Can you be pregnant and still have a normal, heavy period?

By definition, the straightforward answer to your question is no. A period is the shedding of the lining of your uterus when an embryo has not implanted. Pregnancy occurs when a sperm fertilizes an egg, and then the fused product implants into the uterine wall. At this point, the uterine wall, as a whole, stays put throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. So a period with heavy blood flow and clumps of tissue indicates that there is not a pregnancy.

It’s important, though, to note that some individuals experience varying amounts of bleeding with pregnancy. There can be spotting (or very light bleeding) that occurs with healthy pregnancies, the cause of which is generally unexplained. However, heavy menstrual bleeding is a sign that there is NO embryo implanted in the wall of the uterus.