The beginning or end of your period The flow of blood is slower at the start and end of your period, meaning it takes longer to exit your body. The longer it sits in your body, the more time it has to oxidize, causing it to turn brown. In some cases, brown blood could even be left over from your previous period.
“The primary reason that period blood could be brown is because it's old blood,” said Dr. Cummings. It usually happens at the beginning or the end of your period, when your flow is lighter. Because the longer blood takes to leave the body, the longer it has to oxidize (read: get exposed to oxygen), which makes it dark.
Blood changes from the standard bright red menstrual blood to brown blood or discharge when it has had time to oxidize. Brown period blood is usually normal, but there are a few cases that may require evaluation by your physician.
When there is no pregnancy, brown discharge may be caused by: old blood leaving the uterus a few days after the end of a period. a period just beginning to start, where the flow is very light. ovulation spotting, which may be pinkish-brown.
Brown discharge or light spotting that never turns into a normal period flow could be implantation bleeding, which is an early sign of pregnancy. Typically, implantation bleeding happens between 10 and 14 days after conception. It can resemble a very light period, or may be more pinkish-brown in color.
About one to two weeks after a fertilized egg attaches to your uterine lining (which occurs during ovulation), you may notice some pink or brown blood from implantation bleeding. If you have recently had unprotected sex and have brown discharge instead of a period, it's definitely a smart move to get a pregnancy test.
Bleeding during miscarriage can appear brown and resemble coffee grounds. Or it can be pink to bright red. It can alternate between light and heavy or even stop temporarily before starting up again. If you miscarry before you're eight weeks pregnant, it might look the same as a heavy period.
The cervix is fairly sensitive, so anything from a slightly careless pelvic examination to vigorous bedroom antics can be causes of brown discharge. Stress and depression can cause the lining of the uterus to thin, and parts of it to come away at unexpected times.
As an early sign of STDs, brown vaginal discharge is most commonly associated with chlamydia, gonorrhea, and genital warts.
Some women experience brown discharge for a day or two after their period ends. Others have brown discharge that comes and goes for a week or two. It really just depends on how well your uterus sheds its lining and the speed at which it exits your body. Everyone is different.
Ovarian Cysts Can Cause Brown Vaginal Discharge
Some women are never aware that they have an ovarian cyst, for others, it can cause pelvic pain and irregular bleeding that can appear brown when discharged along with regular vaginal fluids.
You know how long and heavy your typical period is. During a miscarriage, bleeding gets heavier and lasts longer than a period. As your cervix starts to dilate, cramping may become more painful than typical period cramping.
Most miscarriages happen during the first trimester, which is the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. If you're not tracking your menstrual cycle or fertility, it's possible to mistake an early miscarriage for a period.
Menstruation. Brown spotting is often just sign of ovulation or your actual period starting.
There can be very light discharge for several days after the period ends. Use of Contraceptives or Hormonal Birth Control can also cause brown vaginal discharge. The uterine lining gets thinner if the female uses hormonal birth control. This condition may result in mild brown discharge even when there is no period.
You may be losing your mucus plug if you're further along in your pregnancy, (anywhere from 36 to 40 weeks) and notice an increase in discharge that's brownish, pink, or even slightly green-tinged. As your body gets ready to go into labor, it's common for your cervix to soften and release the mucus plug.
Vaginal bleeding is the most common symptom of miscarriage. This varies from light spotting or brown discharge, to a heavy bleed that may be heavier than a normal period. Light bleeding before 12 weeks (during your first trimester) of pregnancy can be quite common and is not always a sign of miscarriage.
Bleeding that occurs during a miscarriage doesn't always look the same. It can be light pink or red, brown or black and grainy, or even look just like a normal period.
Often, a woman can have an extra heavy menstrual flow and not realize it's a miscarriage because she hadn't known she was pregnant. Some women who miscarry have cramping, spotting, heavier bleeding, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, weakness, or back pain.
Many women have a miscarriage early in their pregnancy without even realising it. They may just think they are having a heavy period. If this happens to you, you might have cramping, heavier bleeding than normal, pain in the tummy, pelvis or back, and feel weak.
Bleeding Due to Miscarriage
During a "normal" miscarriage, vaginal bleeding is usually heavier than a typical menstrual period and flow may contain tissue.
Infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may lead to brown spotting or bleeding. Some infections, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, may not cause symptoms in the early stages.
Endometriosis can sometimes cause brown-tinted discharge from trapped endometrial tissue that's unable to shed. Atypical bleeding patterns that accompany endometriosis can also cause brown discharge.