During early pregnancy, it is not uncommon for a woman to have bleeding or spotting. This bleeding can sometimes be mistaken for a period. Twenty to twenty-five percent of women have bleeding or spotting during pregnancy. The bleeding is generally not as heavy a regular period. However, if a woman did not know that she was pregnant, she may assume the bleeding was just a light period. Often early pregnancy bleeding occurs around the same time a woman anticipates having her period so this can add to the confusion.