Brown Discharge in Late Pregnancy: What to Know at 37 Weeks

Question
I am 37 weeks pregnant and went to the OBGYN on Monday.  She did a physical exam and said I was 50% effaced and less than 1cm dialated. When I came home, I had a lot of brown discharge on my pad. It didn't look like mucus, it looked like old blood. I called the doctor and they said spotting was normal but this seemed slightly heavier than spotting.  It's been about 24 hours and the discharge has reduced greatly to the point where it's almost stopped.  Did I loose my mucus plug or did the physical exam cause this?  Why is the discharge/blood brown?

Answer
Dear Elizabeth,

This isn't anything to be concerned about. Sometimes small blood vessels (capillaries) can break. With an exam, or with intercourse, and especially in late pregnancy with the pressure of the baby and the opening of the cervix, it disturbs things and that brown spotting is not abnormal at all.

A mucus plug may be clear, slightly pink or blood tinged in color. It may be stringy mucus or a sticky discharge. Some women may not even notice the loss of their mucus plug because there is already an increase in vaginal discharge during pregnancy.

I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well and a joyous delivery!

Brenda