If we’re to go by the semantics of the main words in that sentence, then the short answer is NO. Seeing your menses actually always indicates that you are not pregnant. Hence, any form of bleeding that can be referred to as menses cannot happen during a pregnancy. However, it’s very possible that there’s some form of bleeding during pregnancy. Sometimes, the bleeding might even be mistaken for a period. This is not so. Let’s see why.
A woman ovulates monthly by releasing an ovum from her ovaries. Usually, the ovum travels to the uterus via the fallopian tube. If fertilization occurs as a result of spermatozoa meeting the ovum in the tube and there’s an eventual implantation in the uterus, a woman can be said to be pregnant. However, if no fertilization occurs, then the ovum is shed with the lining of the uterus that was previously prepared for a pregnancy. This shedding is what we see as the menses. Hence, a period can not take place when there’s already a pregnancy.
The best way to determine if one’s pregnant is a pregnancy test. That way, you know if any bleeding is your period or not. Now, a bigger question arises from this understanding. Why do some women bleed even after getting pregnant? To answer this, it’s easier to discuss based on trimesters of pregnancy. Every pregnancy has three trimesters of three months each. Let’s take it up from the first trimester.
In the first three months of pregnancy, a woman might not even know she’s pregnant and can see bleeding that may be mistaken for her period. Actually, this might just be implantation bleeding. Implantation bleeding is that which occurs when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. Implantation bleeding is usually light and sometimes may just come as spotting. Interestingly, it could occur around the same time one’s period usually comes.
Other causes of bleeding in the first trimester include infections, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage. These are obviously abnormal causes and bleeding may be accompanied by other symptoms such as severe abdominal cramps, vaginal discharge, fatigue, loss of consciousness, nausea and vomiting. The bleeding may be heavy and this should be an indication of abnormality.
By the second and third trimester, a woman should be aware of her pregnancy. Hence, any form of bleeding is considered abnormal and a doctor should be consulted as soon as is possible.
Reference: www.healthline.com
