Brown Spotting at 5 weeks

[Melissa O]

I am current five weeks pregnant tomorrow.  This afternoon while urinating, I saw brown spotting when I wiped.  I immediately rushed home and inserted a tampon to see if any clots came out.  It was just more brown discharge and everything seems to have disappeared now.  Just wondering what everyone's experience has been with this.  Could it have been left over implantation bleeding or just old blood?  I know they say as long as it isn't red and cramping that it's fine, but I'm scared!!! I miscarried in september, so I'm freaking out.!!!! Please help!!!!

[Shauna79]

This is my fourth pregnancy since October 2010.  I m/c at 5w in November 2010 and at 5w again in June 2010.  In November 2011 I m/c at 18w, which was truly awful and full of complications.  In early December I had a D&C b/c I had retained part of the placenta after induced labor.  I must've gotten pregnant a couple weeks after my surgery b/c I kept waiting for my period to start and five weeks after my surgery I took a test it was positive.  I've had three blood tests, one each week, and my hcg is doubling ever 2 days.  However, last night I had some brown discharge when I wiped so I went to the ER.  They sent me for u/s today and I am 5.5w but they said it was too early for a hb.  I am going again in a week and half for another u/s....I am cautiously optimistic, as my OB likes to say.

[LadySapphire]

I am miscarrying yet again. But i have hope that i will one day once again carry a child to full term. To give you all hope, i will leave you with this. Docter's are not always right. There tests can be wrong. have faith and pray. If you miscarry then it wasn't ment to be but if you do carry to full term, then know that i am happy for you. And it was ment to be. I will pray for all of you. Please pray for me as i try again to have a child.

[LadySapphire]

I am 5 1/2 weeks along and have light brown discharge. i miscarried on sept 5th with twins. I have been in alot of pain and they gave me hydrocodone for the pain. They did blood tests and my levels were going up but now slowed down. my dates put me at 10 weeks, my blood tests put me at 7-8 weeks and my ultrasound put me at 5 1/2 weeks. like i said i have light brown discharge and am freaking out. i know it could be old blood but this is how my mmiscarrage started the last time. i have an ultrasound on monday. Can anyone please help! and please pray for the best.

Lady Sapphire

[Mckibben09]

In alot of women, this is very common. The pink spotting is usually from the baby implanting itself to your uterus causing some light bleeding, and the brown is usually the left over dried blood after implantation!! You should be fine. Good Luck and Congrats!!

[blue1000]

I am 6 wks pregnant. My first pregnancy. I had spotting and it is exactly as you describe it "brownish" "old blood" I am amazed that we are describing it the same way, there is mild lower abdominal discomfort but no cramps. My ObGyn ad my husband are both traveling. I am going crazy. It was at least a little reassuring to read your writings. I pray for the best.

[sugarbite]

My history: full term pregnancy in 2006; missed miscarriage at 9 wks followed by d&c in Sept 2008; early miscarriage at 5-6 weeks in Dec 2008;  full term pregnancy in 2009; early miscarriage at 5 weeks in July 2011.

I have seen spotting go both ways... I had spotting right before my 2 early miscarriages, but in another pregnancy I had spotting around 5 or 6 weeks which went on to be a full term pregnancy (my second child). I also had a missed miscarriage in 2008 with NO spotting or cramping at all, only discovered when there was no heartbeat at a routine 9-wk ultrasound. At that time my body even "felt" like I was still pregnant, with breast tenderness and queasiness, for 4-5 days after the ultrasound (I had a d&c a week later because my body was not passing anything on its own). I also have a cousin who spent a great deal of her pregnancy on bedrest due to intermittent bleeding--her twins are now almost 7 years old! So the outcomes of symptoms are just not predictable, and sometimes even the presence of symptoms is misleading.

All this is just to say... that symptoms are different with each woman AND each woman's various pregnancies. Statistically there are more happy endings than not. But if you are concerned it never hurts to discuss things with your doctor. Good luck to all! :)