What do brown spotting mean

The brown blood or discharge may be the remnants of old blood that was never fully shed from your uterus the last time you had your period. If you use hormonal birth control, brown spotting may be a sign of breakthrough bleeding.

This is bleeding that occurs between periods as your body adjusts to the hormones from your birth control. You can also have spotting on other estrogen-free birth control methods, including Depo-Provera shots or hormonal intrauterine devices, such as Mirena. Brown spotting can also happen if you take birth control pills and miss a few doses.

Once you get back on schedule with your pills, the spotting should go away. Sometimes, brown spotting before your period is actually implantation bleeding. This is mild bleeding or spotting that happens when a fertilized egg implants itself in your uterus. Keep in mind that only some pregnant people experience implantation bleeding. Implantation bleeding usually happens a week or two after ovulation and resembles brown spotting. The bleeding tends to only last for a day or two. In some cases, it might be accompanied by implantation cramping.

Other symptoms of early pregnancy include:. Learn more about how long implantation bleeding lasts and when to consider taking a pregnancy test. Perimenopause refers to the period of time leading up to menopause. During this time, which can start up to 10 years before menopause, your hormones start to fluctuate. In response, you might not ovulate or menstruate as often as you once did. You might have a long, heavy period followed by a relatively light, short period.

But if you have very heavy bleeding or bleeding that occurs more often than every three weeks, follow up with your healthcare provider.

Weight Loss. United States. Presented by. Type keyword s to search. What exactly is discharge, anyway? So, why is mine brown? Amanda Becker.

You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. We also explain what is normal and when to see a doctor. Pinkish-brown discharge often occurs intermittently in the few days before a period begins because the body is preparing for menstruation.

People may also notice some pink or brown discharge toward the end of their period. This is also normal and is not a cause for concern. Irritation can cause a pink, red, or brown discharge if the cervix or vaginal canal has bled slightly.

Having sexual intercourse or placing an object inside the vagina can sometimes cause this to occur. The cervix can become irritated due to infection, exposure to chemicals, or trauma. In addition to the unusual discharge, people may experience pain during intercourse and itching. Ovulation is the process of an ovary releasing an egg. At this time, some people may notice ovulation bleeding, which is slight spotting or a very light-colored discharge containing blood.

They may also experience ovulation cramps when this occurs. People who have very light periods, called hypomenorrhea, may have a pink or brown discharge in place of a typical menstrual flow. A normal menstrual cycle takes 24—38 days, and a period generally lasts for up to 8 days.

An irregular cycle would be one that does not fit within this range. Light, irregular periods can occur for a variety of reasons, including:. Starting or switching hormonal birth control methods can cause discharge to be red, pink, or brown. Any hormonal birth control can create a hormonal imbalance, which can lead to breakthrough bleeding. Low levels of certain hormones may influence when and how the uterus sheds its lining, which may lead to spotting in the form of pinkish-brown discharge.

This spotting is common when people first begin to menstruate and when they are about to enter menopause. Many infections, including common sexually transmitted infections STIs , can cause spotting or pinkish-brown discharge. Back to Top.

In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. Early Signs of Pregnancy. View Sources. Jennifer Wu , M. How soon after chemical did you conceive?

To track or not to track ovulation. There are , active discussions happening now in our Trying to Conceive community group. Getting Pregnant. Getting Pregnant Groups.