While some of these situations do require monitoring in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy, others are perfectly normal and of no concern. Knowing the difference may help relieve some of the stress and anxiety you may be feeling. By contrast, a single hCG test rarely tells you anything. If you are told that your levels are low after your first test, don’t panic. It probably means that you are at the start of your pregnancy. In the end, it is how those numbers trend upward during the course of your pregnancy. If hCG levels fail to rise or drop, that could be the sign of a miscarriage. In younger women, cervical ectopy (the benign protrusion of the inner part of the cervix into the outer cervix) may also result in spotting. Spotting can also occur as the placenta implants into the uterus and is considered a normal and healthy part of the pregnancy. Even when spotting warrants investigation, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a problem. It simply suggests that the condition is monitored closely just in case. A great many women who experience spotting in early pregnancy go on to deliver perfectly normal, healthy babies. Pain accompanied by bleeding is another matter and one that warrants immediate investigation. If cramping is severe, with or without bleeding, it is always best to see your doctor soon as possible. In many cases, the estimated date is simply incorrect, and the baby is nowhere near as far along as you may have suspected. While it may be frustrating to be told to come back later to check again, you shouldn’t assume the worst. In the end, all that may be required is a recalculation of the due date. Threatened miscarriage occurs in around 20% of pregnancies before 20 weeks. While most women will go on the deliver their babies without incident, as many as one in seven will experience further complications following a threatened miscarriage.
