Scarleteen

Hi,
Something I have recently found it is really confusing me and I would like to get the facts cleared up. So, to my knowledge if someone gets their period it means they are not pregnant and there's no need for a test because you can't have a period and be pregnant. However, I've recently read online that some women have a regular monthly period (or something that looks like a period) whilst they are pregnant. So now I'm pretty confused... is this true? If so is it very rare? Also, are there obvious differences between your period and bleeding when you're pregnant? (I know implantation bleeding is light, but what I read about is either called breakthrough bleeding or its actually a period). Any help clearing this up would be appreciated. Thank you!

It is not possible to have a period and be pregnant: a period involves the shedding of the lining of the uterus, which is required to sustain a pregnancy. Some people do have bleeding during pregnancy that they may mistake for a period, but this bleeding tends to be lighter and would not last throughout a pregnancy (certainly not at regular intervals the way a period would). Bleeding during pregnancy is also not something everyone experiences, it certainly doesn't happen nearly as often as stories online would suggest; what is most common with pregnancy is a lack of bleeding of any kind.

We can't vouch for the accuracy of information on other websites; if you want to know where they're getting their info, that's something to contact them about. But, if you haven't already, taking a look at this piece might be useful: Legit or Unfit? Finding Safe, Sound Sex Educators & Support Online