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Vaginal Discharge During Early Pregnancy

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I am about 5 and a half weeks pregnant. This is my first pregnancy and we've been trying for over 3 years, so naturally, I'm nervous about every little thing.

Yesterday I noticed I was having an occasional brown discharge, that also had a little pink in it. Had none this morning, but started again this afternoon. I keep reading conflicting things about this being normal, and then about this being a warning sign of miscarriage.

I had no implantation bleeding (as in red blood), so could this be leftovers from implantation?

Also, is it possible it is a result of a yeast infection, as it also has a strange odor, and I have some burning? I appreciate your response. I know I'll feel a little better if i can just make it to my first ultrasound (which is another week and a half away).

ANSWER

If you have discharge with a strange odor, you should be seen for testing.

Also, ANY bleeding during pregnancy should be reported to your provider, hopefully while it is still going on. That said, it is very possible that this is your version of implantation bleeding (everyone does it different), or it may be a side effect of an infection.

Unless you see a lot of bright red bleeding, it is less likely that it is a sign of miscarriage. Good luck!

--Cynthia, CNM. PhD

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Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.