Whether it be opening up about her emergency C-section or asking the Internet for breastfeeding advice, Serena Williams has always been open about her journey to motherhood.
Her latest interview with InStyle is no different. Speaking to the fashion magazine she revealed that she didn't realise that she was pregnant until she was 7 weeks gone.
She had taken a pregnancy test to placate her friend but forgot to took at it for two hours. She said that she wasn't worried at all about being pregnancy because she had just had her period.
“I literally had a cycle just before [I took the test],” she revealed. “So I was surprised when I saw the result and even more surprised when the doctor said I was seven weeks along.”
According to the NHS, about one in ten women experience bleeding in the first trimester. Unlike during your period when the lining for your uterus sheds, this "spotting" is caused by the foetus implanting itself into the wall of your womb.
"This is also known as implantation bleeding and often occurs around the time that your first period after conception would have been due," the site states.
While this can be nothing to worry about, bleeding can also be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage, which most commonly occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
They urge any expectant mothers with bleeding to contact their doctors or midwives straight away to be safe.
It’s not often caused by something serious, but it’s important to make sure. Lie down and rest until you can see a healthcare professional and do not take any medication while you are waiting,” the site advises.
At the time Williams found out that she was pregnant she was in the middle of competing in the Australian Open. She went on to win the competition, while two months pregnant.
"I had a really tough first round and an even tougher second round. I thought, 'I’m probably going to lose early. That’s OK. I have a good excuse for the first time.' I talked to the doctor, and I was like, 'Do I need to pull out? Because it’s not worth it. This is, like, my baby. Can I do anything that’ll hurt her?' She said, 'No. But just be careful in the hot weather, because that can be a problem.'"
What an absolute boss.
