting after bowel movement

Early pregnancy really forces you to reconsider your views of various bodily fluids, doesn't it? Things that totally grossed you out before your positive pregnancy test will suddenly quickly become normal, and turn into signs that tell you how your pregnancy is going. Once such common early pregnancy sign is light vaginal spotting, something that is not at all uncommon in the first trimester. But what if you only observe light spotting after a bowel movement? What does this mean?

Women who have noticed light vaginal spotting after a visit to the restroom might be frightened, and wonder if the blood they saw means that they are having a miscarriage. Yet, spotting after a bowel movement is not something that you would consult just anyone about, is it?

If you are worried about your early pregnancy spotting, you would be completely justified in seeing your doctor about spotting after a bowel movement, but we are also here to help you. Most OBs would tell you the same thing about pregnancy spotting that I am about to say to you. Bowel movements can sometimes cause us to push, bear down, strain, or whatever you want to call it. On occasion, it can happen that this physical reaction leads your uterus to be squeezed, and old blood makes its way out of the body because of this, which you can later observe as spotting. Nearly every woman has some old blood inside her uterus when she gets pregnant.

Some women notice spontaneous spotting, while others spot after a bowel movement. If the color of your spotting is dark brown to black, and you have no other symptoms, you do not need to press the panic button just yet. These colors signify that you are seeing old and dried, rather than fresh, blood. 

Just remember that your body has an amazing way of taking care of many things, and that spotting is just the beginning of this!

The type of spotting that indicates you could be having a miscarriage is different in nature — it may start off suddenly and be heavier than a menstrual period immediately, or it may begin with a trickle and then progress to heavier bleeding. This type of blood is bright, and characterized by clots of tissue. You will also experience cramping in this case.

Have you got any stories about early pregnancy spotting to share with us? I have no doubt that you'd be helping out someone who is currently pregnant, and wants extra reassurance that everything is OK.