Bleeding during pregnancy is relatively common, with around 1 in 10 women experiencing some bleeding. However, if you have bleeding at any stage during your pregnancy, you should call your midwife or GP immediately. It is not always caused by something serious, but it is very important to make sure. In early pregnancy, some womencomplain of light bleeding, called spotting, when the embryo plants itself into the lining of your womb. This is also sometimes known as implantation bleeding, and often happens around the time that your first period after conception would have been due. During the first three months of pregnancy, vaginal bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy (when the embryo starts to grow inside your fallopian tubes instead of your womb). Later in pregnancy, bleeding can occur for different reasons. A cervical show happens when the plug of mucus from the cervix comes away as the body prepares for birth. Placental abruption may cause bleeding and is serious. This is when the placenta starts to come away from the wall of the womb. This can indicate an early delivery. Placenta praevia occurs when the placenta implants itself low in the womb, partially or totally covering the cervix. Vaginal bleeding in the later stages of pregnancy can also be a sign of a miscarriage. However, a miscarriage is very uncommon after the third month of pregnancy. To work out what is causing bleeding, you may need to have a vaginal or pelvic examination, an ultrasound scan, or blood tests to check your hormone levels