Serena Williams says she had a period while pregnant -Gynecologists explain why you CAN bleed after conceiving

The tennis champion, 36, gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia (pictured together, inset) in September 2017. She found out she was seven weeks pregnant while competing in the Australian Open (pictured, right, during the final which she won). In a new interview (left), Williams said she

was surprised because she had a 'cycle' just before taking the test. Dr Alyssa Dweck, a New York OBGYN, and Dr Lauren Streicher, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University, explained to DailyMail.com the various reasons for vaginal bleeding in pregnant women.Serena Williams says she had a period just before finding out she was seven weeks pregnant.
The tennis pro was competing in the Australian Open when a pregnancy test came up positive - a week before she went on to win the tournament.
In a new interview with InStyle, she insists she was as surprised as her fans, having not seen her now-husband Alexis Ohanian in a month - and she only took the pregnancy test to 'shut up [her] friend' who was suspicious.

'I literally had a cycle just before. So I was surprised when I saw the result and even more surprised when the doctor said I was seven weeks along,' she told the magazine.

Gynecologists have rushed to clarify that it is not possible to have a menstrual cycle while pregnant, because a period is the shedding of uterus lining that is not needed for pregnancy.

However, it is very common for women to experience vaginal bleeding that seems like a period, but is actually the result of something else.

In fact, female athletes are particularly at-risk for surprise pregnancies because regular heavy exercise has been shown to affect the regularity of ovulation.

Dr Alyssa Dweck, a New York OBGYN, Dr Lauren Streicher, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University, and Aparna Sridhar, a UCLA gynecologist, explained to DailyMail.com the various reasons for vaginal bleeding in pregnant women.

Williams insists she was as surprised as her fans, having not seen her now-husband Alexis Ohanian in a month - and she only took the pregnancy test to 'shut up [her] friend' who was suspicious