Brown Discharge During Pregnancy: When Should You Be Worried?

The body of a pregnant woman is unpredictable. The processes which take place inside of it can be impressive and oftentimes just as inexplicable. But these very changes scare future mothers from time to time. During pregnancy, the female body becomes a temporary home for the unborn child, the life support machine, and when the woman notices definite processes and changes in her organism she can become quite alarmed.

The brown discharge during pregnancy is one of the things causing concern. There are some specific cases when brown spotting is considered normal, but most of the time such excreta represent a risk for the pregnancy. That’s why if you’ve found brown spots on your underwear you need an urgent consultation with a gynecologist.

When is Brown Discharge During Pregnancy Normal?

On the 6th-12th day after the conception, the fertilized egg reaches the womb and implants into the uterine wall. The implantation can be accompanied by brown spotting. Women who can’t even guess they are pregnant often mistake such excreta for a monthly period. But we should admit that implantation bleeding is usually followed by beige or pink creamy discharge. When the discharge becomes dark brown, it might be a sign of danger.

There are cases when brown spotting appears during the next few months at the usual time of period. Such a thing happens due to hormonal imbalance.

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The Risk of a Miscarriage

However, most often brown discharge during early pregnancy is an alarm signal: there is a risk of spontaneous abortion. Because of the fetal bladder detachment, there is blood in the vaginal excreta. Besides, the woman can feel a nagging pain in the lower abdomen, often accompanied by dizziness and vomiting.

Such cases need medical attention. Doctors prescribe the future mom a course of treatment aimed at the maintenance of pregnancy and bed rest. It helps to avoid the sad outcome.

Ectopic Pregnancy

The detachment of the fertilized egg is inevitable during an ectopic pregnancy. That’s why brown discharge during pregnancy can be one of the symptoms of this pathology. In this case, you should immediately turn to a medical expert. The sooner they make out a correct diagnosis and take necessary measures, the more chances of remaining intact your reproductive system will have.

Ectopic pregnancy is usually revealed during an ultrasound. The doctor can also assign additional tests if necessary.

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A Sign of a Disease

A lot of gynecological problems can be accompanied by brown discharge during pregnancy. Such a thing happens when a future mom has some urinary tract infection or cervical erosion. Pregnancy doesn’t stop you from falling ill. On the contrary, sometimes your immune system becomes more fragile during the gestation period. That’s why pregnancy planning, with its examinations, tests, and vaccinations, is very important.

Placenta Previa

Brown discharge during the later stages of pregnancy can be a symptom of placenta previa. It’s a complication of pregnancy when the placenta is situated close to the cervix when it lies too low. The growing uterus can break the blood vessels in the upper layers of the placenta, causing small bleeding. In such a case, it’ll help if your doctor performs an ultrasound the day you’ve had brown spotting.

The Harbinger of Childbirth

If your pregnancy is coming to an end and you’ve noticed brown excreta the most probable reason for the symptom is the loss of mucous plug. That means you need to prepare for the delivery: the labor will start soon! But we can’t tell when exactly – the process is individual. The period of time between the loss of mucous plug and going into labor can total from two hours to two weeks.

What Should you do?

In general, you can be sure about only one thing: in order not to put your health and your pregnancy at risk, you need to consult a gynecologist as soon as you’ve noticed brown discharge during pregnancy. Don’t speculate how normal the spotting is because in the majority of cases brown discharge while pregnant has nothing to do with the norm.