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Bleeding during pregnancy is not uncommon, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dangerous causing problems with your pregnancy. 1 out of 4 of you during pregnancy may experience vaginal discharge.
During pregnancy, pinkish discharge can result from vaginal secretion and other factors. In addition to pink discharge in the first, second, and third trimesters, pinkish-brown discharge has a lot of significance.
What are the Reasons For Pinkish Brown Discharge During Early Pregnancy?
Light brown-pinkish discharge in pregnancy is another name for light spotting, which starts around 3 or 4 weeks. Here are some of the reasons for it. They include:
Implantation Bleeding
1 or 2 weeks after fertilisation (the egg attaches to the uterine wall), you may experience spotting or something medically known as implantation bleeding. The uterine wall is thick and filled with blood vessels and a fertilised egg attaches to the uterine wall, thus disrupting the blood vessels. Implantation bleeding is a normal part of pregnancy and is not a matter of much concern. It is brown and pink. It’s usually lighter in colour than period. You’ll notice it as a spot in your underwear or toilet paper. It lasts from a few hours to a couple of days.
Infection
After implantation bleeding, another common reason for pinkish brown discharge during the early stage of your pregnancy is the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases or infections. Gonorrhoea or chlamydia are some of them.
Intense Physical Activity
Since you’re nurturing another beautiful life inside you, physical activities like climbing stairs or carrying heavy groceries during the early stage of pregnancy can be strenuous for you. Pinkish brown discharge is the result.
Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy, also known as “tubal pregnancy” takes place when the egg fertilises and attaches outside the uterus. 1 of 60 pregnancies undergo ectopic pregnancy. In certain cases, ectopic pregnancy is the reason for your brownish-pink discharge. In this case, the blood is older, it is brownish.
Intercourse or a Physical Exam
When it comes to pelvic exams, remember that anything that pokes at or near the cervix can also cause bleeding, including having sex with your partner during the early stage of pregnancy. This aside, hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can make your cervix more sensitive- among other things.
Mucus Plug
As your body prepares for labour, the cervix begins to soften and releases mucus plug, brown-coloured discharge, when it releases.
Miscarriage
Pregnancy loss or miscarriage is a common experience in 10% to 15% of pregnancies, especially in the first trimester. A miscarriage can be associated with cramping, bleeding, and watery discharge. Studies have shown that 17% of you may have further pregnancy complications later.
Apart from these, a 2019 study has shown that one–third of women bleed during the first few months of pregnancy. The placenta not developing properly is one of the reasons for bleeding during the early stage of pregnancy.
What are the Reasons For Pinkish-brown Discharge During Second and Third-trimester Pregnancy?
As the pregnancy progresses, the baby develops and occupies the entire uterus, and is normally more serious than the bleeding in the first trimester. The reasons include:
- Inflammation or growth of the cervix can give rise to light bleeding.
- Placental complications like placental abruption (detachment of the placenta from the uterine wall before or during labour), placenta previa (placenta is low in the uterus and covers the cervix partially), and vasa previa (cervical blood vessels cross over the placenta).
- Bleeding may also mean that you’re in preterm labour. In this case, the vaginal yellow discharge is bloody, watery, and releases a mucus plug.
- The rare but life-threatening uterine rupture is caused by a scar from a previous C-section that tears the uterus open.
Pink discharge is also a part of recovery after giving birth to your baby. The lochia discharge you experience after giving birth is like a period and is made up of mucus, blood, and uterine tissue. If you notice an increase in the discharge or bleeding with other symptoms, call your doctor or go to the hospital.