Brown discharge in pregnancy as a sign of disease

Many diseases of the female reproductive system can be latent even before pregnancy, but under the influence of hormonal changes and weakening of the body's defenses against this background, they acquire a new, active form. And sometimes women simply do not notice their problems until they learn the good news about pregnancy. Now, realizing the full responsibility of her situation, the expectant mother begins to notice even the smallest unusual symptoms and worry about them.

So, both before and during pregnancy, a woman may develop uterine fibroids and polyps, cervical erosion or dysplasia, inflammation of the appendages, thrush, sexually transmitted infections, etc.

Thus, uterine fibroids, which are characterized by heavy, prolonged menstrual bleeding, do not go away during pregnancy, and brown discharge now replaces menstrual bleeding. Depending on the location of the tumor and its size, they can be more or less intense. In some cases, instead of regular spotting, there is quite heavy bleeding with the release of scarlet blood, which is considered a threat to terminate the pregnancy.

But myoma has other symptoms that can be used to suspect pathology even before an ultrasound. These are pain or a feeling of pressure in the pelvic area, pain in the lower abdomen radiating to the back of the legs, pain during sexual intercourse, discomfort in the bladder area and urination disorders. Frequent constipation and flatulence, an increase in the size of the abdomen may also be observed.

Unfortunately, these symptoms are indicative if brown discharge is observed without pregnancy or in its early stages, when unpleasant sensations and external changes cannot yet be attributed to the growing fetus. But at a later stage, when the belly grows and the baby begins to put pressure on the abdominal organs with its weight, diagnosing a fibroid based on the clinical picture alone will be very problematic.

Cervical erosion, which can also worsen during pregnancy, causing symptoms of brown discharge, could have remained practically unnoticed for a long time. But from the wound that has increased in size, blood can now ooze out a little, which will manifest itself as brown spotting, and sometimes discomfort in the lower abdomen.

Brown discharge with cervical erosion during pregnancy usually appears after sexual intercourse or a gynecological examination. The fact is that the wound on the mucous membrane in conditions of constant high humidity heals very slowly, and against the background of hormonal imbalance it becomes even more tender and susceptible to any mechanical injuries. In addition, an unhealed wound always attracts an infection, which contributes to the progression of the inflammatory process, weakening the tissues, and during pregnancy any opportunistic microflora living on the skin and mucous membranes of a person can become active.

Frequent episodes of candidiasis in pregnant women are associated with the activation of opportunistic microflora, which is not dangerous with good immunity. Thrush in expectant mothers, provoked by a representative of opportunistic pathogens, the Candida fungus, is a fairly common phenomenon. Candidiasis is characterized by white, cheesy discharge with a sour odor and noticeable itching in the vagina.

The disease can become active immediately with the onset of hormonal changes in the body, i.e. in the first weeks of pregnancy, when cases of spotting associated with the attachment of the fertilized egg are not uncommon. Thrush during pregnancy during these days can have slightly different manifestations, because drops of blood can be mixed with the discharge, and the discharge becomes brown.

True, the same sour smell will indicate the connection of these discharges with a fungal infection. And the tinted discharge itself can appear after a stormy sexual contact and various concomitant pathologies of pregnancy. In addition, candidiasis of the genitals is almost always accompanied by a strong, annoying itch, which is not typical of non-infectious smears.

Sexually transmitted infections also "stick" to people with weakened immunity, so pregnant women with their hormonal changes are at risk. In this case, there is severe inflammation of the vagina and uterus caused by pathogens and accompanied by discharge of brown, yellow, green, etc. colors. At the same time, the discharge may contain mucus, pus, they may have an unpleasant odor, for example, the "aroma" of rotten fish. In the acute period of the disease, a woman may have a fever, mild dull pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes itching and burning during urination.

If brown discharge during pregnancy is observed mainly during urination, the cause is most likely in diseases of the urinary system: kidneys and bladder, which are forced to work for two, therefore, they often fail to work during this period. The most common diseases of the urinary system during pregnancy are cystitis and pyelonephritis, which are often infectious in nature.

Pyelonephritis, or inflammation of the kidneys, is usually accompanied by pain in the lumbar region of the back, which can be either dull or sharp, piercing (renal colic), the appearance of sediment and brownish mucus in the urine, indicating a small hemorrhage in the organ, and an increase in temperature to subfebrile values.

An identical picture is observed in kidney stone disease, for which renal colic is a common symptom, but there is also discomfort during urination, false urges, and a burning sensation during urination (when fine sand and stones pass).

Cystitis is no less of a problem, and it cannot proceed asymptomatically. The disease manifests itself in brown or red bloody discharge, cutting and burning during urination, false urges to urinate or, on the contrary, frequent emptying of the bladder in small portions. Aching pain in the lower abdomen in the area of the bladder, which is adjacent to the uterus, is no exception with cystitis. Therefore, pregnant women often attribute these pains to problems with pregnancy.

It is not uncommon for doctors to note the formation of polyps in the cervix during pregnancy, which, although considered benign neoplasms, can cause some confusion in the life of the expectant mother. If the polyp is small, it is unlikely to announce itself with any symptoms. It is another matter if the growth is large. In this case, brown discharge from a polyp during pregnancy can be observed. But they do not occur regularly, but under the influence of certain irritating factors.

Symptoms of a polyp in the cervical canal or endometrium during pregnancy may include white or brown vaginal discharge. Leucorrhoea does not particularly bother women, but brown discharge is already alarming. Although in principle, with polyps, this is the same thing, and the color of the discharge changes due to the ingress of blood particles into them, flowing out when the polyp is damaged, for example, during sexual intercourse or a gynecological examination. At the same time, cramping pains in the lower abdomen may occur, which is not uncommon with large polyps.

But similar abdominal pain and brown discharge can also be associated with endometriosis, which can either intensify or subside during pregnancy. The clinical picture of a threatened miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy or pregnancy pathologies typical for later stages is identical to the above. So without a gynecologist's examination and appropriate studies, it will be difficult to say what the appearance of spotting is associated with: complications of pregnancy or diseases of the female genitourinary system.

What does the nature of the discharge indicate?

You can calm expectant mothers for a long time by saying that the symptoms of brown discharge during pregnancy do not always indicate a pathology, which means that before worrying, you first need to understand how serious the situation is. But it is unlikely that this will help the tense as a string nerves of a pregnant woman to relax and calm down. Moreover, in some cases, on the contrary, you need to act quickly, and not reassure yourself that everything will be fine.

The nature of the discharge will help a pregnant woman understand how dangerous it is. Thus, brown discharge without pain during pregnancy is considered the most harmless. Usually, it occurs in the early or late stages of pregnancy and signals either good news and the attachment of the fertilized egg in the uterus, or the body's preparation for childbirth and the discharge of the mucus plug. These also include regular discharge that occurs instead of menstruation due to hormonal changes in the body of the expectant mother and spotting with intravaginal use of progesterone. These discharges do not pose a danger to either the woman or her child.

Scanty, small, spotting brown discharge during pregnancy is considered a fairly common symptom, which rarely signals serious problems. Except for small ones in their very beginning, when timely seeking help helps to maintain the pregnancy in the vast majority of cases.

It's a different matter if brown discharge and a pulling pain in the lower abdomen appear during pregnancy. A woman can face such a situation at any stage, and the symptom of pulling pain is characteristic of many pathologies.

The nagging pains themselves may be evidence of increased blood flow to the uterus, which is natural during pregnancy. Subsequently, the growing fetus, which is quite mobile and heavy, may contribute to the intensification of such sensations. Pains in the lower abdomen may also occur due to problems with the intestines. All these reasons are not dangerous, unless the pains intensify and do not worsen the well-being of the expectant mother.

But if the nagging pain is accompanied by brown or bloody red discharge, this is a rather serious situation, characteristic of the following pathologies:

• increased uterine tone and risk of miscarriage,
• frozen or ectopic pregnancy,
• detachment of the ovum or placenta,
• gynecological diseases,
• genital infections.

You shouldn't worry about this combination of symptoms only in the last months of pregnancy and before childbirth. After all, in this case we are talking about the imminent birth of the baby, for which the body is actively preparing.

Heavy liquid brown discharge during pregnancy is also considered a harbinger of imminent labor. In the last stages, we are usually talking about the discharge of the mucus plug and amniotic fluid, to which are mixed particles of blood from the vessels of the placenta damaged by the strong pressure of the baby trying to escape. But in the early stages of pregnancy and in the second trimester, heavy discharge should be alarming, regardless of its color.

All of the above pathologies are characterized by an increase in the volume of secreted secretion, and sometimes a change in its color. Increased secretion is characteristic of an inflammatory process, and the brown color indicates damage to tissues and small vessels. This is less dangerous than abundant secretion of scarlet blood, but is not normal. There is usually no need to rush to the doctor with such a symptom or call an ambulance, but you should not postpone a visit to the gynecologist either.

Only mothers who are about to give birth need to hurry, because the brown color of the discharge may be evidence of both the beginning of normal labor and placenta previa and the associated rupture of the uterus, which is fraught with severe bleeding and reproductive dysfunction.

Unlike abundant liquid discharge, brown thick discharge during pregnancy is considered quite normal, especially in the first trimester. Quite thick, uniform, odorless spotting discharge should not cause panic in the expectant mother, but the appearance of clots is already a reason to see a doctor.

Brown and dark red discharge with clots during pregnancy is typical for incomplete abortion. They can appear after an abortion or miscarriage and represent the remaining particles of the body and place of the fetus. This symptom is considered dangerous and indicates that the uterus has not been completely cleansed and the processes of decomposition of the remaining tissues, inflammation of the endometrium, and sometimes blood poisoning can begin.

Bloody brown discharge during early pregnancy appears as often as brown. The fact is that the color of normal discharge can vary from beige to dark brown and reddish. In some cases, streaks of blood appear in transparent discharge, especially after vigorous sex or a gynecological examination. Everything depends on the location of the damaged vessel and the strength of the bleeding.

Such bleeding can be dangerous only if there are other suspicious symptoms. In the second trimester of pregnancy, even this symptom alone is enough to contact a doctor, because normally there should be no talk of any hemorrhages during this period.

As for the mucus plug that comes off before childbirth in the last stages of pregnancy, it can have a beige or brown tint or remain transparent. Sometimes you can see streaks of blood against the background of transparent mucus, which is also considered quite normal.

Often, during pregnancy, you need to pay attention not so much to the color of the discharge, but to its consistency and smell. Brown discharge with an odor during pregnancy indicates an infectious process. Quite often, they are accompanied by discomfort in the lower abdomen, such unpleasant symptoms as itching and burning, an unusual rash may appear on the genitals (with venereal diseases, herpes, papilloma virus, etc.). The infection could have been hidden in the woman's body earlier, and pregnancy only exacerbated its course. But in some cases, everyday reasons are to blame: unprotected sex, insufficient hygiene of the genitals, insufficient processing of gynecological instruments, etc.

Usually young mothers are more meticulous in terms of sex and hygiene, so the cause of infectious pathologies in most cases is the widespread opportunistic microflora that lives on the skin and mucous membranes of any person and is activated with any decrease in immunity.

Doctors especially often diagnose thrush in expectant mothers, because a weakened immune system and the associated disruption of the body's microflora are considered favorable conditions for this type of fungal infection. Hormonal changes primarily affect the vaginal microflora, changing its acidity, so vaginal candidiasis is a fairly common problem during pregnancy. The pathology can occur both on its own and as a negative consequence of using antibiotics to combat a bacterial infection.

One of the most popular symptoms of sexually transmitted infections is itching. It is clear that this symptom can have many other causes, but in combination with brown and foul-smelling discharge, it clearly indicates an infectious nature of the disease. Itching and brown discharge during pregnancy can also be combined with thrush caused by Candida fungi, bacterial vaginosis, venereal diseases, genital herpes and HPV, inflammatory and tumor diseases of the pelvic organs. In the vast majority of cases, the combination of itching and discharge is not accidental and indicates a disease that cannot be ignored during pregnancy.

Curdy brown discharge during pregnancy clearly indicates a fungal infection. Ideally, discharge from candidiasis is white and resembles grains of soft cottage cheese. But when such whitish discharge is mixed with blood, the color of the discharge, depending on whether it is fresh blood or “old”, can change from pink to brown. Regardless of the color, characteristic symptoms of candidal discharge are a sour odor and itching of the genitals.

Today, doctors and scientists have developed many different methods and means to help maintain pregnancy when there is a threat of its termination. Some methods are still new and have not been sufficiently studied. For example, the method of placing and using a pessary - an obstetric ring made of plastic or silicone, which is placed on the cervix. It is believed that this device should redistribute the load on the uterus and prevent its early opening. A pessary is installed in women with multiple pregnancies, increased uterine tone or a short cervix, a threat of miscarriage, etc.

The device is certainly useful, but the female body will perceive it as a foreign body in any case. This means that after its installation, the volume of discharge also increases.

Normally, they should be transparent and mucous, odorless. But in some cases, women note that the discharge has acquired a brown tint, and this already indicates that small vessels were damaged during the procedure. There can be many reasons for such a situation: the doctor's carelessness, weakness of the vaginal and uterine mucosa during pregnancy, and concomitant pathologies.

Scanty brown discharge from a pessary during pregnancy, which is installed after 20 and removed at 38 weeks of pregnancy, is not considered dangerous. But if their intensity increases or the discharge becomes bloody, this is a reason to urgently consult a doctor. Perhaps internal organs were affected or large vessels were damaged.

You should also seek help if pus appears in the discharge or if it acquires an unpleasant odor. The fact is that the installation of a pessary is often a factor that activates hidden infectious and inflammatory pathologies, which now declare themselves openly. In such cases, the pessary must be removed, and it can be installed only after the existing infection has been cured.

The presence of dark brown and bloody discharge in combination with a pulling sensation in the lower abdomen may indicate a frozen pregnancy or a threat of miscarriage, in which case a pessary is not relevant. The woman will need to undergo additional examinations to establish the true cause of the symptoms that have appeared.

If symptoms of brown mucus discharge during pregnancy appear after the pessary is removed (and this happens on the eve of childbirth), there is no need to worry. The mucus plug has simply been able to leave its previously designated place, and soon the mother will be able to see her newborn baby.

As we can see, there are many different nuances that can distinguish normal discharge from pathological, as well as one disease from another. It will be difficult for a person without special medical education to understand all these nuances in order to make a specific diagnosis. And this is despite the fact that we have not yet touched on the topic of variations in the color of brown discharge during pregnancy.

Color of discharge during pregnancy

It would seem, what can such a feature as the color of discharge signal? In fact, the color and shade can tell a lot to a specialist, indicating in which direction of diagnostics to move, what studies to prescribe. For an attentive and careful expectant mother, the color of the discharge can tell whether she should worry and what danger may be hidden behind colored stains on her underwear.

Thus, light brown discharge without odor appears during pregnancy during the attachment of the fertilized egg or under the influence of hormonal changes in the 1st trimester. But the same discharge can also accompany various pathologies of pregnancy. One thing can be said that the light color of the spotting indicates minor hemorrhage, which means that everything is not so bad, since it can indicate a mild form or early stage of pathology.

Pale brown discharge during pregnancy can also be caused by various neoplasms on the cervix (small cysts, polyps), uterine dysplasia and erosion. Similar spots can also appear after urination with cystitis or pyelonephritis.

Some women notice the appearance of beige or beige-brown discharge, which during pregnancy have the same causes and indicate minor hemorrhage. At 2-3 weeks of pregnancy, they may be associated with the attachment of the fertilized egg, while at 19-20 weeks they may be evidence of fluctuations in estrogen levels or the onset of a pathological process.

Brown mucous discharge during pregnancy is usually associated with the discharge of the mucous plug on the eve of labor. They can be more or less intensely colored, have red streaks, and differ from amniotic fluid only in their mucous consistency. If such discharge appears earlier, it may be evidence of an infectious and inflammatory process or stormy sex. But in this case, minor discomfort in the lower abdomen or dull, mild pain may also appear.

Pink-brown discharge during pregnancy may indicate that a woman has slightly reduced blood clotting, so the blood comes out without having time to clot. An identical situation is observed if a woman has microdamages not in the uterus, but in the vagina, or the discharge is intense enough to quickly remove blood even with minor bleeding. It is impossible to say for sure whether such discharge is dangerous, everything depends on the cause of its appearance.

But red-brown and red discharge indicate that a woman has serious bleeding during pregnancy. The presence of clots in the blood may be a hint of a miscarriage or its consequences (incomplete removal of parts of the fetus's body during cleaning). Even during labor itself, active bleeding alerts doctors, forcing them to assume placenta previa and the risk of uterine rupture. In any case, the appearance of such a symptom requires immediate medical attention and calling an ambulance.

Dirty dark brown discharge during pregnancy, which heavily stains underwear and pads, is evidence of heavier bleeding in the uterine area, but still not intense enough for the blood to come out without changing color. Everything depends on the degree of damage to the vessels, the characteristics of the blood, the size of the vessels. Single dark brown discharge in the 2nd week of pregnancy is usually as safe as light brown.

At the beginning of pregnancy, excessively intense, foul-smelling or prolonged discharge, or the presence of lumps in it, should cause concern. But in the second trimester of pregnancy, such discharge already poses a serious danger in any case, since it often indicates placental abruption or placenta previa.

Brown transparent discharge of various shades and intensity during pregnancy, if they are not accompanied by a backside, burning, fever, abdominal pain, are usually inherent in normal physiological processes in the body of the expectant mother. Although sometimes they can be the first bell signaling pregnancy pathologies.

But discharge of unusual shades is more typical for infectious diseases of the female genitourinary system of an inflammatory or purulent nature. For example, yellow-brown, yellow discharge during pregnancy may indicate inflammation of the vagina (colpitis), appendages (adnexitis). Fallopian tubes (salpingitis). If the discharge acquires a yellowish or greenish tint, sexually transmitted infections (trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, chlamydia) can be suspected. But in any case, in addition to brown and colored discharge during pregnancy, there will be other symptoms of pathology (pain in the lower abdomen, fever, unpleasant odor of discharge caused by bacterial microflora, itching, burning, rashes).

However, sometimes a yellowish tint to discharge can be given by hormonal drugs (for example, "Utrozhestan" in vaginal forms), condoms, pads, lubricants, intimate hygiene products, synthetic underwear, and medications (if an allergy occurs). A change in the color of discharge to yellow-brown can also provoke the development of diabetes mellitus (gestational diabetes).

White-brown discharge is also considered not quite normal during pregnancy, in which blood is mixed not with transparent vaginal secretions, but with leucorrhoea - almost opaque smearing discharge of uniform consistency. Yes, during pregnancy, the amount of leucorrhoea increases, which is considered normal. Mixing with them, the blood just acquires a beige or brownish tint and smearing consistency. But if against the general background in the discharge, small white lumps in the form of grains of cottage cheese are visible, then we are talking about a fungal infection - thrush, the second bright symptom of which is itching of the genitals.

The following should also be alarming factors for white-brown discharge: the appearance of an unpleasant sour or rotten smell, pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen, and an increase in temperature. The fact is that an increase in the amount of leucorrhoea often signals inflammatory and tumor pathologies of the female genital organs. Often, where there is inflammation, there is also an infection. So you need to be very careful about the appearance of unusual discharge, noting any suspicious symptoms. It is better to take an extra smear for microflora than to become a breeding ground for an infection that is dangerous for the child.

The situation is even more serious with gray-brown discharge, as women call vaginal secretions mixed with pus during pregnancy. A purulent process in the depths of a woman can be provoked by both an infection, including opportunistic microorganisms (for example, staphylococci), and by rotting fetal tissues inside the uterus. Purulent discharge is also typical for sexually transmitted infections. Thus, with trichomoniasis, grayish foamy discharge is observed, and chlamydia can be accompanied by the appearance of pus in the discharge, giving it a peculiar dirty shade. Usually, STIs are accompanied by other symptoms (itching, rash on the body, painful urination, enlarged inguinal lymph nodes, etc.), but a latent course of the disease cannot be ruled out.

It turns out that the color of the discharge and the change in its shade can be used to judge the processes occurring in a woman's body. But this information is not enough to make an accurate diagnosis. Most often, a woman can only assume the presence or absence of certain pathologies. And this is unnecessary worry, so unnecessary for the expectant mother in her delicate position. The color and nature of the discharge should only be used to judge how soon a woman will need to tell her doctor about them, and let the specialists make a diagnosis.