Pregnancy Complications: I just noticed some spotting. Am I having a miscarriage?

Not all first trimester spotting signifies miscarriage or complications. In fact, 1-in-3 pregnant women will experience this kind of bleeding. It may be from implantation, formation of the mucous plug or even from the edge of the developing placenta. Without cramping, clots and heavy menstrual-type bleeding, a normal fetus will continue to grow.

Two tests that we recommend to make sure everything's OK in the pregnancy are serial hCGs (human chorionic gonadotropin) and looking at progesterone levels. The hCG tells us how the baby is developing. The progesterone tells us if you are supporting the pregnancy.