Midwifery triage of first trimester bleeding.

Approximately one of five pregnant women will experience bleeding during the first trimester of pregnancy. Of these women, about half will go on to have a spontaneous abortion. Comfort with triaging this common problem assists the midwife in providing quality, cost-effective care without eliminating continuity. This article reviews the causes of early pregnancy bleeding, offers strategies to differentiate between these causes, and identifies emergent from nonemergent presentations. Triage and management strategies for women with an impending or threatened spontaneous abortion are reviewed, exploring the alternative of expectant management.