Cervical polyp in pregnancy: what to know

Many cervical polyps are non-cancerous, but pregnancy bleeding has several possible causes. A clinician needs to confirm where the bleeding comes from rather than assuming that a visible polyp explains it.

The cervix is the lower part of the womb. A polyp is a soft projection of tissue arising from its surface or canal. Pregnancy increases blood flow to the cervix, so a polyp may bleed after sex, after an examination, or without an obvious trigger. It may also cause blood-stained discharge, although some polyps cause no symptoms and are found during an examination.

Your clinician may examine the cervix with a speculum and consider swabs or other checks according to your symptoms. Management depends on the polyp's appearance, the bleeding, the stage of pregnancy, and whether infection or another cause is suspected. Removal during pregnancy is not automatic; the care team weighs the reason for removal against procedure-related concerns in your individual situation.

Tell your maternity team about any vaginal bleeding, even if a polyp has already been diagnosed. Note the colour and amount, whether it followed sex, and whether you also have pain, tightening, fever, unusual discharge, dizziness, or fluid leaking from the vagina. Use pads rather than tampons while bleeding so you can monitor the flow.

Keep antenatal and cervical follow-up appointments. Do not try to touch or remove the polyp yourself. If your clinician recommends observation, ask when the cervix will be checked again and whether follow-up after birth is needed. If removal or sampling is proposed, ask why it is recommended now and what alternatives apply to your pregnancy.

Contact your maternity unit promptly for fresh or increasing bleeding, bleeding with abdominal pain or regular tightening, fever, foul-smelling discharge, dizziness, fainting, or fluid that may be your waters. Seek emergency help for heavy bleeding, severe pain, collapse, breathing difficulty, or feeling acutely unwell. These signs need assessment based on the symptom itself, even when a cervical polyp is known.

Ask whether the examination clearly showed that the growth arises from the cervix, what else could explain your bleeding, and which symptoms should send you directly to maternity triage. You can also ask whether swabs, cervical assessment, monitoring, sampling, removal, or follow-up after birth fits your circumstances.