You know when you get surprise bleeding, completely outside the date your period should arrive? It’s usually lighter bleeding, lasts just a few days, and seems to show up just to stain your underwear, right? These may be breakthrough bleedings, and in fact, they can tell you a lot about your body!
Breakthrough bleeding is the name given to minimal bleeding that can occur during the menstrual cycle. It tends to be less than menstrual bleeding and sometimes has a different color than your period with fresh blood. You know when in the middle of a contraceptive pack blood appears out of nowhere? This is considered a characteristic type of breakthrough bleeding.
Causes of Menstrual Breakthrough Bleeding
But do you know what causes it and what to do when breakthrough bleeding occurs? Also called intermenstrual bleeding, breakthrough bleeding can be caused by several reasons1 and not just by using the birth control pill. It is also possible during pregnancy, for example, however, in pregnancy you should be on alert, as it may present some risks to the pregnancy. But how can you identify breakthrough bleeding when you’re not pregnant?
Breakthrough menstrual bleeding is very common when using contraceptives. In the middle of a pack of birth control pills bleeding may occur and cause worry, and this happens because some pills are more likely to cause this breakthrough bleeding2 depending on the person’s body and how it responds to the formula.
If the hormonal dose in the pill is lower than what the woman’s body needs, breakthrough bleeding may happen frequently and in these cases, you need to see a doctor to adjust the medication and stop the bleeding.
Breakthrough bleeding with a brown, coffee-grounds appearance can also happen due to the hormones in the pill. Some low-dose pills are notorious for causing bleeding, so it is important to pay close attention. Additionally, it is worth noting that breakthrough bleeding can be just about 2 tablespoons of blood, whereas a period can be up to 8 tablespoons of blood.
Other Factors That Can Cause Breakthrough Bleeding
Women who have taken contraceptives for a long time may also experience breakthrough menstrual bleeding when their bodies get “used to” the pill, and when this starts happening frequently, it’s time to talk to a gynecologist about increasing the dose or even switching medications.
The morning-after pill is the big culprit for breakthrough bleeding and it brings about the same kind of menstrual bleeding to show it’s working. So if you took the morning-after pill and had brown or reddish bleeding, it’s a sign that the pill “worked” as expected, causing a hormonal imbalance and preventing pregnancy. If this becomes routine in more than two cycles, the bleeding should be evaluated by a doctor.
IMPORTANT: Even with breakthrough bleeding, a woman can get pregnant, since her menstrual cycle continues as usual. During the fertile period, some women may have small brownish or light red bleedings. This poses no risk to the woman.
Bleeding During Pregnancy
The most dangerous type of bleeding is the one that happens during pregnancy3, known as first- or second-trimester bleeding. This may occur due to hormonal deficiency or for other reasons, such as placental abruption, premature or not rupture of the amniotic sac, or even a urinary tract infection or placenta previa. High-risk pregnancies may also have bleeding, especially when the woman exerts herself or has sexual intercourse.
Recurrent Breakthrough Bleeding
What’s important is to investigate persistent breakthrough menstrual bleeding, since a simple bleeding episode can become a headache and very inconvenient, as it can keep repeating on several days of the same cycle, making a woman bleed longer than usual. Ruling out the possibility that the bleeding comes from the urethra or anus is very important, and with a simple exam, the doctor can detect the exact site of the bleeding.
Proper medication and simple treatments can help control these breakthrough menstrual bleedings and make life much easier without the inconvenience. So, in summary: breakthrough bleeding can happen because of the birth control pill and the morning-after pill, for example. And if you are pregnant, you should stay alert for these bleedings, and in any case, a visit to the gynecologist will do you a lot of good.
Readers’ Questions:
How to stop breakthrough menstrual bleeding?
Normally, breakthrough bleeding stops naturally after a few days, but if it becomes recurrent, your gynecologist may recommend changing your contraceptive or even changing certain habits, such as quitting smoking. Cigarettes increase the chances of breakthrough bleeding, and this problem can be solved by quitting smoking.
How do you differentiate between a period and breakthrough bleeding?
The main difference between your period and breakthrough bleeding is the amount of blood. Breakthrough bleeding is usually not prolonged and almost always just stains the underwear, often not even requiring a pad to contain it.
Can you get pregnant if you have breakthrough bleeding?
If you use contraceptives correctly and breakthrough bleeding occurs, your chances of getting pregnant are almost zero, but if you don’t use any contraceptive, there are definitely chances.
Are there other causes for breakthrough bleeding?
Although breakthrough bleeding is more common among contraceptive users, it can also be a sign of health problems. Some conditions that can cause bleeding include polyps on the cervix, fibroids in the uterus, and polycystic ovary syndrome. If you don’t usually have breakthrough bleeding and start having it repeatedly, talk to your doctor.
What is the color of breakthrough bleeding?
Usually, breakthrough bleeding is dark brown, similar to coffee grounds. But sometimes it may look light red, and rarely it is bright red with flow.
