It is common for women to experience spotting between menstrual cycles during childbearing years. However, when women go through menopause, meaning they have had no menstrual cycle for at least a year, abnormal spotting might be cause for concern.
One of 60 pregnancies is ectopic, or growing outside of the uterus. Vaginal bleeding is common in early pregnancy, occurring in 20 percent to 30 percent of all pregnancies, the American Pregnancy Association says. Vaginal bleeding in ectopic...
Blood clots are the way the body stops bleeding when an artery or vein is damaged within your body or on your skin. Sometimes, however, clots form when they aren't needed. These clots are considered abnormal, and blood clots during periods fall...
The first trimester, or three months, of pregnancy, can present many risks to the developing fetus. Because organs, facial features, skeletal tissue and limbs are developing at this time, any negative affect on the fetus can result in serious...
According to the medical textbook "Williams Gynecology," uterine fibroids (also called leiomyomas) are benign, estrogen-sensitive tumors that originate from the smooth muscle layer of the uterus (the myometrium). They are often referred to as...
Few women experience their periods at exactly the same time each month. Although menstrual cycles normally range between 28 and 32 days, according to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), stress, change in routine and illness can affect cycle...
Doctors order a saline-infusion sonogram, or SIS -- also known as a sonohysterogram, SHG or water ultrasound -- as a diagnostic tool to check for problems inside the uterus. A saline-infusion sonogram is a slightly more elaborate version of a...
Due dates are not guarantees of when babies will arrive; doctors generally say that any time two weeks before or after your expected due date is when your baby will likely arrive. Still, having that date in your mind allows you to plan for your...
Doctors calculate pregnancy from the last menstrual period, so at eight weeks of pregnancy, the baby is six weeks from conception. In the first eight weeks of development, the baby is technically called an embryo, and after that it is a fetus. By...
Ultrasounds allow physicians--and curious parents--the opportunity to see a developing baby while it's still in the uterus. While obstetricians can get information about a baby's growth from measuring the mother's uterus, ultrasounds allow for...
Ultrasounds are noninvasive tests that are used to create images of organs and systems within the body. Also referred to as sonograms, ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to capture the movement of the body's structures and can also display...
Uterine fibroids are benign growths of the uterus or womb that often appear during the childbearing years in women between the ages of 35 to 45 years. They are also termed leiomyomas, fibromyomas and myomas, and are not associated with an...
Ultrasound is commonly used during pregnancy to provide information about the developing baby. During an ultrasound, reflected sound waves are used to form a visual image of the baby in the womb. While several types of ultrasounds are available, a...
A fetal, or pregnancy, ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of your baby, your uterus and the placenta. Ultrasound can determine pregnancy, detect potential problems with a pregnancy or the baby and provide estimated...
While many doctors' offices confirm a suspected pregnancy using a urine or blood test, practitioners generally follow up chemical confirmation with an ultrasound to confirm viability of the pregnancy. Ultrasounds help physicians assess the...
Having a positive pregnancy test can be very disconcerting as it leads to a number of issues that the woman must face. These include health issues that can affect both the woman and her unborn child, as well as financial and lifestyle...
Finding out the sex of the unborn baby is an exciting time for new parents. According to the American Pregnancy Association, ultrasounds can often determine the gender of the baby between 18 and 20 weeks gestation. Ultrasounds are not 100 percent...
There are many reasons for vaginal bleeding in pregnancy. While many are nothing to worry about, others are quite serious and require a doctor's immediate attention. Pregnant women should educate themselves about the various causes of early and...
Light bleeding in early pregnancy can actually be quite normal, but it may be startling to an expectant mother. Some women may not realize they are even pregnant in the first month. The American Pregnancy Association recommends wearing a pad or...
It's important for every woman to have regular gynecological exams, even if past exams have been normal. Early screening and diagnosis often detect uterine cancers in the earliest stages, before the disease has a chance to advance, making the...
Checking the fetal heart rate gives important clues into an unborn baby's health and well being. Even as early as 6 weeks into a pregnancy, assessing the fetal heartbeat can help doctors determine if potential problems with the pregnancy exist....
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths. Fibroids may be discovered during a pelvic examination. If your doctor suspects a fibroid in your uterus, she will likely recommend an ultrasound. This painless test uses sound waves to create a picture...
A fetal ultrasound, also known as a sonogram, is an imaging study that uses high-frequency sound waves to create a picture of the baby inside the uterus, according to MayoClinic.com. Physicians commonly perform an ultrasound in the first trimester...
When you're pregnant, almost nothing is more beautiful to the ear than the sound of your baby's heartbeat. This sound reassures you that your baby is still thriving. One of the most common methods to hear this sound is through a fetal Doppler....
Endometrial ablation is a procedure where the lining of the uterus is destroyed to control or stop bleeding. It is a good option for women who have heavy periods when medication has not helped. It does not remove the uterus or affect your...
If you experience changes in your menstrual cycle and have abnormal spotting between periods, your exercise routine may be to blame. According to the McKinley Health Center, sudden changes in the amount of exercise you participate in and loss of...
Women often experience irregular menstrual bleeding. This can include skipped menstrual cycles, bleeding between cycles and heavy bleeding during the normal menstrual cycle. Women who have had consistently regular periods are often concerned when...
Before the advent of routine ultrasound in pregnancy, medical personnel estimated a baby's due date by the date of the last menstrual period and by feeling the uterus and determining the size to see if it matched the given due date. With...
Blood clots that form in the uterus are called subchorionic hematomas or subchorionic hemorrhage. These words sound frightening, but they describe a condition that's actually quite common in early pregnancy. Subchorionic hematomas or subchorionic...
Menstrual disorders refer to any abnormality in the menstrual cycle in a woman. Get expert tips and advice on diagnosing and treating menstrual disorders in this video.
