Early pregnancy my period blood is light pink and watery

by Chess Thomas |

A small amount of red or brown discharge but no period could be an early pregnancy symptom. This may especially be true if your cycle is as regular as clockwork but you have spotting instead of your period. It's common to have light bleeding or spotting in early pregnancy. This type of bleeding may be caused by the development of the placenta.

How do I know if it's spotting or my period?

You can usually tell the difference between pregnancy spotting and a period. Spotting in early pregnancy is much lighter than a period. Spotting shouldn't last longer than three days, and you may only notice it when you go to the loo. Most spotting is painless.

If your cycle isn't always regular though, it's possible that your period is on its way. The quickest way to be sure is to take a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Your levels of hCG rise quickly after the fertilised egg implants. If you get a negative result, but your period hasn't started properly, try doing another test after a few days.

I have brown discharge but no period

Again, bleeding or discharge that is much lighter in flow than your period is classed as spotting. The colour of blood may get darker as it gets older.  So a small amount of red to brown discharge but no period may well be a sign that you're in the early stages of pregnancy.

It’s also common to have some pink or brown discharge, spotting or light bleeding between week six and week seven (Hasan et al 2010, Newson 2014).

If you have bleeding that seems unusual, see your doctor to be on the safe side. Bleeding that’s lighter, and brighter, or darker red than usual, or more watery, may be symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is when the embryo implants outside the womb, and it needs immediate treatment.

Why does pregnancy spotting happen?

In the first weeks of pregnancy, your body does the job of providing your baby with nutrients and oxygen. It's thought that spotting may be triggered around the time that the placenta becomes your baby's lifeline.
There's also a possibility that it’s caused by the implantation of the fertilised egg in your womb. Or the hormones that control your periods could still be in your body.

There could be other explanations for your spotting. Your cervix could be inflamed, and bleed easily, perhaps because of an infection. If you have a positive pregnancy test, tell your midwife or doctor about the bleeding, just in case.

If you do get your period, and haven't had a pre-pregnancy visit to your GP, it's worth doing so now.

Your GP can check that you are immune to rubella, which can be harmful to unborn babies, with a blood test. They can also have a chat with you about how to get your body ready for pregnancy.

See all in: Am I pregnant?

• Implantation bleeding is a normal, early sign of pregnancy and typically lighter than your period.
• Implantation bleeding will usually be pink or light brown and have a thin, watery consistency.
• It's possible to experience implantation bleeding around the same time as you would your period.

After conception, when the sperm cell joins with the egg, the fertilized egg moves down the fallopian tube to the uterus and attaches to the uterine lining. This is called implantation, and it can cause light bleeding or spotting, but not every woman will experience it during pregnancy.

Implantation bleeding is normal and usually doesn't indicate a problem, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But you might not know whether it is your period or implantation bleeding. Here's how to tell the difference.

When does implantation bleeding occur?

Implantation bleeding occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception. Because that's usually around the same time you would normally have a period, you might confuse implantation bleeding with a light period.

For women who are trying to get pregnant, they might think, "This isn't my normal period. I should take a pregnancy test," says Melody Baldwin, an OB-GYN at Duke Health. But for women who don't have pregnancy on their radar, they might just think their period was lighter than usual, she says.

How long does implantation bleeding last?

Implantation bleeding typically lasts a couple of days, and "it's generally less heavy, shorter, and less painful than a typical period would be," Baldwin says.

When the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, it disrupts part of the uterine lining, and that causes the bleeding, Baldwin says.

The resulting bleeding is small because the embryo is small at that point, and it disrupts only one area of the uterine lining, she says.

By comparison, during your period, the blood comes from the uterus shedding its lining. That creates a heavier flow than the disruption to the uterine lining during implantation.

There does not seem to be a difference in implantation bleeding based on whether the woman has been pregnant before, says Leena Nathan, an OB-GYN at UCLA Health Westlake Village.

Is it implantation bleeding or my period?

The key difference between implantation bleeding and your period is that implantation bleeding flow is typically lighter and lasts only a couple of days.

However, if you usually have a light period to begin with, it may be difficult to distinguish between the two.

Some other signs to look for are early pregnancy symptoms, Nathan says. These may include:

• Breast tenderness
• Bloating
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Mild cramping

If you have cramping with implantation bleeding, it would be less intense than typical period cramping, Baldwin says.

Also, for some women, implantation bleeding may be a different color, like brown or pink, rather than the typical red you'll see from your period. It also usually doesn't involve clotting, Nathan says.

The best way to know if it's implantation bleeding is to take a pregnancy test.

"Most of the pregnancy tests that are commercially available now would detect a pregnancy around the time of a missed period, which is about the time that implantation bleeding occurs," Baldwin says.

If you have bleeding and take a test that is negative, Nathan recommends repeating the test in a few days.

Implantation bleeding is fairly common. "It's something that we see relatively often. We field a lot of phone calls about it," Baldwin says.

Insider's takeaway

Although implantation bleeding doesn't usually require medical attention, there are some exceptions.

Important: Women who have had an ectopic pregnancy before are at a higher risk of another one and therefore may need to see their OB-GYN right away if they have any bleeding, Baldwin says.

For patients who don't have any pregnancy complications, implantation bleeding is usually nothing to worry about, Baldwin says. But If you are unsure about what's going on, it's probably a good idea to call your OB-GYN.

"What I always feel bad about is when I have a patient that says 'I didn't know if I was worrying too much, and I didn't want to call and bother you,'" Baldwin says. "Patients can always call and clarify this with us, because that would give us the opportunity to take care of something that might not be typical or normal. And then it also gives us the opportunity to reassure them," so they don't keep worrying until their next appointment, she says.

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