In a pregnancy you may notice a brown mucus discharge. If it is your first pregnancy you may panic but there is no need to as it is quite common. The dark brown discharge during pregnancy is quite common. It is quite common to experience brown mucus discharge during pregnancy. The primary causes are increased hormonal activity, implantation bleeding, breakthrough bleeding, infections and irritation. Sometimes the brown spotting is just old blood and may not be a cause for worry. If you see a discharge, you should test your blood.
If you are worried it is the beginnings of a miscarriage, the pregnancy test will put those fears to rest.
It can also be implantation bleeding which occurs in the pregnancy first trimester. Implantation bleeding is the bleeding that occurs after the embryo has planted itself in the uterus.
It could also be breakthrough bleeding. Breakthrough bleeding is when during your pregnancy, you bleed like you would during your periods. You even have physical manifestations of a period like feeling bloated and fatigued. You will not get your period though and if the bleeding goes beyond brown spots or red spots, you should see a doctor urgently. Another cause of bleeding is the bleeding of the placenta. Abnormally placed placenta, above the pelvis and in the cervical canal, can lead to bleeding.
The brownish vaginal discharge in early pregnancy could mean a bacterial or a vaginal infection too. Increased hormonal activity leads to an increase in the amount of discharges during pregnancy. It can increase considerably but no tampons or douches should be used. You can use panty liners or sanitary napkins. Infections can cause a smelly discharge during pregnancy and you should go to a doctor to get the infection diagnosed. There are many possible infections that a pregnant woman could get. It could be candidiasis or bacterial vaginosis. There are infections that a pregnant woman can catch like trichomoniasis or Chlamydia, both of which are sexually transmitted. Treatment should be a must for both the partners. Sometimes a discharge can occur even if there just an irritation in the vaginal area. This irritation can be caused by a number of physical things like a reaction to different toiletries, wearing tight clothes or swim suits, sweating and even having sex.
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