Brown discharge in late pregnancy. Brown discharge at the end of pregnancy: causes Dark discharge at the end of pregnancy

In any female body certain changes occur during pregnancy. They are so large that they often provoke unrest among expectant mothers. In particular, brown vaginal discharge can alert a pregnant woman. However, early discharge is quite considered the norm. In the body of pregnant women, they occur due to the hormone progesterone. In turn, it ensures the growth and preservation of the fetus in the initial stages. interesting position.

Is brown discharge normal?

With the appearance of brown discharge, many pregnant women are alarmed by this phenomenon. According to gynecologists, sometimes such discharge can be the norm, sometimes a deviation. Therefore, it is better to contact a gynecologist as soon as possible to find out the cause of the appearance.

When is brown discharge considered normal?

Discharges are considered normal. Brown during pregnancy, which are odorless, at an early stage, 1-2 weeks after conception. During this period (implantation), the egg is attached to the wall of the uterus. The implantation process can proceed with a moderate amount of secretions of cream consistency from pink-beige to brown. However, if the discharge becomes dark brown, then it is imperative to contact a gynecologist. It is also possible that brown discharge may accompany the expectant mother in the next few months of pregnancy. This is due to hormonal imbalance. Sometimes it happens that a girl, unaware of the onset of pregnancy, perceives bleeding in the early stages of pregnancy as a normal early menstruation process.

Brown discharge in late pregnancy is also considered normal. This indicates the passage of the cork - the harbingers of childbirth. Some women, after the discharge of the mucous plug, begin to give birth in a few hours, others in a couple of weeks. Everything is individual.

In what cases is brown discharge during pregnancy - a deviation

Probably the first and main disappointing reason for deviations in brown discharge is abortion - miscarriage. This is due to the fact that the implanted egg separates from the wall of the uterus and passes blood, in the form of brownish secretions. They are usually accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, vomiting, dizziness and general weakness. Then the doctor prescribes strict bed rest, as well as drug treatment in order to maintain the pregnancy.

  • The second reason is an ectopic pregnancy.

It, unfortunately, is accompanied by bloody discharge from the vagina. Such disappointing symptoms occur due to the rejection of the egg. In the female body, completely unfavorable processes occur: nausea, weakness, pain in the abdomen. Then the count goes on for minutes. You need to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible. Then there are more chances to get pregnant again in the future. An ectopic pregnancy is determined by ultrasound, and only then an operation is prescribed.

  • The third reason for the deviation is the "abstraction" or "previa" of the placenta.

At a later date of interest, the identification dark brown discharge, which is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, may indicate placental abruption or placenta previa. This can happen due to the relatively close placement of the placenta to the uterus. In this case, the placenta is located low, therefore, the integrity of the vessels of the top of the placenta is violated, which provokes brown bleeding during pregnancy. The causes of placenta previa can be: the fall of the expectant mother, abdominal trauma and others.

Other causes of brown discharge during pregnancy

These can be infectious or inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system. For example, cervical erosion can be accompanied by unpleasant bloody discharge. Therefore, already at the stage of pregnancy planning, you need to try to cure such diseases.

Problem solving

Be that as it may, if the expectant mother has bloody brown discharge during pregnancy, there is no need to guess whether this is a pathology or not. Doctors still say that any brown discharge when carrying a child cannot be normal. You should urgently seek advice from a specialist gynecologist. If the discharge is abundant, then you need to call an ambulance. Before the arrival of the team of doctors, you need to be in a prone position.





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The appearance of unusual discharge during pregnancy always causes anxiety in a woman. Brown color indicates the presence of blood impurities, which suggests the occurrence of a pathology that threatens health problems and the loss of a child. However, these secretions are often natural. Their appearance is associated with the peculiarities of physiology. But this symptom should not be ignored. Indeed, at any stage of pregnancy, signs of its unfavorable course or the occurrence of diseases that require medical assistance may appear.

Implantation bleeding. It appears in the first weeks of pregnancy in connection with the introduction of a fertilized egg into the mucous membrane of the uterine cavity. Minor damage occurs blood vessels. Therefore, at 1-2 weeks of pregnancy, blood impurities may appear in the discharge, which gives them a light brown tint. The consistency of such secretions is creamy, there is no smell and irritating effect on the skin. They occur once, the brown tint disappears after a few hours.

Menstrual bleeding. Scanty reddish-brown discharge in some women occurs during pregnancy on the days when they usually had their period. It's connected with individual characteristics hormonal changes. Such discharge sometimes appears up to the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. At the same time, the woman takes them for menstruation, unaware of her position.

Brown discharge at the end of pregnancy. They appear as a result of the discharge of mucus, which creates a protective plug in the cervix. This period is characterized by the presence of abundant liquid white discharge in a woman. When the cork is released, drops of blood from the uterus, in which the fetus is actively moving, enter them. Usually, such discharge indicates the possibility of a close birth.

Pathological discharge during pregnancy by trimester

Much more often, brown discharge appears during pregnancy due to various pathologies. Therefore, you should definitely consult a doctor, especially if you have symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, pain in the lower back or lower abdomen, fever, increased bleeding. The causes of the pathology can be a violation of the course of pregnancy, as well as diseases that arose earlier or directly during this period.

First trimester of pregnancy

Possible pathologies of pregnancy, complicating its course.

Threat of miscarriage due to detachment gestational sac. This situation occurs if the production of progesterone in the body is too low. At the same time, the thickness of the endometrium is insufficient to hold the fetal egg, it can exfoliate even before the formation of the placenta, and the pregnancy will be terminated. A sign of exfoliation is a weak or moderate brown discharge with mucus impurities. A woman feels a pulling pain in the lower abdomen, nausea and vomiting may occur. It is most often possible to save a pregnancy if the woman is provided with immediate medical care.

When these symptoms appear, you need to call an ambulance. Before her arrival, you should lie down, keeping as calm as possible. The patient is hospitalized. If the diagnosis is confirmed, she is prescribed treatment with progesterone preparations (Utrozhestan, for example), and bed rest is prescribed.

Ectopic pregnancy. This is a condition in which the fetal egg, not reaching the uterine cavity, is attached to the wall fallopian tube and starts to develop. The danger is that the tube may rupture, resulting in deadly internal bleeding. Even if it is possible to cope with it, there is a possibility of later difficulties with conception, since the tube will be removed.

The presence of such a pathology is indicated by the appearance of dark brown discharge, pulling pain in the lower abdomen from the side of the tube in which the embryo develops. The only way to get rid of the danger is to remove the fetal egg surgically.

Note: The embryo can attach in the cervix and even outside the organ, in the abdominal cavity, which is also manifested by painful sensations and bloody discharge, ends in a miscarriage or requires surgical removal of the fetus.

Bubble drift. This is the name of a rare pathology of pregnancy, the cause of which is a chromosomal failure that causes a violation of the formation of the placenta. Partially or completely, it is replaced by a tumor consisting of many cysts (vesicles) filled with fluid. Most often, the fetus dies in the 2nd trimester. In rare cases, when the hydatidiform drift is partial, the pregnancy is not interrupted, the woman manages to give birth to a healthy child.

The tumor can spread to the muscle tissue of the uterus. There is a possibility of bubbles getting into the vagina, entering them through the blood into other organs (in the lungs, for example). Pathology of pregnancy can lead to cancer.

In brown discharge with such an anomaly, bubbles can be seen. The woman has high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting and headache appear.

To confirm the diagnosis, an ultrasound is performed, which makes it possible to study the condition of the placenta and fetus. A blood test is also done for the content of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). With such a pathology, its content is much higher than usual.

With a small size of the tumor, it is sometimes possible to remove it, preserving the fetus. In this case, a woman can give birth to a normal child. But most often it is necessary to remove not only the tumor along with the fetus, but the entire uterus in order to prevent the appearance of metastases. If the uterus is preserved and its condition returns to normal, after 1-2 years, a normal pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby are possible.

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Second trimester of pregnancy

The cause of the appearance of brown discharge during pregnancy at this time is usually the incorrect location (previa) of the placenta or its partial detachment.

If presentation is observed, then the placenta partially blocks the exit to the cervix. The appearance of bloody impurities leads to damage to blood vessels as a result of pressure exerted on the tissues by a growing fetus. It can pinch larger vessels, which will lead to oxygen starvation. If there is a threat of such complications, a caesarean section is required, since the birth of a child in a natural way is impossible.

With placental abruption, the intensity of brown discharge depends on the degree of development of the pathology. They can be both smearing and plentiful. The woman experiences a pulling pain in the uterus. This condition is dangerous not only by the occurrence of bleeding in the expectant mother, but also by the abnormal development or death of the fetus. The blood flow and its supply with the necessary beneficial substances and oxygen.

Placental abruption can be triggered by the following factors:

  • the presence of scars in the uterine cavity after abortion or surgery;
  • a small length of the umbilical cord, which stretches as the fetus grows;
  • abdominal bruises during pregnancy;
  • violation of blood supply in the uterus in women suffering from hypertension.

Often this pathology of pregnancy occurs in women who smoke.

It is impossible to eliminate placental abruption. To preserve the health of the mother and save the fetus, a caesarean section is performed. If the detachment is small, the condition of the mother and the unborn baby is satisfactory, they try to do the operation at 30-36 weeks, when the fetus is quite viable. If this is not possible, a caesarean section is done earlier.

Third trimester of pregnancy

Brown discharge of a pathological nature may appear as a result of an injury to the abdomen of a pregnant woman or diseases of the genital organs. Accordingly, either artificial delivery or drug therapy is carried out strictly according to the doctor's prescription. Typically, treatment chronic diseases postponed to the postpartum period.

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Diseases in which brown discharge appears

Such diseases can exist in a woman before pregnancy. They can also appear at any time after its onset.

Infections and inflammatory processes

A characteristic phenomenon during pregnancy is the weakening of the immune system. In this way, conditions are created in the body for the impossibility of rejection of the fetus. At the same time, its vulnerability to infection increases. Therefore, during pregnancy, brown discharge often appears due to exacerbation or the occurrence of infectious and inflammatory processes in the genitals. These can be diseases, the causative agents of which are sexually transmitted, processes resulting from dysbacteriosis. As a rule, the brown discharge associated with such diseases has a strong bad smell. They are accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen. There is irritation of the external genitalia, itching and pain in the vagina.

Since infection of the fetus is possible, the consequence of which is a violation of its development, health problems in the future, and even intrauterine death, treatment is mandatory. At the same time, preparations and dosages are carefully selected in order to cause the body of the unborn child as little harm as possible.

A warning: Doctors warn that even at the stage of pregnancy planning, you need to take care of your health, undergo an examination for infections in the body, and recover from infectious and inflammatory diseases.

Tumors and cysts of the ovary

Such neoplasms, if they are small in size, rarely show any symptoms, so they often go unnoticed. Bloody discharge that appeared during pregnancy may be a sign of their increase or formation against the background of changes in hormonal levels.

If the observation shows that the neoplasm is small and does not pose a threat to the life of the mother and fetus, treatment is delayed. Therapy hormonal drugs carried out when there is a tendency for tumor growth. With the threat of twisting of the leg, rupture of the cyst, compression of the uterus and neighboring organs, the tumors are removed by sparing surgical methods.

uterine fibroids

The presence of myomatous nodes in the uterine cavity always leads to light bleeding and pain in the pelvic area. As a rule, fibroids increase slightly during pregnancy, which does not pose a threat to the development of the fetus and the health of the mother. With the help of ultrasound, the state of the uterus is constantly monitored. Childbirth is carried out by caesarean section. At the same time, myomatous nodes are also removed. Then treatment with hormonal drugs is carried out to prevent the recurrence of such a tumor.

Cervical erosion

In the presence of erosion in a pregnant woman, weak brown discharge may appear due to trauma to the damaged surface of the cervix during intercourse or examination on a chair using gynecological instruments.

The most effective method of treatment is cauterization of erosion. However, scarring often prevents the use of such methods for the treatment of pregnant women. In addition, manipulation can provoke a miscarriage. Therefore, either local treatment with the use of ointments or suppositories, or treatment is carried out after childbirth.

The body of a pregnant woman is vulnerable to any adverse factors that can interfere with the normal bearing and birth of a baby, disrupt its development. Therefore, when brown discharge appears, one should not wait or rely on the advice of ignorant people. Better to be safe and visit a doctor.


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

Main reasons

Brown discharge before childbirth can occur for the following reasons:

  • Gynecological examination on the chair;
  • having sex;
  • Removal of the mucous plug.

Gynecological examination

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

At 38-39 weeks of pregnancy, an obstetrician-gynecologist must examine a woman on a chair to determine her readiness for childbirth. A softened and ajar neck can be easily injured, as a result of which, during the examination, spotting of various colors (red, brown) in a small amount may appear. It is also possible the appearance of smearing and within 2-3 hours after the examination. Such secretions do not pose any danger to the further course of pregnancy, on the contrary, they can be considered a favorable sign indicating the readiness of the body for childbirth.

having sex

information During pregnancy, subject to its normal physiological course, you can have sex, but you should be careful about choosing positions, especially in the later stages.

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

Removal of the mucous plug

Before childbirth, brown discharge can also appear as a result of the discharge of a mucous plug, which closes the lumen of the cervix throughout the pregnancy, thereby protecting the child from exposure to various microorganisms.

It can depart at different times before the onset of labor: in some cases, contractions begin in just a couple of hours, and sometimes childbirth begins only after 2 weeks.

additionally It should be noted that when the cork 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 childbirth will begin in the near future.

When to see a doctor

If brown discharge appeared as a result of the situations described above, then they do not require an emergency referral to an obstetrician-gynecologist, however, it should be understood that a “daub” 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 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 ​​ajar and microorganisms can easily enter the uterine cavity;
  • The appearance of bloody discharge is not brown or brown, but has a bright red color. Such a “daub” may indicate serious complications of pregnancy: premature detachment of a normally located or placenta previa;
  • Profuse 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. When such secretions appear, a woman should immediately call an ambulance (in no case should she get to the maternity hospital on her own);
  • Discharge from the genital tract of any color and in any quantity, accompanied by a deterioration in well-being or the occurrence of cramping and aching pain in the lower abdomen or in the lumbar region. These symptoms, first of all, can talk about the development of labor activity.

Hygiene before childbirth

Of course, any woman should carefully observe personal and sexual hygiene, but in particular, this should be taken seriously before the upcoming birth.

By the end of pregnancy, the cervix opens slightly, the mucous plug leaves, and therefore the risk of penetration of infectious agents into the uterine cavity, and, accordingly, to the child, 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 life;
  • 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 it for good reason. Shaving should be done for a number of reasons:

  • Hygiene. After childbirth, a woman begins to profuse spotting, and therefore hygiene should be monitored very strictly to prevent infectious complications;
  • Perineum control during childbirth. During the eruption of the baby's head, the midwife carefully monitors the condition of the perineum to prevent its rupture. Hairline will greatly hinder this;
  • Closure of tears. In childbirth, perineal incisions are often made to release the exit to the child. 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).

Sanitation of the vagina

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

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

Refusal of sexual activity

Many women believe that having sex is favorable before childbirth, because. accelerate the preparation of the body for the birth of a child. Of course, this is true, because due to the prostaglandins contained in the semen, the cervix begins to soften and open faster, but still it should be remembered that the risk of infection in this moment very large. You should not risk your health and the health of your child.

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

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

Pregnancy is an exciting and sometimes unpredictable time. Especially her recent weeks. A woman is waiting for a meeting with a baby, preparing for her mentally and physically. It is at this time that brown discharge may appear.

In order not to introduce a simple infection through small wounds, which can occur with insufficient hygiene, and is dangerous for a woman due to a decrease in immunity, a condom should be used.

The reasons for their appearance are varied and deserve careful consideration.

sloppy husband

Many couples continue their intimate life right up to the very birth. However, a few weeks before them, the cervix becomes looser, softer, as it prepares to open.

Sometimes the last weeks a woman walks with a slightly open neck. In such a situation, even the slightest negligence can provoke the formation of brown discharge during pregnancy. They usually face pain. Allocations last 1-2 days and are meager.

District gynecologist

A gynecologist who conducts an examination can also have a mechanical effect on the cervix. He probes the level of uterine opening with his fingers, involuntarily causing the formation of small lesions. Three to four hours after such an examination, brown discharge may appear at the end of pregnancy. They are not dangerous for the baby and go away on their own in a couple of days.

Mucus plug

An exciting moment for every woman is the passage of a mucous plug, which is a brown discharge during pregnancy, but can also be beige, transparent with bloody streaks, yellow or pink. It is worth suspecting this particular reason when the listed reasons, as well as physical activity did not have.

The cork leaves a few hours, a few days before the birth. But there are cases when a woman observed this phenomenon a week or more before the birth of a baby. Or I didn’t see the cork at all, since it came out right before the outpouring of water.

AT this case the nature of brown discharge at the end of pregnancy is difficult to confuse with anything else. The volume of cork does not exceed two tablespoons, has a thick consistency. And sometimes the cork leaves with a loud “smacking” sound.

What to do? If there is no more than a week left before the expected birth, the state of health is normal and nothing worries, you can start going to the hospital. If something worries and excites a woman, then the discharge should be reported to the doctor. In both cases, you should not be zealous with home preparation, bath procedures and intimate life. It's time to relax and collect your thoughts.