Brown discharge in pregnancy at different stages of pregnancy

Symptoms of brown discharge during pregnancy are not so rare lately. And if we consider that in most cases this symptom indicates a more or less serious pathology, it is important not to overlook the trouble and seek help in time. Especially if, in addition to discharge, there is a deterioration in the general condition of the expectant mother.

Poor ecology, constant stress, bad habits, poor nutrition, exacerbated chronic diseases and infections become the cause of the threat of miscarriage or premature birth. At the same time, it often happens that a woman does not even suspect about existing health problems and deviations in the development of the child, and brown discharge becomes the first sign, an alarm bell that cannot be ignored.

Brown discharge before pregnancy

Not every woman can boast of a regular menstrual cycle, but almost all relatively healthy representatives of the fairer sex have full 3-7-day menstrual bleeding once a month, which is a clear confirmation that the woman is not pregnant. But the absence of red or brown discharge at the allotted time is an alarming factor, especially if the delay is 2 weeks or more.

True, pregnancy can be judged not only by the absence, but also by the presence of brown discharge, the symptoms of which in this case are not so clearly expressed in the absence of any signs of malaise. For example, the discharge has a fairly light shade closer to beige or pink, has a smearing character and slightly stains the pad or underwear, does not increase its intensity over time, is limited to a single case. While menstruation usually lasts for several days, gradually acquiring a scarlet color, a rich color, and daubing is usually observed only at the beginning and at the end of menstruation.

In women of reproductive age, brown discharge instead of menstruation is a sign of pregnancy, and the pregnancy test result is positive in most cases. Unless, of course, we are talking about an inflammatory-degenerative process in the female reproductive system, because spotting is also characteristic of such pathologies as cervical erosion, fibroids, cysts, cervical dysplasia, etc., which can also proceed covertly for a time without pain or discharge.

A gynecological examination will help confirm or refute the diagnosis of pregnancy, after which the woman will either be offered to register at a women's clinic, or will be prescribed treatment for the identified pathologies if the discharge is not associated with conception.

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Brown discharge in early pregnancy

The first trimester of pregnancy is considered the most important and worrisome period, because it is during this time that almost all organs and systems of the future human being are laid down. At the same time, the majority of miscarriages occur during the first three months after conception.

Up to 4 months, the embryo is not yet able to make movements that the expectant mother could feel. Later, she will listen to every movement to understand how her growing baby feels, what he is doing, whether everything is okay with him. In the meantime, you have to rely only on your own well-being (though many do not want to even remember it due to early toxicosis of pregnancy) and some external signs in the form of symptoms of brown discharge, which can indicate if problems arise.

But brown discharge in the early stages does not always indicate pathology, and in the first trimester is considered a normal variant. Whether we are talking about the attachment of the amniotic egg in the uterus or about regular discharge caused by hormonal changes, if the spotting is not accompanied by pain and other suspicious symptoms, there is nothing to worry about.

The fixation of the amniotic sac is accompanied by a small one-time bleeding, which usually occurs 2-3 weeks after conception. And with a hormonal cause of bleeding, they are regular (on the same days as menstruation before pregnancy), but scanty and short-lived (no more than 3 days). In any case, if we are not talking about pathology, there is no significant increase in bleeding. Usually everything is limited to brown-beige spotting, much less often we are talking about rare streaks of blood, which can be somewhat alarming.

The more intense the discharge, the more alert they can cause pregnant women. And this is not accidental, because any discharge from beige or pink to red or almost black indicates bleeding caused by ruptured blood vessels. And the more intense the bleeding, the greater the blood loss and the worse the condition of the expectant mother. It is not for nothing that even with heavy menstruation, a woman begins to feel weakness, dizziness, loss of strength, despite the fact that menstruation in women of childbearing age is considered a normal physiological phenomenon.

One-time brown discharge in the morning and at night during pregnancy can hardly be considered a serious cause for concern at any stage. But it is still worth contacting a doctor, and it is unlikely that he will scold the expectant mother for her caution. After all, no one can say with certainty that something like this will not happen again a few days or weeks later.

Even minor brown discharge in some cases can be evidence of impending trouble: the threat of miscarriage associated with the detachment of the fertilized egg or the freezing of the embryo, ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole, various infectious and inflammatory and tumor diseases.

It should be said that in this case, brown discharge during pregnancy is rarely the only symptom of a pathological process. Thus, with the threat of miscarriage, there are almost always unpleasant pulling sensations in the lower abdomen, mucus and streaks of blood appear in the discharge. Many women complain of sudden nausea that is not associated with food intake. In some cases, there may even be vomiting, which somewhat confuses the woman, hinting at possible poisoning. Especially if the woman is not even aware of her delicate condition, which happens quite often in the early stages.

Identical symptoms can also be observed with a hydatidiform mole. But with this pathology, headaches, high blood pressure, and specific tests show an increased level of human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the germinal layer of the placenta and signaling the peculiarities of the pregnancy, can join the usual symptom complex.

In case of an ectopic pregnancy, brown discharge acquires a more intense shade. Dark brown discharge, typical for it, should alert a woman, especially if it is accompanied by pulling pains on one side of the abdomen.

Brown discharge in later stages

In the second trimester of pregnancy, the main organs and systems of the embryo are already laid down and partially formed. Now the period of active development of the baby's body begins. Its organs begin to work independently and acquire new functions.

This is a relatively calm period, because the impact of negative factors on the development of the child is not as noticeable as in the first 3 months. However, the appearance of strange discharge from the genitals of a pregnant woman in the 2nd trimester is considered the most dangerous, because it almost always indicates pathology.

Brown discharge during pregnancy in the late stages, in the 2nd and 3rd trimester and even at the end of pregnancy can have various causes that differ from those that could have occurred in the 1st trimester. Here, hormonal factors are usually no longer involved, and the process of attachment of the fertilized egg is far behind.

In the 2nd trimester, when there is no talk of preparing for childbirth, doctors consider placental abruption or placenta previa as the causes of symptoms of brown discharge during pregnancy. In case of placental abruption, the degree of its separation from the uterine wall plays a major role. In case of mild partial abruption, a woman may only notice brown spotting and slightly noticeable discomfort in the abdomen associated with hypertonicity of the uterus.

After placental abruption, brown discharge usually appears already at the second stage, when the body removes coagulated blood. Before this, there may be more severe bleeding with the release of scarlet blood, which practically does not happen with minor detachment. At the site of tissue damage, a small hematoma usually forms, which over time can increase and provoke further tissue detachment.

Doctors associate brown discharge with a hematoma during pregnancy with the release of solidified and discolored blood, i.e. with the absorption of the resulting bruise. In this case, light brown discharge can be considered a positive symptom indicating tissue regeneration. However, it does not exclude the occurrence of repeated ruptures, bleeding, hematoma formation, etc.

Placenta previa is also characterized by repeated bleeding, the discharge in which is caused by the detachment of the tissues of the placenta. This pathology is indicated by repeated bleeding that occurs every time the placenta tissue is torn away from the uterus. Bleeding in this case can have different colors and intensities. Minor detachment and resorption of the hematoma are accompanied by brown discharge without other symptoms. If a large section of the placenta or the entire organ is torn away, the bleeding will be profuse, and scarlet spots will appear on the pad.

The same heavy bleeding can occur before or during the birth itself, which is why doctors prefer to resort to a cesarean section. It must be said that in this case, it is not the blood itself that harms the child, but the circulatory disorder caused by the placenta detachment, as a result of which the baby does not receive enough oxygen and may die in the womb.

Placenta previa and placental abruption are pathologies that can bother a woman at any stage of pregnancy. It's just that in the first trimester, the pathology is usually asymptomatic and the problems increase as the baby grows until the very birth. But a woman usually encounters bleeding and spotting for the first time in the second trimester.

At the very end of pregnancy, brown discharge may appear for another reason. Their appearance is associated with the discharge of the mucus plug, so such discharge has a mucus-like consistency, regardless of whether they appeared on the eve of childbirth or several weeks before the onset of the labor process. Brown discharge during pregnancy before childbirth is a normal physiological discharge, and its color is associated with the preparation of the uterus for childbirth, which does not always occur completely bloodlessly, but is not accompanied by heavy bleeding.

Brown discharge during multiple pregnancy and twin pregnancy, despite the high frequency of the symptom at different stages of pregnancy, still continues to bother women. This is especially true for those who have encountered this for the first time. Mothers can complain of brown, and sometimes quite abundant red discharge at any stage. For some, they appear periodically throughout the pregnancy.

It is believed that if the discharge is not abundant and is not accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen and lower back, discomfort, deterioration of the expectant mother's condition, unpleasant odor or discharge of pus, then there is no need to worry too much. It is worth putting up with this unusual symptom, but do not forget to regularly visit a gynecologist and inform him of all suspicious symptoms.

But the appearance of nagging pains in combination with brown discharge during multiple pregnancies may indicate that only one fetus is developing normally, while the second one has slowed down or stopped developing due to the detachment of the amniotic sac or placenta. In the early stages, this is not always a reason to terminate the pregnancy, because usually a normally developing and growing fetus simply pushes out its frozen twin.

Brown discharge during the second pregnancy (as well as subsequent ones) can have the same causes as in primiparous women. The only difference is the time of the symptom's appearance before the birth. During the birth, the cervix is greatly stretched and during subsequent pregnancies, its early opening may be observed, as a result of which the mucous plug slips out 2 or more weeks before the birth.

The frequency of the symptom depends on how the previous pregnancy went. If a woman had to have an abortion, had a curettage after a miscarriage, or the doctor had to resort to a cesarean section, the likelihood of pregnancy complications accompanied by the appearance of brown and red discharge increases.

The scar tissue formed after aggressive mechanical action has low elasticity and is subject to rupture under any stress. It is not surprising that during subsequent pregnancies women may periodically experience small or heavy hemorrhages from damaged vessels, complicating the course of pregnancy.