Gynecologists confirm that brown discharge during pregnancy is not at all uncommon, and far from always they are a dangerous sign. But it is imperative to visit your doctor when they appear. At least to make sure that everything is fine. When brown discharge is the norm

Between the first and second weeks after conception, many women experience a slight brownish discharge – this is the so-called implantation bleeding. During this period, the fertilized egg is attached to the uterine cavity, which can lead to minor damage to the epithelium or blood vessels.

In this case, droplets of blood mix with natural secretions and stain them. At the same time, their shade can vary from light brown to beige or pink, the consistency is creamy. Also, implantation discharge is usually odorless and not accompanied by any unpleasant sensations.

Sometimes mucous brownish discharge occurs after sex due to injury to the membrane of the internal genital organs.

Also, minor spotting during pregnancy may appear due to changes in hormonal levels. Often they occur around the time when the period was supposed to be, so the woman may not be aware of her pregnancy. In most cases, such discharge is not dangerous and does not cause discomfort.

What problems can brown discharge during pregnancy signal?

It is almost impossible to determine on your own whether brown discharge is a dangerous sign. Only a doctor can do this. Most often, with such a complaint, a woman is sent for an ultrasound scan, which will help determine whether the pregnancy is developing normally or there is a threat of interruption, abnormal development and other pathologies.

Threatened miscarriage or spontaneous abortion

If the separation of the fetal egg from the uterus begins, this is necessarily accompanied by bleeding. The color and volume of discharge can vary markedly: from a slight brownish daub to a profuse outflow of bright scarlet blood. As a rule, they have mucous inclusions and are accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, as well as nausea and sometimes vomiting. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately go to the hospital, where doctors will be able to assess the degree of danger and choose the right tactics of behavior. If the detachment is small, and the fetal egg is not affected and develops normally, preservation therapy is usually chosen. A woman is prescribed drugs based on the hormone progesterone, the lack of which can provoke miscarriages, and bed rest. This often helps to keep the pregnancy going.

If the egg has already been badly damaged or initially had developmental defects (which in most cases is the cause of a miscarriage), doctors can choose to wait and see or clean the uterine cavity from the remnants of the embryo.

Ectopic pregnancy

Sometimes dark spotting can indicate a very unpleasant diagnosis – an ectopic pregnancy. In such a situation, the fertilized cell is attached not in the uterus, but in another place, most often in the tube. The danger of this position is obvious: it is narrow and not suitable for carrying a baby. Therefore, sooner or later, either the pregnancy fails or, as it grows and develops, it breaks the fallopian tube, causing internal bleeding. This is very dangerous not only for the reproductive system of a woman, but also for her life.

Usually, in addition to discharge, an ectopic pregnancy causes other symptoms. Often women complain of severe pain in the abdomen, which can be localized in the area of ​​the affected pipe. If dangerous signs appear, you should immediately go to the hospital, where treatment will be carried out, most often surgical.

bubble skid

Another extremely unpleasant pathology is called cystic drift. The reasons for its development are not yet fully understood. It is associated with abnormalities in the chromosome set of the sperm or with double fertilization of the egg. Since it is the father’s cells that are responsible for the formation of the placenta, a tumor forms in the uterus instead, which looks like multiple cysts consisting of vesicles with fluid.

bubble skid встречается не чаще, чем раз на тысячу беременностей.

Such a pathology develops in different ways, but the chances of having a healthy child are extremely low. In addition, with complete hydatidiform drift, its tissues can penetrate into the muscle tissue and blood, causing metastases, most often in the lungs and vagina.
A characteristic symptom of this disease is spotting, which sometimes comes across bubbles. In addition, the patient may complain of nausea and vomiting, sometimes there is a headache and an increase in blood pressure. Ultrasound and hCG analysis helps to clarify the diagnosis. With cystic drift, it is very important to remove the fetus and pathological tissue in time. Occasionally, you even have to get rid of the uterus, since this pathology can provoke the development of cancer. If everything goes without complications, then after 1-2 years the woman is allowed to give birth again.

Placenta previa or abruption

Normally, the placenta is located in the bottom of the uterus (its upper part), and the baby is under it. But sometimes it is below the fetus, attaching directly above the neck. Due to such an abnormal location of the placenta, it can exfoliate a little, the integrity of its vessels is violated, which can provoke the appearance of brown discharge or even bleeding. The reasons for this phenomenon are often a fall, trauma, or even intense sexual relations. But detachment threatens not only an abnormally located placenta. Even if everything is normal, this can happen due to trauma, internal pathology or other reasons. Minor detachment practically does not threaten anything. But if the area of ​​damage to the placenta is large enough, it is dangerous both for the child, who will not receive the substances he needs, and for the mother, who may die from bleeding. Therefore, the appeal to the hospital should be immediate.

If brownish discharge appears in the last weeks of pregnancy, this may indicate the onset of labor and the passage of a mucous plug that contains streaks of blood.

Allocations with placental abruption can be different. If it is insignificant, then, most likely, the woman will notice a few brownish drops, and with significant damage, there may be severe bleeding.

Cervical erosion

Often the cause of brown spotting is cervical erosion. During pregnancy, the epithelium becomes thinner and more delicate, which leads to more frequent damage. That is why during this period women who have never had it before can meet with erosion.

Most often, this disease is asymptomatic, but sometimes after violent sex or a not very accurate examination by a gynecologist, you can notice scanty spotting. Nowadays treatment of erosion is also allowed during pregnancy – they do this with the help of local medicines, and not ancient cauterizations. But you should not postpone therapy, as this increases the risk of developing cancer.

Infections and inflammatory processes

The cause of brown discharge can be a variety of inflammations and sexually transmitted diseases. But in this case, there are other symptoms: for example, abdominal pain or itching of the genitals. In addition, the discharge often has a specific unpleasant odor. In this case, one should not think that the woman must have become infected while already pregnant. Often, the causative agents of such diseases live in the microflora of the vagina for years, without making themselves felt. During pregnancy, the immune defense is slightly reduced, which provokes the development of the disease. Sometimes old, untreated infections come back.

It is not easy for pregnant women to choose anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs, since most of them have a teratogenic effect. That is why many gynecologists recommend to be examined even before pregnancy and, if necessary, to be treated.

What can not be done when brown discharge appears?

As we have already said, when brown discharge appears during pregnancy, you should try to immediately visit a doctor, as this can be a sign of very dangerous conditions. And in no case should you:

take medications, since it is almost impossible to predict their effect on the body of a woman and the fetus;
use tampons – they can damage the mucous membrane of the vagina and cervix, which is fraught with infection, increased bleeding and difficulty in diagnosis;
douching – they disrupt the microflora of the vagina, which potentially enhances the growth of pathogenic bacteria, and can also lead to miscarriage.
Brown discharge during pregnancy is a clear reason to visit a gynecologist as soon as possible. In most cases, they are not dangerous and do not require treatment, but it is necessary to undergo an examination and make an accurate diagnosis. This will help to exclude such serious situations as the threat of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole or placental abruption, as well as start treatment in a timely manner.