Ask the Doctor: Why does my hair fall out when I take pills?

Dear doctor, whenever my little sister and I get pregnant, about one or two months later, we bleed. Is this genetic? Will my girls also bleed when they are pregnant? Do other people menstruate when pregnant?
Sandra Akullo, Mengo

Dear Sandra, bleeding in early pregnancy is quite common and as such, it can occur coincidentally in sisters but it is unlikely that the bleeding is genetic.

Vaginal bleeding may occur from the vaginal canal, an infected or delicate cervix disturbed by pregnancy hormones and this bleeding usually poses less problems to the unborn.

If bleeding is from the womb, usually the pregnancy is threatening to come out.

This happening in early pregnancy shows how unstable a pregnancy can be and usually pregnancy losses may start with unprovoked bleeding.

Pregnancy loss usually happens earlier but if an ultrasound shows that a pregnancy is normal at 13 weeks, it usually survives to delivery.

Any woman bleeding unexpectedly in pregnancy requires proper investigations because this might mean the pregnancy is at risk or it has already been lost and the womb is naturally trying to eliminate it.

An ultrasound scan will show whether the unborn is viable or not and the treatment then will depend on this. It is true that once the pregnancy is viable, even with repeated unprovoked bleeding in about 95 per cent of cases, it will survive and be delivered.

The fact that many women may bleed and still go on to deliver their babies has caused many folks to wrongly believe that such bleeding is normal.

You and your sisters then should visit your doctors before and after getting pregnant for proper care.

Saying that bleeding in pregnancy runs in your family only serves to take the problem lightly and may result in pregnancy loss or putting the mother’s life at risk.

Send questions to features@ug.nationmedia.com