Brown Stringy Discharge before Period or While Pregnant

In early pregnancy, brown discharge is not considered to be an unusual occurrence. Even though there are many women worldwide worry that a brown stringy discharge may be an indication that they have a pregnancy related problem; there is no need for worry, as there exist many reasons why this could take place.

According to HealthLine, there is a need for a woman to mention any discharge or spotting that is noted to their physician. However, in the case of the brown stringy discharge, there are many reasons why this could happen. In this article we are going to dig deeper into some of these causes, as well as look at what can be done to reduce and relieve some of its symptoms.

Is Brown Stringy Discharge A Sign Of Early Pregnancy?

As a woman, there are many instances when you may notice a brown discharge coming from your private parts. Even though it is bound to be alarming during the initial days, it is likely a normal sign that should not be a cause for alarm. Women all over the world have experienced this particular condition in their reproductive systems during different phases of their lives.

For many, it is not an indication that there is something wrong with their bodies or with their reproductive systems. In case it occurs when you are having your menstrua cycle rather than getting your normal period, or if this discharge comes accompanied by numerous other symptoms, this is definitely an indication that things are not alright.

The moment you experience a brown stringy discharge that has been accompanied by numerous other symptoms, you will need to ensure that you visit your doctor to obtain a complete physical examination that is meant to confirm whether there is something wrong with the body.

Dark brown stringy discharge before period/Brown stringy discharge instead of period

If you notice a brownish color in your discharge, this may be an indication that blood is present in your normal vaginal discharge. Normally, blood is red in color, but as it gets older, it starts to turn into color brown. Fresh blood is always reddish in color, however, blood that is older could slightly be blackish or brownish in appearance.

The appearance of the brown color merely means that this blood may have taken longer than is normal for it to leave your body. In many instances, you will find that even after a physical exam has been carried out, you will be found to be completely fine. For many gynecologists, they believe that the brown color is not an indication that there is a problem with your flow, unless it has become so heavy that it requires the use of pads, which need to be changed regularly.

When you notice:

1. Brown stringy discharge at the start of your period
2. Slightly black discharge at the end of your period

You have nothing to stress about as this is deemed to be completely fine. The brown color in your blood that you have started to notice is nothing more than the leftover blood from your last menses, which has occurred during the beginning of your new periods.

When noted as the cycle is coming to an end, it means that this may be the remnants of the current menstrual cycle. However, there is a need to note that brown discharge caused by your monthly periods will never at any one point be stretchy or stringy. If it appears to be stringy or stretchy, then book an appointment with your physician as soon as possible. Why is this the case?

1. A pelvic exam as well as a pap smear will need to be carried out in a bid to establish what is causing the problem to occur
2. There are cases where an ultrasound could be needed in order to determine what could be causing the problem, if the earlier results were not conclusive

Brown stringy discharge during 6, 8, 9, 10 weeks of pregnancy

As was mentioned earlier, you have to make sure that your physician knows about any brown stringy discharge that occurs when you are pregnant. Spotting is one of the primary causes for implantation bleeding.

Even though not many women get to notice implantation bleeding, there are those that will have this kind of discharge a few hours immediately after the fertilized egg has been embedded in the uterine walls. This particular kind of spotting happens to be pink, brown, or red in color. In certain cases, you will find that this is the first sign to show that a woman has indeed become pregnant. Bleeding (implantation) can occur at any time within the first fourteen days after conception has taken place.

Additional brown discharge attributed to pregnancy is the one that is related to growth, development, and stretching of the uterine walls, as well as the surrounding cells and tissue. With time, your uterus will start to change its shape and size, and this is meant to provide more space to accommodate the fetus that is developing inside the woman. As such, you will find that slight bleeding will most likely take place. Given that the type of bleeding associated with this condition is not in any way part of any active flow, the resulting blood is bound to be light brown in color when it is exiting your body.

Spotting as an indication of complications (pregnancy related)

In certain cases, you will find that the brown discharge is an indication that your pregnancy could be experiencing some problems. If the spotting does not end within a few days, or it increases in heaviness, or you find that it has become reddish in color, the ideal thing to do will be ensure that you consult your physician immediately.

Spotting can be used to indicate complications such as:

1. Miscarriage

According to researchers at Oxford University, they believe that close to twenty percent of all pregnancies often result in a miscarriage. Their studies have shown that there are cases where a miscarriage can take place even without the woman getting to know about it, or even realizing that she was pregnant to begin with. In such a case, this spotting will appear as though it is a light period. Apart from spotting, other indications of a miscarriage are:

1. Heavy red flow
2. Cramping

2. Ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy has been known to pose serious risks to the mother. Traditionally, it occurs when an egg that was fertilized gets implanted in the fallopian tube instead of the normal location (uterus). When the embryo starts to develop, the fallopian tube becomes unable to accommodate the growth that is taking place.

It is something that may lead to the fallopian tube becoming raptured, and in the process causing unexpected bleeding and pain for the expectant mother. Unfortunately for the mother, there is no way for the ectopic pregnancy to be saved. But, with early treatment, the ectopic pregnancy can be rectified to ensure that permanent damage does not occur, which may lead to infertility in the future.

3. Additional causes

There are other infections that may occur in your reproductive organs, which may lead to spotting. Such infections include:

1. Chlamydia
2. Vaginal dryness has also been known to increase the likelihood of spotting after a woman has engaged in intercourse
3. It can also be caused by medical issues that could be completely unrelated to pregnancy e.g. gall bladder infections

What else can cause a stringy discharge?

Typically, stringy discharge will normally occur during certain phases in a woman’s menstrual cycle. When it occurs in between her periods, this means that ovulation has already taken place. Once the egg is released, the body will try to create an environment that is ideal for fertilization to take place. This stringy discharge will normally appear in a bid to make it easy for the male sperm to reach the woman’s egg. Additionally, the woman is bound to notice an increase in the total amount of cervical mucus that is present.

Ovulation will in many cases take between twelve and eighteen days after the last menstruation cycle for it to occur. For a majority of women, they do not notice any signs that could show that ovulation has indeed taken place. In other instances, they could:

1. Develop a stretchy/ stringy discharge
2. Breast tenderness
3. Stomach cramps

In addition to ovulation, your sex life could also be the reason why you are experiencing this type of discharge. When you become aroused, it becomes natural for the discharge to increase. However, there is a high likelihood that the consistency and color of your discharge could change depending on the kinds of lubricants that you are accustomed to using. When using lubricants, there is a possibility that you may as well experience an allergic reaction, which could cause a change in the color and texture of this discharge. When allergic reactions are present, there is also a possibility that the woman may develop itching or redness in the area surrounding her vaginal area—which could be accompanied by a foul odor.

Sex and ovulation have both been known to increase the chances of your discharge being temporarily stringy. This is when a woman is likely to notice a discharge that is either whitish or clear in color. With time, it could turn yellow, but it will generally not appear brown.

According to WebMD, the appearance of the brown discharge should be seen to mean that the woman has deoxygenated blood in her body, and hence the need to determine what is causing the breakthrough bleeding. You may have to track when the changes occur during the menstrual cycle in order to provide your physician with accurate information pertaining to the bleeding.

Additional factors known to cause a brown, stringy discharge include:

Dysmenorrhea and menometrorrhagia

These are two disorders that have been known to cause prolonged bleeding as well as extreme pain for the woman. When the woman notices blood clots and pain, she is advised to make sure that she sees her doctor as soon as possible, as either of the two conditions could be the causing factors.

Brown discharge before the start of menstruation

Before a teenage girl can have her first period, she is likely to experience a brownish discharge that is accompanied by stringy or stretchy clots. It is something that comes about due to the fact that the young teenage female body is preparing to begin menstruating. Before her body has developed a menstrual cycle that is consistent, there is a likelihood that she will have:

1. Missed or brown stringy periods
2. Irregular periods
3. Stretchy periods instead of regular periods

STIs (sexually transmitted infections)

Any person who is currently sexually active will run the risk of contracting a disease that is sexually transmitted. You increase your chances of getting such an infection when you fail to use protection when engaging in sex. Some of the indications that are known to accompany sexually transmitted infections include:

1. Itching
2. Pain
3. Abundant brown discharge
4. Burning sensations
5. Foul odors

If you have any or all of these symptoms, there will be a need to make sure that you get a blood test and a pap smear from your primary physician. In case the results of the sexually transmitted disease turn out to be positive, there will be a need to notify your partner(s) and ensure that you they get tested and treated as well.

Gynecological conditions

There are certain conditions e.g. hormonal imbalances, bacterial infections, uterine fibroids, uterine polyps, and yeast infections may also cause the woman to experience a brown, stringy discharge. When a woman is unable to establish what is causing the discharge to occur, then she will need to get in touch with the physician to ensure that they go through the symptoms, and the conditions that could be associated with the symptoms that are being experienced.

Ovulation

As was mentioned earlier, stretchy discharge is normal when a woman is ovulating. The discharge will normally appear like egg whites, which should appear white or clear in color. There are women who will normally experience some slight spotting when they are ovulating—as such, the appearance of a slight brown color should be deemed to be normal. This is unless the discharge is accompanied a burning sensation or pain. If any of these two symptoms, together with a foul odor are not noticed, this means that you should not have anything to worry about, as it could be nothing more than ovulatory bleeding taking place.

Implantation bleeding

When the female egg is fertilized, it begins travelling towards the uterus, where it should then be implanted along the woman’s uterine walls. During the implantation phase, you will find that the woman could start to experience a slight bleed because the uterine wall will be shed when the egg is implanted in the uterus. In such a case, the spotting will be considered to be perfectly normal. The only time that you should become worried would be when you notice severe bleeding or when you get a brown discharge that is stringy when you are still in your initial trimester. As indicated above, this kind of bleeding is common with ectopic pregnancy, which may lead to a missed miscarriage or a threatened abortion.

Discharge occurring in late pregnancy

If you notice spotting during your final trimester, it can only mean one thing—that your pregnancy is finally in its final stages. In the event that you are an expectant mother, and you notice a sticky or stringy discharge, which comes out in the form of a clump, it will mean that your mucus plug has finally been passed.

The passage of the mucus plus is an indication that your labor is imminent, and it may begin within the next coming days. Normally, you will notice that this discharge from your mucus plug will appear to be pinkish, light brown, or reddish in color. Additionally, this discharge could be seen when a woman starts her labor, and this will immediately be after her water has broken.

Worldwide, many women believe that when their water breaks, they will notice a big rush of water coming from their vaginal area. But, this is not the case, as when the water breaks, the woman will normally experience a process that is much slower, but one, which will also be much consistent. If you suspect that your water could have broken, you are advised to get in touch with your physician as soon as possible.

However, there is a need to understand that not all pregnancy related discharge is an indication that your labor has started. There are cases where complications or late-term miscarriages could be taking place. As such, there is a need to ensure that all any unusual discharge and unusual symptoms get evaluated by your physician, allowing for a good diagnosis to be made, which would then allow for an intervention measure to be executed.

References;

1. http://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Possible_Signs_of_Miscarriage
2. https://mygynecologist.net/causes-of-brown-stringy-sticky-jelly-like-discharge/
3. http://www.medhealthdaily.com/brown-stringy-discharge/
4. https://mygynecologist.net/brown-stringy-discharge-6-possible-causes/
5. https://www.checkpregnancy.com/brown-discharge/