Brown discharge at the end of pregnancy. Brown discharge during pregnancy: causes at different stages

Brown discharge before labor is common and means you're probably about to go into labor.

In general, any colored substances from the vagina throughout pregnancy were a frightening and alarming symptom, especially in the early stages, because they often indicated danger. The end of pregnancy and the period before childbirth changes the attitude towards such discharge and now they are no longer scary, although they can be puzzling.

Before birth, leaks are blood that has changed color (“old”), and, as a rule, they are just a small spot, usually mixed with mucus.

Gynecologists, if a pregnant woman has brown discharge, give her very little time before, they actually appear immediately before the event. Do not confuse them with bloody smudges, which may indicate danger.

There are several situations during late pregnancy that can trigger brown discharge.

Brown discharge before childbirth after examination

Throughout your pregnancy, the gynecologist tried not to disturb you during the consultation. Afterwards, you had to climb onto the gynecological chair only a couple of times - when taking tests, and routinely each visit you were not looked at like that.

But now the 37-38th week of pregnancy has come, and you will again have to remember how they are examined in a chair. The purpose of the prenatal examination is to assess the condition. If she is soft and ripe, she misses 1-2 fingers of the gynecologist, labor will most likely begin very soon, only a few days left.

During this examination, the doctor examines the condition of the cervix and inserts his fingers into the cervical canal. Such stimulation can even cause, and. Often, after examination before childbirth, brown discharge appears, usually this happens in the first hours. At the same time, and may appear, and as a result, labor may begin.

This is not at all dangerous for you or the child. If the cervix is ​​not mature, such an examination is simply not possible - it is closed, and there is nothing to worry about, but if it is already ripe, they can say they helped you, give birth soon.

Removal of the plug before childbirth

What does brown discharge mean before childbirth if there was no gynecological examination?

Throughout pregnancy, the cervix is ​​tightly closed, and the cervical canal is filled with thick mucus, which is called the mucus plug.

The ripening of the cervix is ​​accompanied by its discharge, as a rule, this occurs shortly before childbirth. If the plug has come off, there are from several days to several hours left before the birth, sometimes it comes off already with the onset of labor and then this moment can simply not be noticed.

A plug is a lump of rather thick or liquid mucus, which can have a wide variety of colors, from white, yellow to pink or brown. Its volume is quite large, 1-2 tablespoons, and of course, without knowing about this phenomenon, you may be scared.

Brown spots before childbirth during pregnancy can also be provoked with deep penetration, the reason is still the same, a plug comes out of the disturbed cervix and gives birth soon.

Brown discharge should not cause you alarm if it is not abundant, mixed with mucus, is simply an impurity in this mucus, or resembles daub. If the smudges are profuse, do not forget that there are also bleedings for quite serious reasons, then you need to consult a doctor.

Brown discharge during pregnancy is a rather dangerous phenomenon. They talk about the development of complications requiring emergency care. In the last trimester, such discharge can appear quite often, and is caused, in most cases, by physiological reasons.

Main reasons

Brown discharge before childbirth can occur for the following reasons:

• Gynecological examination on a chair;
• Having sex;
• Removal of the mucus plug.

Gynecological examination

Throughout pregnancy, the cervix should normally be tight, long and closed (maximum the tip of a finger can pass through). Closer to childbirth, the body begins to prepare for the upcoming event, and the cervix is ​​no exception: it shortens, softens, and begins to open.

At 38-39 weeks of pregnancy, the obstetrician-gynecologist must examine the woman in the chair to determine her readiness for childbirth. A softened and slightly open cervix can easily be injured, as a result of which small amounts of bloody discharge of various colors (red, brown) may appear during the examination. It is also possible that smearing may appear within 2-3 hours after the examination. Such discharge does not pose any danger to the further course of pregnancy; on the contrary, it can be considered a favorable sign indicating the body’s readiness for childbirth.

Having sex

information During pregnancy, provided that its physiological course is normal, you can have sex, but you should be careful about the choice of positions, especially in the later stages.

Careless sex can also cause brown discharge before childbirth, which may appear within 2 days after intercourse.

Removal of the mucus plug

Before childbirth, brown discharge may also appear as a result of the passage of a mucus plug, which covers the lumen of the cervix throughout pregnancy, thereby protecting the baby from the effects of various microorganisms.

It may go away at different times before the onset of labor: in some cases, contractions begin literally after a couple of hours, and sometimes labor begins only after 2 weeks.

additionally It should be noted that when the plug is rejected, the discharge may have a different color: light, pinkish, mucous with thin streaks of blood, but it is the brown discharge that indicates that labor will begin in the near future.

When to see a doctor

If brown discharge appears as a result of the situations described above, then it does not require an emergency visit to an obstetrician-gynecologist, however, it should be understood that “spotting” can also appear in a number of other cases that are dangerous for the child and the woman herself. For this reason, in any case, you should play it safe and consult a doctor, or at least contact him by phone and explain the current situation.

In some cases, you should contact your doctor immediately:

• The appearance of discharge accompanied by an unpleasant odor. This may indicate an infection, which is extremely dangerous for the child, especially at the end of pregnancy: the cervix is ​​slightly open and microorganisms can easily penetrate into the uterine cavity;
• The appearance of bloody discharge that is not brown or brown in color, but has a bright red color. Such a “daub” may indicate serious complications of pregnancy: premature detachment of a normally located or presenting placenta;
• Heavy bleeding. This situation also occurs as a result of pathology of the placenta and requires emergency care, because threatens the life of the child and mother. If such discharge appears, the woman should immediately call an ambulance (under no circumstances should she go to the maternity hospital on her own);
• Discharge from the genital tract of any color and in any quantity, accompanied by deterioration in health or the occurrence of cramping and aching pain in the lower abdomen or lumbar region. These symptoms, first of all, may indicate the development of labor.

Hygiene before childbirth

Of course, any woman should carefully observe personal and sexual hygiene, but she should take this especially seriously before the upcoming birth.

Towards the end of pregnancy, the cervix opens slightly, the mucous plug comes off, and therefore the risk of infectious agents entering the uterine cavity, and therefore the baby, increases significantly.

Hygiene rules before childbirth:

• Shaving the pubis and perineum;
• Sexual hygiene at least 2 times a day and after each act of defecation;
• Refusal of sexual activity;
• Refusal to take a lying bath and visit the pool, sauna.

Shaving the pubis and perineum

In many maternity hospitals, doctors and midwives insist on this procedure and do so not without reason. Shaving should be done for a number of reasons:

• Maintaining hygiene. After childbirth, a woman begins to have profuse bleeding, and therefore hygiene should be very strictly monitored to prevent infectious complications;
• Control of the perineum during childbirth. During the eruption of the baby's head, the midwife carefully monitors the condition of the perineum to prevent its rupture. Hair will significantly hinder this;
• Suturing ruptures. During childbirth, incisions in the perineum are often made to free the exit for the baby. During suturing of the perineum, hair can get into the wound, which interferes with the doctor and subsequently leads to infection of the wound.

Sexual hygiene

important Intimate hygiene before childbirth should be carried out especially carefully. The genitals should be washed with warm boiled water at least 2 times a day and after each act of defecation.

You can also use decoctions of medicinal disinfectant herbs (oak bark, calendula).

Vaginal sanitation

Sanitation of the vagina should be carried out only as prescribed by a doctor. During pregnancy, you should never take medications on your own, even local ones (suppositories, ointments, creams).

Closer to the 38th week, the doctor must take a smear of vaginal flora and, based on the results, prescribe local treatment. Quite often, even with a good smear, specialists prescribe prophylactic administration of suppositories to prepare for childbirth.

Refusal of sexual activity

Many women believe that having sex before childbirth is beneficial because... accelerate the body's preparation for the birth of a child. Of course, this is true, because due to the prostaglandins contained in sperm, the cervix begins to soften and open faster, but you should still remember that the risk of infection is very high at the moment. You should not risk your health and the health of your child.

Refusal to take a lying bath and visit the pool, bathhouse,

Taking a lying bath is, in general, undesirable for any stage of pregnancy, and even more so before childbirth after the mucous plug has come out. The reason for this ban is the same high risk of infectious complications.

Any unpleasant or painful symptoms should be discussed with your doctor to avoid serious problems. Vaginal discharge is most often not normal and can occur for reasons that are dangerous to the health of the mother and.

Reasons for appearance

When to go to the doctor

You should see a specialist as soon as you notice colored discharge. If they don't cause any inconvenience, that's fine, but you need to make sure that they don't. Each organism is individual in its own way, and reproductive function can be disrupted by any little thing with dire consequences.

Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, nagging or dull pain, rolling in waves, general weakness, unpleasant odor - any abnormal signs accompanying brown mucus should alert a pregnant woman, as they are fraught with loss of health.

Tubal pregnancy threatens a woman with a ruptured tube and large loss of blood, or even life, if she does not seek medical help. Another complication in this situation is infertility.

An unidentified frozen pregnancy is essentially a dead fetus in a woman’s body. The poison of a decomposing embryo can simply lead to irreversible consequences, including death.

Problems with the placenta should be diagnosed as quickly as possible: this can very likely save the unborn child. You should immediately arrange an examination with your local doctor and take a

To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor needs to describe all your sensations and symptoms, without missing a single detail. Often, the ability to save a child depends on timely seeking help.

A woman with a prescribed course of treatment is sent to a hospital under the constant supervision of specialists, after which, depending on the diagnosis, she is delivered from the burden either herself or by caesarean section with a healthy baby.

In conclusion: the healthiest pregnancy is a planned one, in which case both parents take care of their health and undergo a lot of useful consultations. In this case, the likelihood of a healthy conception, a safe gestation period, and pregnancy with a strong baby increases.

2016-03-27 11:03:00

Alena asks:

Hello, I would like to know about my problem.
In general, the menstrual cycle was normal without interruptions, it went day after day exactly according to the calendar. after menstruation, about a week later, the lower abdomen began to hurt very much, and in the middle of the cycle brown discharge began to appear, I immediately went to the pharmacy and bought a test (negative), and then the discharge began to be bloody, and then the bleeding began, not much at first, but with each During the day, I went to the doctor more and more, they prescribed suppositories and pills (they said it was some kind of inflammation), I drank them, the lower abdomen went away, but the bleeding remained the same (in principle, it was not strong), he said that I needed to go to the hospital, and sent for an ultrasound. An ultrasound scan told me that there was no inflammation.
They said that there was simply a hormonal imbalance due to stress. The endometrium is 6 mm, the structure corresponds to the proliferation phase, does not correspond to the day of the menstrual cycle, no additional formations were detected in the uterine cavity, in the conclusion of the ultrasound, no echostructural pathology of the uterus and appendages was detected. They told me to drink nettle so that the bleeding would stop. I did just that and drank nettle, although only once the bleeding went away. I was very happy, but a couple of days pass and the brown discharge starts to smear again. It’s already the end of the month and my period is due, but it’s not there. There is no pregnancy (just in case, I took a second test, also negative). see the doctor only after 4 days. I would like to know what to do and what to do?

2016-05-07 19:48:00

Katie asks:

Such situation.
At the end of January there was no period. In February there was no period - a delay of 14 days, there was some brown discharge for several days. Then the periods continued for three months. Painful, as usual. The tests gave a negative result. I went to the gynecologist, she did an examination on the chair, to put it mildly It’s doubtful, she said everything was normal and sent me for an ultrasound. There’s still a week before the ultrasound, there are no signs of pregnancy. I just always want to sleep and my stomach seems to have gotten a little better, but is hard when standing... Is it possible that I’m pregnant?

Answers Gerevich Yuri Iosifovich:

Good afternoon, is it possible that you are pregnant after your pas at the end of January? - judging by the menstruation after, tests and examination by a doctor - it is very unlikely, but an ultrasound or blood test for beta-hCG will definitely answer 100%. Is it possible that you became pregnant in the current cycle - theoretically it is not excluded, if there is a delay, take a blood test for beta-hCG, by the way, you can do it regularly, for example, once a month and know for sure that you are not pregnant or detect pregnancy at an early stage - after all you are worried/unsure/suspicious despite the lack of reason, however, you may also doubt the results of the blood test for beta-hCG! Such situation. Contact a psychologist.

2016-02-19 19:56:53

Lina asks:

Hello!
From the very beginning, my periods were unstable, and I always associated this with inflammation in winter. But now everything is not the same as always. In November, when I was expecting my period to arrive, it came in strange, very scanty brown clots. I thought that maybe I had some kind of glitch. In December they didn’t come for a very long time and I went to the gynecologist. The doctor sent me for an ultrasound to rule out pregnancy. During the ultrasound they said that there was no pregnancy and offered to do another ultrasound in a week. When a week later my period did not come for an ultrasound, I was told that the uterus had enlarged, but this was not pregnancy. They also said that the dominant follicle is not visible. The next day, normal periods arrived. They took the usual 6 days for me. (The first abundant ones then became smaller and smaller.) In January, scanty brown clots came again, and earlier than I expected my period. And then at the end of January normal periods came again. I went to the doctor again. This time to another clinic. They examined me, offered to undergo an ultrasound and take hormone tests. An ultrasound examination showed that everything was normal. But again I got strange periods in the form of brown discharge. I haven’t taken any hormone tests yet. Please tell me what I need to check and why such changes in the body are possible? For some reason, doctors do not offer any treatment options themselves.

Answers Yushchenko Tatyana Aleksandrovna:

Doctors cannot offer you any treatment options until you are fully examined. To make a correct diagnosis and select an individual treatment regimen, it is necessary to have the results of ultrasound examinations, laboratory tests (blood tests for hormones, for example), and objective examination data. Therefore, donate blood and see a doctor.

2015-01-16 08:21:23

Allah asks:

Hello! I have the same problem, from February to August of this year I drank OK, then I stopped because... I was preparing for spinal surgery, and my periods were exactly 7 days long, starting on the 7th and ending on the 14th.
In October and November, after menstruation (i.e. at the end of these months), spinal surgeries were performed. But in December, during my period, I had to undergo a small operation to clean out the hematoma, under general anesthesia. After this, I have had brown discharge for more than a month, not profuse, but causing discomfort. I went to the endocrinologist, had tests done, everything was normal, only the hemoglobin was reduced. I also went to the gynecologist, she examined me and said that everything was fine, but she prescribed an ultrasound, everything was fine there too.
My height after surgery is 160, and my weight is 41 kg. I am 22 years old, I have a son, he is 2 years old, my only pregnancy, I gave birth to him when he was 8 months old, then I was on breastfeeding and my period came exactly a year after giving birth. I started drinking OK to normalize my cycle and improve my skin condition (acne went away). Saw Jess+.
Tell me what could cause this discharge and what should I do?
And my general condition is lethargic, I practically don’t want to eat, I’m very irritable and, of course, I’m stressed because of my problem.

Answers Bosyak Yulia Vasilievna:

Hello, Allah! Brown discharge is associated with hormonal imbalance. Have you donated blood for sex hormones? What is your progesterone level? Are you taking hemostatic drugs? If yes, which ones? Anemia, lethargy, etc. are associated with bloody discharge, so it is first necessary to clearly establish the cause of its occurrence. It cannot be that everything is fine and there is discharge.

2014-06-14 19:30:00

Maria asks:

Hello, Doctor!
I am 29 years old and have no children. I have been diagnosed with miscarriage. On May 8, 2014, I had a curettage because the pregnancy froze at 4-5 weeks. The pregnancy proceeded practically without problems, a terrible chill, sometimes a tightness in the lower back, lower abdomen, especially the left side. I attributed this to the attachment of the embryo to the wall of the uterus, then to the restructuring of the uterus during pregnancy, since I visited a gynecologist and did an ultrasound - they said there were no deviations I see. I was already 8-9 weeks into obstetrics, when brown vaginal discharge began, here there are no options - in the LCD, and then hospitalization and a disastrous end to the pregnancy. Unfortunately, this is not my first pregnancy - March 25, 2013. - was my first pregnancy that ended in a forced abortion. At 4 weeks there was a threat of miscarriage, but at that time my husband and I were sick and were treated with antibiotics for a long time. We decided not to continue this pregnancy. Everything went without complications. But a month later, after curettage, he continues to sip on the lower back, lower abdomen, including the sides and even sometimes around the navel. + white discharge, in the mornings and evenings, with itching and a slight burning sensation, similar to thrush and sometimes pale pale brown. Ultrasound after curettage was done 2 times (in different places) - everything was clear and the uterus had shrunk. But I still don’t have my period; I haven’t had sex for about 3.5 months. However, my periods were already irregular. Many tests have been done, including TSH and blood coagulation, blood biochemistry, general blood count, and even ocomarkers and hemostasis - fibrinogen is slightly elevated. A smear was also taken from the vagina, but I don’t know what the result is yet. But since there is thrush, it means that not everything is going smoothly. Now the gynecologist is not doing anything - it’s too early. Starting in September there will only be a consultation with a geneticist, and a bunch of repeat tests. But how is this possible? When pain in the back, abdomen and discharge after curettage go unnoticed? Today, it’s as if menstruation began - a dirty white clot and brown blood came out, but for now that’s all that has subsided. Mild itching is present. What can I say about all this, what are my actions? I am no longer sure that I will be able to give birth at all. Thank you for your attention

2014-06-04 13:32:09

Irina asks:

Good afternoon My husband and I are 26 years old. We've been trying to get pregnant for almost a year now, but it's not working. I understand that this is not a deadline, but I want to understand what is wrong.
My main problem is irregular cycles. Usually it was from 31 to 36 days. A year and a half ago, I took Novinet as prescribed by a doctor. When they decided to conceive a child, I was examined for infections, they told me that I had chlamydia, although I donated blood for antibodies. After treatment, we re-tested using the PCR method - nothing was detected.

In terms of gynecology, we haven’t seen any more problems before, except for a slightly enlarged right ovary. I visited several doctors and different uzologists, but everyone said that there was nothing to worry about, that it was just a feature of the body. Moreover, the ovary never hurt.
And so, when they started trying to conceive a baby, the cycle began to behave even worse - for several months, periods came only on the 48th day and were very scanty. Then I started keeping a BT schedule. Everything there turned out to be even stranger. There were delays, but the tests showed negative results. Ovulation is very late. Here you can see my charts http://www.babyplan.ru/user/221840-mag88/
In the last cycle, somewhere on the 6-7th day after ovulation, my throat began to hurt terribly. Somehow it filled up and became heavy. This has never happened before, it doesn’t look like PMS. For some reason I have gained noticeable weight. There was a delay of several days, BT remained 37.1, but then dropped to 39 and at night my back began to hurt badly and my period began. Before this, there was very little dark brown discharge for two days. There were similar discharges at the end of other cycles with delays.

Now the question is: what tests do I need to undergo to find out what is wrong? Could a phase 2 hormone be the cause? Could this have been an abortion? Please advise what to do in such a situation... maybe the graphs will help in some way...

Thank you in advance for your answer!

Answers Palyga Igor Evgenievich:

Hello. Irina! Measuring basal temperature is too subjective a method; with the modern development of gynecology and pharmacy, there are accurate methods for ascertaining ovulation, for example (ovulation tests, folliculometry). Based on your description, we can suspect a hormonal imbalance, so first of all you need to donate blood for sex hormones - FSH, LH, prolactin, AMH, estradiol is given on the 2-3rd day of the menstrual cycle, progesterone on the 21st day of the menstrual cycle. After menstruation, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound scan of the pelvic organs. After receiving the results, it will be possible to speak more specifically.

2013-12-24 19:06:45

Natalya asks:

Good afternoon. 11 weeks pregnant. At 9 weeks I went to the hospital with a threat of miscarriage due to placental abruption. . underwent a course of treatment. At the final ultrasound they said everything was fine. On the last day of hospital there was brown discharge. The doctor said that this happens at the end of treatment. the remaining blood comes out. after discharge, 3 days after visiting the toilet, the discharge repeated, but more profusely. there was no pain. and it was just smashed. I would like to know if this is a new threat or remnants of past bleeding?

2013-09-07 19:39:46

Julia asks:

Hello! On July 23, 2013, I started bleeding. I mistook it for my period. It did not last long (3 days) and the discharge was brown. After this was a trip to the mountains and mountain biking (rather rocky terrain), at night severe cramping pain began in the lower abdomen and lower back, it was impossible to sleep. I took ibuprofen and a warm bath. The pain subsided, but the bleeding intensified and the blood was scarlet. Then the bleeding continued for a month, but the blood was brown. I didn’t go to the gynecologist because I already had similar long-term brown discharge. Then nothing was found (ultrasound from 05/21/2013 and smears from 05/15/2013). The doctor said that perhaps the bleeding was due to my age (I’m 43 years old) and the onset of menopause.
On August 29, 2013, severe bleeding began, and we went to the emergency room. Blood tests and an ultrasound of the pelvic organs were done. Human chorionic gonadotropic hormone (concentration 80) was found in the blood and an ultrasound showed the presence of a fertilized egg in the uterus, as well as the accumulation of a large number of blood clots in the cervix. The emergency doctor cleared the vagina of clots and said that the cervix had a very narrow lumen and he could not clear it. Since the general blood test was normal, I was sent home with a diagnosis of “Spontaneous abortion in progress” and recommended to visit a gynecologist. On August 3, I visited a gynecologist, he did a transvaginal ultrasound, said that the result of the ultrasound was not completely clear to him (he suggested the presence of an ectopic cervical pregnancy), and sent me for a second quantitative analysis of human chorionic gonadotropic hormone. The analysis showed that its concentration in the blood is falling (64 on September 3, 3013 versus 80 on August 29, 2013). A diagnosis of spontaneous abortion was made. No treatment was prescribed.
What worries me is that the bleeding does not stop. The blood is dark red with clots, mucus, and on some days there was loss of quite large pieces of tissue resembling pieces of liver.
My physical condition is not improving, strange aching and stabbing pains have appeared in my right side, in addition to pain in the lower back, my temperature has increased (37.5 °C), and weakness has appeared.
I can't see a doctor often because I live in the US and my husband's health insurance doesn't cover everything. And we are very poor...
Tell me, how long does bleeding last during a short-term miscarriage (up to 3 months), should there be pain?
Is it normal to mostly bleed and clot when going to the toilet? What means can speed up recovery? Is it possible that the pain in the right side of the abdomen is related to the liver (long-term use of ibuprofen)?
Best regards, Yulia