2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
The expression is well known: it suggests a phenomenon that repeats itself from month to month, when the period should have occurred before pregnancy. Is this the case?
You take a pregnancy test and it confirms your pregnancy. Yet, barely a fortnight ago, you had your period.
Believing your body is out of whack, you search the web for info and find women talking about birthday periods. Are these real periods? Is this a common occurrence?
We asked our questions to Erica Goupil, practicing midwife at the Maison debirth de la Rivière in Nicolet. Here's what she had to tell us.
Q. Is the anniversary rule a common occurrence?
R. This is a little known phenomenon. It is therefore difficult to assess the frequency. About one in three to one in four women, according to sources, will experience bleeding in the first trimester.
Q. Does she come back every month?
R. “However, it seems quite rare for a woman to have an anniversary period, and very rare for this bleeding to reoccur for several months during pregnancy. »
Q. What Causes the Birthday Rule?
R. “The causes of the birthday rule are unclear and seem to vary from woman to woman. Many women will call 'anniversary rule' what may correspond to implantation bleeding, that is to say when the fertilized egg implants itself in the wall of the uterus. Generally, this phenomenon occurs around ten days after fertilization… or around the expected date of the next period! »
Q. Is this bleeding comparable to real menstruation?
R. “No, it is less abundant than a period and usually lasts a day or two. »
Q. When should you consult?
R. “Whatever the presumed cause of the bleeding, it is important to consult if you are concerned. However, it is particularly important to consult if your bleeding is as heavy as a period or is accompanied by pain. »
Following Mrs. Goupil's explanations, we understand that the birthday rule is a myth, insofar as it is not about menstruation. Rather, it is called implantation bleeding. And even if "metrorrhagia (bleeding) occurs in 15% to 25% of patients during the first trimester" 1, they are not attributable only to implantation. Their causes can have various origins, which is why they should not be taken lightly.
If in doubt, do not hesitate to consult your he althcare professional to receive adiagnosis.
1. First trimester breakthrough bleeding: Risk assessment of maternal-fetal morbidity in ongoing pregnancies.
