Red speck on toilet paper
8 May, 2007
Question:I am B"H 14 weeks pregnant. I was originally pregnant with twins but unfortunately lost one several weeks ago. Since then, I've been a bit anxious and have been checking the toilet paper every time I use the bathroom to make sure I'm not spotting. Today I saw a tiny speck of red when I wiped, but when I wiped a second time with a new piece, there was nothing. (It was white toilet paper and it was within 15 seconds of going to the bathroom). What happens now?
Answer:We are sorry to hear of your losing the twin.
Whether or not you are niddah depends on many factors, including the shade of the stain and the lighting conditions under which you saw it and your local rav's position on the various considerations regarding stains on toilet paper. See our article, "Toilet Paper" for more details.
If you are certain that what you saw was blood, the usual considerations would apply, even when pregnant. Our rabbinic supervisor, Rav Henkin, generally rules that an ashkenazi woman who wipes within fifteen seconds of urinating and finds a clearly red stain on the paper (of any size), is niddah, whether or not she is pregnant.
In this case, if the speck you saw might plausibly have been something on the toilet paper already (like a fiber) or could be attributed to something else from the outside (dirt, a hemorrhoid, etc.), we would rule leniently.
For the future, be careful to wait fifteen seconds after urinating before wiping. You can then look at the toilet paper to monitor your status, without becoming niddah if you do find a stain.
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