• Please note that if spotting does occur, it could sometimes be a miscarriage but also is a common thing during early pregnancy. The best advice is to call the doctor. If it is a miscarriage, there is nothing that can be done to save the baby before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Drink plenty of fluids and keep your feet up. Remember, only your doctor knows for sure.

• I was nine weeks into my pregnancy when I started spotting. At first it was barely noticeable; a very light pink almost nude color. That lasted for about three days and of course I was concerned and I looked for information online. Most of the information I got implied that spotting was normal. Well, I finally told my husband and he said I should check in to the emergency room being that the doctor's office was closed. I wasn't having any cramps or pains and the spotting was not any heavier. The ER doctors did both an internal and external ultrasound, twice, and both times they found that the baby had no heartbeat. The doctors said I had what was called an "incomplete abortion". The next day I experienced painful cramps which felt like contractions although I was not bleeding. Later on that night blood just started pouring out of me and that was when I had my miscarriage. So please, I do advise if you are spotting even the faintest of colors go see your doctor immediately so you can prevent something like that from happening.

• I have read through most of these incidences and in a way I feel relieved but then again I do not. I just started spotting about 10 minutes ago, and I am totally freaking out. I am super scared, and I absolutely cant wait to go to the doctor first thing in the morning. It is a very faint color, but I am cramping too. It's really nerve wracking!

• My wife had "staining" throughout the first trimester and our son is a very healthy baby. I can't tell you the amount of tears and prayers that we're offered. By staining, I mean a light pinkish discharge every day. We called the doctor, who followed up with vaginal sonograms. We learned that staining (not spotting) is not always a sign of miscarriage.

• I spotted for up to ten weeks during all of my pregnancies (3), and all the babies were fine.

• The first time that I got pregnant, I started bleeding at about one and a half months and it led to a miscarriage. This is the second pregnancy for me and at about 7 weeks I noticed light pink blood on the tissue and of course thought that it was going to happen again so I called the doctor. By the next week it had stopped. I went in for a sonogram and everything was perfect. The doctor said it may happen again next month before I would be getting my period.

• I have just found out that I am pregnant (4 weeks) and I am also experiencing spotting of a pink/brownish colour. Also I have abdominal cramps very low down. At the clinic I have had two blood tests (every other day) where my doctor checks for the HCG levels in my blood. I was told that within 48 hours the levels should double which would indicate that the baby is growing. I have an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow so hopefully he can tell me more. In the meantime I was advised to take things easy.

• I spotted around the 11th week and freaked out. After I went to the doctor, I was assured that everything was okay. They said that although it's not a *normal* thing, most of the time its okay.

• I spotted with my first child at 9 weeks. I was so afraid, so I called my doctor and he put me in the hospital for a few days, he said my placenta started to tear. I was bed rest for the remainder of my term. I had a heathly 8lb 2oz boy.

• I am sure that symptoms of pregnancy are different for everyone. Just because you have no tenderness in the chest does not mean that you are going to miscarry. If your hormone levels are good, you probably have nothing to worry about. 1 in 5 women bleeds throughout their pregnancy I heard. I would just suggest that you be sure to call your doctor with all concerns! Don't let them brush you off when you feel as though something is wrong or you want to be seen. My doctors did that to me and being my first pregnancy I just went along with them. Take charge! Remember it is your body, your baby, and the doctors are working for you! Sometimes a woman's intuition is better than years of medical school, ya know? Be sure that they check your hormone levels frequently! My understand is that the increased hormone levels cause most symptoms including breast tenderness.

• I have been told that if you have a pinkish discharge or brown not to worry, but if you have bright red bleeding then you should get in touch with your midwife straight away.

• I have been reading posts and thought I would add my experience so far. I am 8 weeks pregnant and have been staining on and off for 3 weeks and the past 6 days consecutively. I called my Dr. they checked my HCG levels and said everything looks GREAT! I have not been recommended to come in for a sono as I had one 10 days ago. They saw a heartbeat and the yolk sac.

• Unfortunately, the staining I experienced was an indication of a miscarriage. I will be scheduling a D & C tomorrow.

• I had a miscarriage at 15 weeks in my last pregnancy and bled from 6 weeks on (heavily). The doctors told me that I had a subchorionic hemorrhage, which is kind like a big blood clot in the uterus that can heal itself. As it turns out, it was actually a uterine septum that I had versus a hemotoma. I have noticed that doctors call any unexplained bleeding with clotting a subchorionic hemorrhage, but in reality there could be other reasons for it, as in my situation. I had the septum taken out. I am currently 6 weeks pregnancy, and have noticed very faint light brown spotting.

• I have read that low progesterone is responsible for spotting before periods as well as miscarriages and that implantation bleeding does not usually last longer than 1-3 days.

• During my second pregnancy, I had a small clot of blood and some red bleeding in the 4th month (one time, after a straining bowel movement) and got scared since I had lost my first pregnancy to miscarriage. Went to the ER and they heard the hearbeat and all was well. I had a healthy baby boy.

• A lot of times spotting is perfectly normal. However, you should always check with your doctor. Sometimes it's not.

• I am 12 weeks pregnant and yesterday i had a few very small brown spotting. I called the doctor and he told me not to worry if it's brown, especially because i don't have any pain. My next ultrasound is next Tuesday... but I'm a bit scared...
• I'm about 7 weeks pregnant and had some pinkish/brownish spotting last night. I freaked out and was so upset. The clinic I went to this week told me that many women experience spotting, that if I do, not to call, because it's nothing to worry about...easier said than done... I called my sister, who's had 3 healthy babies, and she said that it might be nothing, but it might be something bad, and there was not much I could do. I then called my brother, who, lucky for me, is an OB/GYN, and he told me pretty much the same thing. If it's bright red, and accompanied by cramps, it is much more alarming, but even if not, it could mean something serious. The hardest thing for me is that he also said that there's nothing I can do or not do right now that will affect the outcome. The only thing (as some others mentioned) is to get an ultrasound and see if you can see a heartbeat. There isn't much you can do but "try not to worry, even though it's hard," (thanks, bro!). I feel fine today and the spotting seems to have stopped. I am paranoid and keep checking every 30 minutes. My sister said she's known women with whom spotting was not a sign of anything abnormal and women for whom it was. Pretty much, it's nerve-racking and terrifying and something that just needs time to see.
• I miscarried in October at 6 weeks. I am now 6 weeks pregnant again and have some light spotting. It is mostly brownish, although last night I noticed it was pink (today back to brown). I'm hoping every thing will be ok. Reading other comments is helping me stay calm.

• I'm 9 weeks and a half pregnant and having brown stains on and off now for the past week. I went to the hospital since it's always advisable to go see a doctor immediately because having blood during pregnancy is never normal... as they say. The doctors made an ultrasound and we saw the heartbeat. Apparently, it is quite common having brown stains during the first trimester of pregnancy.

• I started having light brown spotting during my 5th week of pregnancy. After 2 days of the spotting I got very worried and went to get an ultrasound. The doctor said it was too early to see anything and to get my HCG levels tested. That evening the spotting started turning bright red and that's when I knew I would miscarry. It was very heartbreaking. I do have 2 children but was still so excited to be pregnant with another. We will be waiting a couple of months and then we'll try again.

• HOLY HEMORRHAGE!! I got pregnant while using an inter-uterine device (IUD) which is a form of birth control made out of flexible plastic and contains either copper or hormones which is supposed to protect you from becoming pregnant anywhere from 5 to 12 years. PFFT!!!! I was 6 weeks pregnant with my IUD still in place, when one night I woke up in the middle of the night to use the washroom. As soon as I sat down on the toilet, a gush of blood came out with two clots in it. I called a local 24-hour nurse hotline who recommended I present to Emergency immediately. I was admitted the second I presented, given an IV, a portable ultrasound and prepared for a D&C for the next morning. They thought I miscarried. A regular ultrasound was done in the morning before the surgery and a live fetus was found, and the surgery was cancelled. After all my blood levels were checked, I was found to be low on iron, low on proteins and very dehydrated, although I had been eating properly especially already knowing I was pregnant. It's been one month since then and I'm still spotting and have constant mild cramping. I have gotten ultrasounds to calm my nerves and my baby is still alive, the heart beat is good, and my failed IUD is still in place. They cannot remove the IUD as the strings used to remove it have risen to high for them to reach and trying to get it out will put my pregnancy and chances of miscarriage even higher, making it almost certain to happen. They think one of the reasons for the bleeding is the IUD trying to do it's job and terminate the pregnancy. It's very aggrevating to say the least! The doctor says this could be just the 'type' of pregnancy I'm going to have. It's tiring and draining, and my baby and I are still not out of the clear. I am at a high-risk pregnancy but I'm taking it day by day; my baby seems to be quite the fighter if I must say so myself. So, my best advice to women with this obviously heart-wrenching concern is to be positive, even if the outcome is devastating. Try not to stress out and think the worst all of the time. STRESS can be a key factor in miscarrying, so take care of yourself, but most of all.....BE POSITIVE! There is not much I can do at this point, but wait. My body will decide what's best. Hang in there, stay positive. That's the best medicine for you, your body and your baby at this time. I'm crossing my fingers for myself as well as all you women who are going through this same worrying concern. Good luck too you all!
• I was 6.2 weeks pregnant when I started noticing some light brown spotting when I spoke to the nurse she said its normal since there is no cramping or pain along with it. After few days I observed some light red discharge I then checked into the ER where the u/s was done and they found the baby with the heartbeat.Everything seemed normal and my spotting had started to reduce. After 2 days I started observing a lot of bleeding along with a lot of cramping and pain(It was just like having my periods).I was rushed to the ER where my HGC levels were checked and found to be reducing. Yup...I was having a miscarriage and as at present just waiting for my baby to get completely drained out of my body. It is very disheartening since it was my first baby.My husband and the whole family was very excited about it but now everything has gone..... . My advice to all the people having any kind of spotting(any color) is to go and see your doctor immediately. I hope you don't experience the pain I am going through. All the best!!!!

• I'm about 5 weeks maybe little more pregnant. this morning I woke up with sore pain in my lower stomach.went to bathroom and found little-tiny red spot. I was shocked. I took utrogestan & went beck to bed. in an hour everything was gone..called up my doctor - she adviced me to stay in bed for a day and to take more utrogestan later on... so, I'm lying in bed praying everything to be fine.....
• I'm six weeks pregnant with my first baby. I've been having abdomen pains (like period pains, but... different) for the last two weeks. I was tested for pregnancy two days ago and it was positive! The cramps aren't worrying me at the moment, because they have been occurring for a week or two now, and my HCG levels, and estrogen levels were through the roof only a day ago. I've been spotting on and off. I literally had two spots last week, and have been spotting again today. It's a dark pink/brown in colour. I have my first ultrasound on Wednesday next week. <--- On the 18th of September, I began to experience a light pink bleeding. Half of it looked like the white from an egg. The next morning, I discovered a tiny clot. My partner had a car accident on the 19th - the morning I discovered the blood clot. He was fine. I went to the hospital cause I was concerned about the tiny pinkish blood clot. The doctor took another pregnancy test and told me that my HCG hormone level was only at 30%... I miscarried later that day... I never got to that first ultrasound.. If there is any sign of bleeding, go check it out!!
• I'm 20 weeks pregnant now but I thought I was going to miscarry through the whole first trimester. In the beginning, I had such horrible cramps & sometimes I'd wake up in sweat with lower back pain (excruciating & very scary). Then whenver I'd walk around doing normal activities (like shopping), I'd get this blood staining in my underwear. The blood color was normally dark (brownish/reddish). The doctor told me that brownish blood could sometimes be "old blood" leftover from the previous period that was stuck inside. I was so scared tha I'd miscarry, I was just readying myself for the inevitable but for some reason, the weeks just kept going by and now I am much better. But the first 3 months I didn't do anything-- anytime I had, I would sleep, rest, take it easy! My doctor told me not to exercise, have sex or lift anything heavy. I guess that helped a lot (to take it easy!). But I realized that if I was to miscarry, it is the body's way of terminating a pregnancy that wasn't right from the beginning (something chromosomally wrong the doc said). And I realized-- it's so hard not to worry but I also though, what if I had a baby that was mentally challenged.. how would I deal with that? So I kept reminding myself.. if it is healthy baby, I won't miscarry. If not, there's always next time and would I really be able to take care of a baby that wasn't completely healthy? It would be hard. So I forced myself to just relax, rest & let my body determine what happens. So I know it's so hard NOT to worry about miscarriage but, as my doc, said.. it is the bodies way of naturally aborting a baby that wasn't forming correctly for some reason in the first place. I also know a girl who blood so much & was diagnosed w/ a "threatened miscarriage" yet didn't miscarry (after resting for a whole month on disability) and had a healthy baby boy. Just try to take it easy.. and relax... and that's all you can do knowing you tried your best & it's not your fault if a miscarriage happens. Good luck & God bless everyone!!
• Just wanted to let you all in on my personal experience. I was pregnant with my first child and went for the sonogram and found that the baby had no heartbeat and I had never bleed at all and I was suppose to be 4 months and they said the baby stop growing at 8 weeks. Then I got pregnant again a couple of months later and at 6 weeks I had a large amount of bright red blood, went for a sonogram and the baby was fine and now I have a wonderful baby boy. Just recently we decide to try again for another one and I got pregnant and I was 8 weeks and had some brown blood with some discharge and I went for a sonogram and I had lost the baby. I am pregnant again hopefully it works out for us. But my point is they told me red or pink blood may not be good but if it is brown it would be fine but in my case it was not the truth. So please call your doctor and make them give you a sonogram if you feel that is what you need. No sense in driving yourself crazy wondering if your baby is ok or not.
• Proud Momma of a Wonderful boy! My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. I started spotting when I was supposed to start my period, but never stopped. This went on for a whole 12 weeks before I ended up in the hospital nearly having to have blood because I lost so much. Then I went on to have a very healthy baby boy on the next try with no complications. I decided to have #2 and I spotted a little at the beginning but things seemed to be going fine. The day of my first doctors appointment (I was 12 weeks) I was finishing up at work because I was getting ready to have to leave for my appointment when I felt somthing weird and went to the bathroom to check it out. I had bright red blood and was bleeding like I was on my period. I called the doctors office and they sent me to do an ultra sound before my appointment. I had just knew I miscarried and was preparing myself for the worst. Then when they did the ulrta sound there was my baby perfectly healthy!! By the time I made it back to the doctors office the bleeding had slowed to just spotting which lasted about a week. They could never explain why I bled like that, but today that baby boy is 5 years old and will be starting school soon!

• I am 6 weeks and two days ago i had a brownish/pink spot on my underwear, the following day same thing but a little less, then yesterday i wiped and it was redder than the other two days and more blood but it only happened once a day..... I called my OBGYN and they informed me that it is "common" but not "normal" to have spotting or bleeding. She informed me to monitor it and if i cramp or get worse to call them back immediately. My first apt. Is in 4 days so I am hoping for the best. If you have spotting make sure you call your doctor.
• My wife started spotting early, we were terrified. She had tissue everytime she went to the bathroom. Bleeding stopped after one week. We called and were told it was normal. At about 7 weeks it happened again our appointment was 2 weeks away. When we were there they found a cervical polyp and removed it. The polyp was the cause for the bleeding and tissue. That was about 4 nerve wracking weeks. We have a heartbeat and are very happy now.

Sometimes spotting is harmless, but sometimes it's a sign of something more serious. Here is some advice from women who've been there - and some of their firsthand experiences, too.

Don't panic! First find out what's going on with your body.

• Go test your hcg levels, even if it means going to the ER. I just had a miscarriage in January (1st pregnancy) and I just found out I'm pregnant again (4 months later) about a week and a half ago. Well, 4 days ago I had some brown discharge. I freaked out and went to the doctor. He tested my hormones, looked at me, said it wasn't blood - he just called it brown stuff. He told me I would have to wait and see what my hcg levels were. Today, being that I've been worried and I didn't feel like waiting till Wednesday (which is 4 more days from now) I went to the ER and they tested my levels of hcg. I've gone from 111 last Saturday to 3488 this Sunday, so my baby is growing strong. My girl friend told me that with 1 out of her 3 pregnancies she had the brown discharge too, and her daughter is beautiful. So my suggestion to any of you who are worried is: go test your levels even if it means going behind your doctors' back to the ER. It's your baby and its your piece of mind that is at stake.

• It's common to have brown discharge and it isn't necessarily a sign of a problem with the pregnancy. Here's my story: I started spotting (light brown discharge) last Wednesday. It isn't heavy, only saw it sometimes (three times a day if that, otherwise normal clear discharge) when I wiped, did have extremely sore breasts and was extremely moody as well as feeling hungry all the time. I was planning to go to a scan on Tuesday, because I had had a miscarriage only 2-3 months ago at 5weeks 3 days. The doctor indicated that this was the same; I'm seven weeks, done 4 pregnancy tests and come out positive with a very strong line each time. Was feeling sick - probably due to being nervous (it had been 5 days, though before this started I did have a yellow/darkish discharge for about 2 days before - the nurse said it was due to hormonal changes. I didn't know if this was spotting). Well, it turned out to be ok. I had an internal scan done and they found a heartbeat and everything was fine with the baby - well, as much as they could tell as this stage. It is incredibly common to have a brown discharge, it is just due to hormones - my discharge comes out all funny (different shades of yellow). But the bottom line is, as long as there is no pain or severe cramping, it's considered to be ok.

• Spotting brown blood is an indication of old, dry blood that is for some reason in the cervix. The most common reason is if you have sexual intercourse and irritation of the cervix causes a little tear. Not enough that it comes flowing out, but like when you urinate or you wipe, you might see it on the tissue. Unless you are passing bright red blood and clots, brown spotting is pretty harmless.
• Brown spotting is perfectly normal in early pregnancy. One reason for this type of spotting is called implantation bleeding. This occurs approx. 2 weeks after conception and 4 weeks since your last menstrual period. Another reason this could be happening is your body could be releasing old blood. Neither of these reasons are cause for concern.

Some women's experiences of spotting and miscarriage:

• Coming to terms with a miscarriage... I was 5 weeks pregnant when I noticed a tiny bit of brown spotting. I had been exercising when I noticed it and figured that caused it. Over the next week and 1/2 I noticed that I didn't have a lot of pregnancy symptoms. I did have tender breasts but that was it, no morning sickness or aversions to food. One week and a half later I noticed more brown spotting and went to the hospital. The ultrasound showed that my fetus was only 5 weeks in size and that my hcg levels were low for 7 weeks. I was sure about the dates and knew that I was experiencing a miscarriage. The brown spotting turned into red and brown blood over the next few hours. That night, I woke up with absolutely terrible cramps which were actually contractions. I have been bleeding for three days and am trying to come to terms with the idea that I am no longer pregnant.

• Even if it's bad news, it's good to know about it ASAP.Spotting brown blood seamed to be normal. I am around what I thought was 11wks pregnant with my first child. I noticed some spotting last night it kept changing from red to brown. However, I am feeling no pain, no cramps, nothing out of the norm! I went to the emergency room and they can't find my baby's heartbeat. They are preparing me for a miscarriage. I have to go back on Wednesday to check and see what my hormone count is. Right now I'm at 14 thousand. If by Wednesday two days from now it has not increased to 28 thousand, then I am losing the baby. So brown spotting can be a bad sign - go get checked ASAP.

Here is more advice and input from others:

• I had brown spotting when I was pregnant this year, it was a sign of early miscarriage. Last year, I didn't have a brown spotting when I was two months pregnant but I had another miscarriage. Some women can have implantation bleeding during pregnancy, which is normal. But brown spotting, I doubt it. I don't know.

• I am spotting brownish/pinkish fluid and had my scan yesterday. I am six weeks and they saw the heartbeat, but they still see some implantation blood in my uterus, which they said is what is probably coming out. Even though this is common, it was explained to me that there is always that threat that whenever blood is coming down the fetus may be affected/may abort...but there is really NOTHING that can be done about this. When the blood turns reddish/clotty that is cause to worry.

• I spotted brown early in my pregnancy, 2 weeks after ovulation. I had abdominal pain located on my right side, I had tender breasts. I had an ectopic pregnancy (in my fallopian tube), it might be normal, but can also be a sign something is wrong, speak to your doc, and don't take any bull***t either, get a scan arranged, the sooner the better!

• I started to have brown blood and long brown clots at 7 weeks. This is definitely a sign of a miscarriage, as I found out. If there is just a little bit of blood red or brown then you have nothing to fear.

• I had a miscarriage before this pregnancy so when I noticed brown spotting when I wiped at around 7 weeks I was nervous. I had had sex the day before and was wondering if that could have started it. I went to the hospital and they did an ultrasound and they saw the baby's heartbeat and said that everything appeared to be fine. I continued to notice spotting whenever I used the bathroom for about 5 days and then it just stopped. It was always brown in color and just mixed with a little discharge. The doctors did say that there was no way the could say for sure that this was not a threatened miscarriage. But seeing the baby's heart beat was a good sign and as long as it was just spotting and brown it was most likely implantation bleeding. I had went to the hospital though because I am O negative and wanted to get the Rhgam shot since I didn't know whose blood this was - mine or the baby's. If you are O neg or aren't sure what your blood type is it is VERY important to tell a medical professional if you have bleeding or experience a situation in which some of the baby's blood could have mixed with yours. After delivery they should give you a shot of Rhgam if the baby's blood type is anything other than O neg. So, I am now 16 weeks pregnant and I've seen the baby, heard it's heartbeat, felt it move and I am confident that everything is going to be okay. I do understand the fear of miscarriage and that should be treated as a valid worry. Just get medical attention and trust your instincts. I've been told some crazy things with this baby as well as when I was pregnant with my daughter and luckily you have the right to a second opinion. Doctors are human too and they can make errors. I also believe that your mind has power over your body to some extent and that the baby is intuned to that. I was always such a negative fearful person but with this baby I have tried to believe in the positive. You can and will have a healthy and successful pregnancy. If you notice warning signs or have concerns address them and seek help until you feel you've received appropriate help.

• I am 10 weeks pregnant and have been spotting brown blood on and off for about a month now. I have a weekly internal ultrasound and everything looks good. The baby's heart is beating and she is moving around. The doctor told me not to worry unless there is bright red blood with lots of cramping... this might indicate a miscarriage. The doctor also said that my placenta looks healthy and can't explain were the blood is coming from. He indicated that I should have a healthy pregnancy with brown spotting.

• I am 11 weeks' pregnant and have spotted brown for the past six weeks. In addition, I had heavy bleeding and a huge clot (we thought I had lost the baby). However, when the ultrasound was performed the baby's heart was beating - that was two weeks ago. During this time I had no cramping/pain whatsoever. Subsequent ultrasounds have shown some bleeding in the uterus and I suspect that this is why the spotting is still occurring. I am still working and doing the usual things but in moderation. I really think that this is an individual thing and that end results vary. I do agree that with spotting or heavy bleeding and pain, we should call our doctor immediately. One should however not get overly stressed out or panicky at the sight of blood because we put our bodies under added stress which is not good for mommy or baby.

• Before I found out I was pregnant I had some brown spotting. This is my first pregnancy and wasn't quite sure what to think. I did some research after I found out that I was pregnant and found that this is common during early pregnancy.

• Before I became pregnant, my monthly cycles for years had intermittent reddish-brown spotting many days before my period. Four months before I became pregnant, I began to drink organic raspberry tea (from Whole Foods) twice a day on advise from herbalist that said that raspberry tea strengthens the uterus tissue/muscles. Two months before conception, I notice that my spotting had significantly dropped. Now, I am in my 15th week of pregnancy, and I am drinking the tea twice a day or more. Since conception, I have only had the spotting three times, not counting the bright red "implantation" bleeding that occurred too. I hope this is encouraging.

• I had a lot of brown and red spotting with my first pregnancy. At first, I was diagnosed as a miscarriage (based on falling HCG levels) but it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy and I lost my right fallopian tube at six weeks. Three months later, I was delighted to find out that I was pregnant again and at six weeks began very, very light brown spotting. In a panic, I called the doctor and had an ultrasound, which showed that the sac is in the uterus this time and everything looks fine. Both the doctor and u/s tech told me that early brown spotting is completely normal. So, make sure to call your doctor and check up on any spotting, but it doesn't necessarily mean that there's a problem!

• When I was pregnant 6 months ago I experienced a lot of spotting (fairly heavy), after 10 weeks of being very ill and finally collapsing, I was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy and had emergency surgery. Before finally collapsing, I had been sent home from the emergency room (suspected miscarriage) and from our local clinic 3 times (they thought I was worrying too much!). I am 6 weeks pregnant again and have been cramping with some light brown spotting. Suspecting another ectopic I was rushed to the emergency room (they take it more seriously after the last time!). Fortunately, they found the pregnancy to be intra-uterine and with a heartbeat. I am still spotting and cramping but there is not much we can do but wait and see. The doctors cannot find any reason for the spotting so it remains a mystery.

• I am 8 weeks pregnant at the moment and last week i was admitted to hospital with brown spotting (more like a brown heavy discharge). I was given an internal scan and much to my relief they found the baby's heartbeat and told me everything was fine and that i had nothing to worry about. They cant give any explanation. I am still spotting a week later but again-nothing to worry about. I would advise if you get this to contact your GP asap - prob is nothing to worry about but you can make yourself ill worrying. Its only natural!

• My friend had brown spotting while pregnant, and she was told it was normal. She continued a normal healthy pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Today I started to have brown spotting when I wiped and I totally freaked out and called the hospital. They told me not to worry, and brown spotting usually has no effect on the pregnancy.

• Unfortunately I was right in suspecting a miscarriage when I began some brown spotting 4 days ago. It has progressed into further and heavier bleeding and there's no question, I'm miscarrying as I write this message.

• I have had brownish discharge off and on for about the last 4 weeks, but nothing heavy just real light enough to notice. But this is my 4th pregnancy no miscarriages, so I ask and they say it is normal, when I went for my examine she said my cervix was very sensitive and was bleeding this would cause the brown color with discharge as it was healing, not sure what happen with my cervix. But I have had no cramping or pain at all.

• I am 7 weeks pregnant and went to the doctor yesterday for "brown spotting". As soon as I told the doctor my symptoms (cramping and brown spotting)he had me come in right away. He did an internal and confirmed that there was spotting (although I could have just confirmed that to him) and he sent me for an ultrasound (both external and internal) this morning. According to the person that performed the ultrasound everything is fine (so far). When I was at the doctor's office he gave me a little explanation about any bleeding during pregnancy and it was this: Out of 100 pregnancies 80% are without any issues and about 20% are "active" (meaning bleeding brown, red, pink, cramping) out of that 20%, 80% of those women go on to have a healthy baby but the other 20% lead to a miscarriage. If you are having any spotting no matter what color go to your doctor. It may not be anything but you should have it looked at.

• I am eight weeks and have had very slight brown spotting for the past week. Had intercourse the day before this all started. Talked to my gyno twice about it and was reassured both times that semen can cause irritation to your cervix early on in pregnancy. Your cervix has numerous blood vessels in it and if one happens to burst can cause light bleeding for no more than 48hours and then will turn to brown spotting which is just "old blood." This old blood can take a while to come out of you. Can be different for every person. As long as there are no clots or cramping not to worry.

• Last week, at 6 wks 2 days, I began spotting brown. It's light, only noticed when I wipe, but very worrisome. I went to the doc's that day had a pelvic exam (looked okay), blood work (also ok) and an ultrasound which didn't look okay. My embryo looked too small for 6 weeks, so I am having a second ultrasound tomorrow, to check for any growth. Perhaps my conception date is off, my last period was 33 days... However, I am still spotting, have no morning sickness and breasts seem smaller. My gut feeling is not good. It's been torture. I totally feel for all of you and hope that no one else has to go through what I have this week. Still, please hope for the best for us. My mood swings have been something else, hopefully hormone related and I'll get back to normal. This is my first pregnancy so I am not sure what to expect.

• I have been spotting/staining brown for 6 days. Just went to the OBGYN and had an ultrasound. I saw a heartbeat. The doctor told me to just ignore it that it's normal, not to worry. If it turns to blood or clots then it's time to go to the hospital or call your doctor. I miscarried in Nov 2005 and got pregnant immediately. I was scared to death I was miscarrying again but it's fine. My Mom, my friend and my aunt all spotted during their first trimester and all had healthy babies.

• I was also worried about the brown spotting when I had it yesterday. I am in 6W 4D. Today when I went to the Doc they sent me for an emergency scan and in the scan they saw the heartbeat. And everything seemed normal in the scan. There wasn't any collection of blood inside. But the Doc asked me to rest for a week since they consider spotting as a threatening case.

• I started spotting brown (at times pink) for 11 days now.tho it has never been enough2fill a pantyliner (mostly upon wiping) im extremely worried 4 the fact that ive already suffered 3 miscarriages (none which passed 4 wks) one that just recently happened in Nov. 05. i got pregnant very quickly in January. The difference between my recent miscarriage and my pregnancy now is that i had no nausea,just tender breast n cramping,on top of that,just a gut feeling that it wasn't gonna turn out right.i started bleeding red a lil, then more n more as each day passed.as of now,i have nausea,very swollen breast,fatigue, n i truly feel good about this pregnancy despite the worries over the spotting.2day i had n ultrasound n im 6 wks! This makes me very happy cuz i never passed4 wks in my other pregnancies,so i think this is a good sign.n just for the record,ive never had brown spotting when i had the miscarriages. im tryin2keep my head up and fingers crossed. good luck2every1 who is experiencing wut im goin thru.

• I was pregnant last year and beginning around 7 weeks, I started bleeding bright red blood and had some cramps. I thought for sure I miscarried. I called my doctor and she guessed that I might be right but said I would need to have an ultrasound done. They found a heartbeat and everything appeared normal. I went to a high-risk doctor and he guessed that it might have been my fibroid tumor that caused the bleeding. I bled very heavily for about a week. Then it stopped. About a week and a half later, I bled again, exactly like before. This off and on bleeding continued throughout my entire 1st trimester and every single time, they would do an ultrasound and found everything was okay with the baby. I ended up delivering the baby perfectly and she is completely healthy. So, not all bright red, heavy bleeding leads to a miscarriage! However, I'm pregnant again this year, and am only 6 weeks into it. I started brown bleeding with cramping a couple days ago. It was definitely more than spotting, enough that wearing a pad was necessary, but not very heavy. I had blood drawn to measure my HCG level a couple days ago, and had it drawn again today so they can see if the count doubled in 48 hours. If so, then they will assume everything is still okay. If not, then I'm probably going to miscarry if I haven't already. I call the lab tomorrow morning to find the result. I'm surprised they didn't do an ultrasound but they thought it was too early in the pregnancy to try and detect a heartbeat. I'm seeing a different doctor's office with this pregnancy because of insurance reasons. Anyway, I'm hoping it's just a result of my fibroid tumor again and that everything will be okay. I had a pap and trans vaginal ultrasound a week ago at 6 weeks and one day. Two days later I began spotting (dark brown) and experiencing mild cramping. This went on for about 5 days until I had thoroughly convinced myself that I was having a miscarriage and began mourning the loss of my baby. I made an appointment with my ob to confirm what I was already sure of. Upon examination I was told that my cervix was still tightly closed and that there was no active bleeding. Even better was my baby's heartbeat on an ultrasound! I was told that this kind of spotting is completely normal after a vaginal exam.

Brown vaginal discharge can also be a symptom of some serious medical conditions.

You have some spotting when you ovulate and before and after your period. This is pretty normal. This pinkish/brownish color is blood and there is so little that it just tints your discharge. Spotting is very normal for both of those times during the cycle.

Also it could be implantation bleeding where the egg implants into the uterus, that is if you are sexually active and have not been using protection.

It could be Implantation bleeding sign of pregnancy or just a problem which is nothing to do with pregnancy. Go and see a doctor.

Spotting before periods in women over 30 can also indicate the beginning of perimenopause. When spotting appears 2-3 days before the periods are due, it can indicate that the corpus luteum is breaking down too early causing the luteal phase to be shorter than normal. Perimenopause spotting is cause by sudden drop in estrogen levels and low progesterone production due to anovulatory cycles. If a woman is trying to get pregnant and her luteal phase is shorter that 10-12 days she may suffer an early miscarriage. Other possible causes can be cervical dysplasia, endometriosis, fibroids, polyps, UTI, yeast infection, STDs, etc.

If a woman has a IUD, this can also be the cause.

Making a doctor's appointment to discuss this situation is a very good idea in order to get proper diagnosis and treatment.

Yes, providing it is not heavy or very painful

The doctor told me I'm more than 6 weeks pregnant which I find it hard to believe because I did a home pregnancy test a couple of weeks after my last period and it showed negative. So judging by my own instinct and the home pregnancy tests I had

been taken subsequently after my last cycle, I think I'm just about getting into my 4th week. I still feel uncomfortable with male doctors but since female doctors in my hospital have not been available, so it leaves me no choice. Should I/ Can I really believe what my male doctor tells me?

Yesterday I went to the ER right after I got off the plane from a trip because I have

been spotting for the past two days. At first, it was just dark brown spotting accompanied with mild cramps and bloating sensation just like a period. After an ultrasound and a pelvic exam yesterday, the nurse told me I didn't need to go to the ER again unless I experience severe cramps, bleeding and/or blood clots. The doctor said everything was fine; the embryo was where it's supposed to be and my cervix was closed but I'm not "out of the woods yet". Today, the color of my spotting/bleeding has become more liquid-like and bright red with occasional small blood clots and prickling sensations. I called the ER and was told that I could go back to the ER whenever I feel the symptoms have gotten worse, but all they will do is perform the same procedures again - ultrasound and a pelvic exam.

What should I do at this point?

I'm very worried that the insertion of the speculum and/or the continuity of spotting and bleeding is going to cause any deformity of the baby.

I also recommend going to see your OB. No bleeding during pregnancy is "normal", though it is common. Even spotting should be looked at. DO NOT think that just because you are spotting, everything is automatically okay. During my first pregnancy, I had very little spotting in my 9th week. The spotting lasted 8 days before I finally thought to go to the ER...everyone kept telling me, "oh, it's normal." NEVER!! I ended up having a missed miscarriage and the next day my body aborted the embryo. Now, in my 2nd pregnancy, I'm having more spotting and I'm not taking any chances. I'm not trying to scare you, but rather, make you aware that although it's common for many women, it's not normal during pregnancy and it always merits a doctor's opinion and checkup.

I recommend going to the doctor immediately, even if you have to make $5 monthly payments on the visit, I had it happen after 4 weeks for a day, and then at 11 weeks, i had another spot which turned into a miscarriage. that is the most emotionally and physically painful thing i have ever gone through. GO TO A DOCTOR if you care about this child.

It is completely normal. I have been having light brown spotting for the past week and a half. I a had a ultrasound today and everything was fine!!

I was sent this link from someone on another site. First of all, regarding the first post above, the one that states "Go to a Doctor if you care about this child" First of all, that is a horrible thing to say, of course we all care about our unborn children. Also, I must let you know that if you are having a miscarriage there is NOTHING you can do to prevent one and nothing you can do to stop one. Most m/c's happen due to the fetus having chromosone issues and no doctor can fix that. While spotting in pregnancy is common, it shouldn't be considered normal. Most doctors don't want you to come in unless the spotting turns bright red and is accompanied with cramps as well. God Bless you all and good luck!

Yes. Spotting during the first trimester is very normal and sometimes spotting may go along with mild cramps. Many times the spotting is caused by your uterus growing and breaking small vessels for more room. However if you are having spotting which continues to bleeding and filling a maxi an hour for 3 hours along with heavy cramping there is a great chance you are having a miscarriage. When you are in this situation Dr's advise on an immediate call and will have you come in, eventhough there is nothing they can do to stop the miscarriage, before or during, if there is a problem with you...i.e bleeding wont stop or anything more problematic happens they can help you.

i am 7 wks pregnant and am having light spotting. while seaching for some answers i found this reliable information off of www.providence.org. answers were given from a director of obstetrics and gyneocology. compared to some other websites that gave some scary advice, i felt a little relieved after i read the following info.

in the first 3 months of pregnancy spotting is quite common. it can be attributed to early development in the uterus; your body is producing more blood to carry nutrients to the fetus. a little bleeding is not uncommon. unless there is a lot of bleeding, like a normal period, along with severe cramps, there is no cause for concern.

spotting could be considered normal or dangerous sign of miscarriage, depending on the individual. I had two miscarriages within one year and they both started with "light spotting". I would contact your health care provider immediately.

http://www.umm.edu/pregnancy/stayhealthy/articles/vagbleeding.HTML

I thought this website's answers were good. The key is to distinguish between spotting (a little blood, don't need a pad/liner) and bleeding (more blood, bright red or needs a pad)

spotting is probably just "hormonal changes." and bleeding is something you need to see your MD about. might be a miscarriage.

Answer

Spotting during the first 3 months of pregnancy does occur but spotting red blood is not normal hun. Everytime you experience spotting you will need to contact your doctor for a examination and to make sure the pregnancy is safe.

First off, try not to freak out regardless because stress will only make things worse. Second, every woman and every pregnancy is different, even doctors disagree on how much blood should be present before you go in for a checkup. I've had 3 healthy babies and 2 miscarriages and being an army wife I've had several OBGYN's so I can tell you there is no black or white on this subject, period. If you are worried, CALL YOUR DOCTOR and they will tell you their medical opinion. Sometimes women bleed in pregnancy for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with the health of the baby (such as spotting after intercourse) and go on to have normal deliveries. Sometimes there are no warning signs at all and the baby doesn't make it. The ONLY ONLY ONLY way to know for sure whether your baby is healthy or not is to do bloodwork and a sonogram, and the only person that can answer all these questions is a medical doctor or a midwife that knows your history and your pregnancy.

Here is advice and input:

• Is it near the time of your menstrual cycle's beginning or end? Brown discharge around the time of one's period is normal. Spotting or discharge like this may have something to do with the shedding of the ueteran wall (I believe). Check with your OBGYN if you have further concerns and if it happens frequently. Also, if you are sexually active, try looking up Gonorrhea and see if you have any other symptoms of it. It probably isn't this, but it is worth looking into just in case.

• You should go to a clinic to get tested for a yeast infection, and if you are sexually active get check for STD's. You could go to Planned Parenthood or any other clinic.

• If it happens at the beginning/end of your period it may be a sign of hormonal imbalance. Hormonal imbalances can sometimes be fixed with birth control pills.

• It is completely normal to find at the start/end of your period. It is either just a tiny bit of your period, or just the blood staining your normal discharge. If in doubt though ask a doctor.
• brown discharge is blood that has lost its hemoglobin.which refer that its a old blood which may be results from incomplete shedding of endometrial layer,minor trauma of vagina or cervix during intercourse and hormonal imbalance

More input from FAQ Farmers:

• I would say that it is Implantation bleeding when the baby settles in the uterus lining. Hope that this helps.

yes it is it called Implantation bleeding I got it but got my period 2 weeks later but they have got into a weird pattern I got implantation bleeding in may the 2nd now its September and I'm a day late . Some women have a period while pregnant which i hope is happening to me lol anyway good luck!!

Different types of discharge and self evaluation

White discharge: Thick, white discharge is common at the beginning and end of your cycle. Normal white discharge is not accompanied by itching. If itching is present, thick white discharge can indicate a yeast infection.

Clear and stretchy discharge: This is "fertile" mucous and means you are ovulating.

Clear and watery discharge: This occurs at different times of your cycle and can be particularly heavy after exercising.

Yellow or Green discharge: May indicate an infection, especially if thick or clumpy like cottage cheese or has a foul odor.

Brown discharge: May happen right after periods, and is just "cleaning out" your vagina. Old blood looks brown.

Spotting Blood and/or Brown Discharge: This may occur when you are ovulating/mid-cycle. Sometimes early in pregnancy you may have spotting or a brownish discharge at the time your period would normally come. If you have spotting at the time of your normal period rather than your usual amount of flow, and you have had sex without using birth control, you should check a pregnancy test.