9 weeks pregnant and a nast discharge...

[mckenzie]

It's not me who's 9 weeks pregnant (although I wish it was) but a friend who workls and so cant access this as easily. She is pregnant with her first child and has notice this last 5 days or so a yukky browny discharge after going for a number 2. She's concerned as you can imagine. Any thoughts as to what it might be?

just noticed you have had no responses to this one so felt I should reply to you as it has been screaming out to me for days .
If it is a vaginal discharge (and straining on the loo can hasten it?s arrival IYKWIM) then it sounds like it could well be old blood. New bleeds are bright red and the older the blood gets the darker red to rusty brown it becomes. The fact that it is a brown colour is actually a good thing - not a sign of infection or anything (if smelly or really dodgy she should go to the doctors now). It can also go paler again to a pale pink colour (I think). Unfortunately it could mean several things - at worst it could herald a m/c if blood gets heavier and more bright red worth contacting a doctor asap (if this hasn?t yet happened then the chances look fairly good that this isn?t the case). It could be like a mini period that some women (incl. me) often get around period time in the first few months of pregnancy when hormones aren?t built up sufficiently to stop a small amount of blood loss - this is harmless, albeit very very stressful. There are no doubt several other possibilities incl. an implantation bleed that has just travelled slowly (one of my bleeds was explained as this by a GP - not so sure myself).
Best thing she can do if she is worried is to contact her GP - if he/she is anything like mine she will be referred for an early scan to find out if the baby is present and a heart beat can be found at the local early pregnancy assessment clinic. It is only way to be absolutely sure everything is ok. At 9 weeks she should get quite a good picture and it will put her mind at rest one way or the other.