Threatened abortion is the term used to describe the situation where there is vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy in the presence of a live embryo or foetus. This is more likely to occur at roundabout four and eight weeks (the time at which, were she not pregnant, the mother would have menstruated). Unlike an inevitable abortion the bleeding is not accompanied by uterine pain and ultrasound examination shows the presence of an appropriately sized uterus and foetal heartbeat. Most such pregnancies continue and produce normal babies. Traditionally women suffering from threatened abortion were advised to rest in bed until bleeding stopped, and in those that it was thought there might be progesterone deficiency they were treated with progesterone injections until week 20. There is no evidence that either of these interventions affects the outcome but many women feel more comfortable resting in bed (none want the painful progesterone injections).