Question:

I finished my period 10 days ago, but I got it again today. I had intercourse 20 days ago; could I be pregnant? I have never had periods two times in a month.

Answer from Karen Carlson, MD, OB-GYN

The short answer is yes, you could be pregnant. Sometimes, early in pregnancy, women experience implantation bleeding. It’s possible what seemed like a second period could have been caused by implantation of the fertilized egg in your uterus. Spotting is also not unusual in early pregnancy.

It would be a good idea to take a pregnancy test, probably sooner than later. A test will show a positive result around 28 days from the first day of your last period. If you receive a negative result, try again in about a week.

If you receive a positive result, you’ll want to be evaluated by a health care provider, especially if the spotting continues. Spotting in early pregnancy is often normal, but we want to rule out any underlying conditions.

If your test results remain negative, and you’re not experiencing other symptoms, I recommend continuing to track your cycle and noting any irregular bleeding. It is common for women to have some spotting between periods, and we generally don’t do a workup for abnormal bleeding unless it persists for at least two to three months. 

Persistent irregular bleeding can have many causes. You may have a cervical or uterine polyp; hormonal issues, such as thyroid hormone imbalances or changes that happen in perimenopause; a cervical infection or pre-cancer of the cervix. It is important to see a provider when experiencing ongoing abnormal bleeding.