Bleeding after cerclage - Nishmat Yoatzot Halacha

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Bleeding after cerclage

August 24, 2009

Question

I am 22 weeks pregnant and since my cervix had begun to dilate, I had an emergency cervical stitch (a cerclage) put in (closing the cervix). I had spotting and brief flow (enough that would ordinarily render me niddah) from the surgery (which is common after the surgery). Do I assume that the bleeding is cervical or from a "wound", or am I niddah?
Thank you.

Answer

In this case, given that you had a clear cause to which to attribute your bleeding, and given that no uterine bleeding would be expected at this time, you may treat this bleeding as dam makkah, blood from a wound. Dam makkah does not make a woman niddah. You need not observe any strictures of niddah, unless you were to have bleeding inconsistent with what is typical for cerclage.

We wish you well for the remainder of your pregnancy. BeSha'ah tovah!