Brown leaks after your period: what they are, the causes and how to tell if it is period or pregnancy
Brown leaks after your period: did you happen to have them too? The causes of these unexpected losses can be many. This is a fairly common phenomenon, especially among women who have started taking the pill a few months ago or who are in the first stage of pregnancy.
If in some cases the brown discharge after the period can be considered normal and harmless, in others it would be better to contact your gynecologist to do the tests. So let's find out together what these brown losses are, what their causes are, if it is actually a cycle or pregnancy (implantation losses) and how long they last in this second case.
Brown leaks after your period: what they are
Brown losses after your period have a very specific name: "spotting". This term derives from the English "to spot", that is "to spot", and it is clear why! The brown color of the losses is due to the oxidation of the blood which, in contact with oxygen, becomes darker.
These losses after the cycle actually represent an "anomaly for the female system", but they do not necessarily have to cause concern: often they are simple adjustments of the body to some changes such as the use of a new contraceptive system or a period of strong stress In other cases, however, as we shall see, it may indicate a pregnancy or a pathology.
These brown losses are easily recognizable because they are darker than normal menstrual blood and decidedly scarcer, but above all because they occur far from the cycle itself, during ovulation or immediately after the period of the ovarian cycle.
See also
All causes of brown leaks after your period
As we have anticipated, the causes of brown losses after the period can be manifold. Often they occur immediately after ovulation, after about 16 days from the cycle, due to the lowering of estrogen levels and this should not cause particular alarm. The same is true if they occur only a few days after the end of the cycle: it is simply blood from the previous menstruation that had not yet been expelled and which oxidized before going out.
Brown discharge after your period can also occur if you take the pill or use the contraceptive ring. Hormone-based contraceptives, in fact, can cause a so-called "withdrawal bleed", due to the fact that - when ovulation does not occur - the endometrium does not flake off. Spotting usually occurs in the withdrawal period between one pack and another. Leaks often occur even if we forget to take the pill for a day or more.
Brown discharge after your period is normal if you are in the so-called "perimenopause", the period before the actual menopause, in which the cycle becomes very irregular. In these cases it may happen that the brown leaks come to replace the actual cycle.
To cause the brown losses after the cycle can then be problems of dysfunctional origin, such as eating disorders or excessive or very drastic diets; diabetes or high cholesterol problems, stress and fatigue causing hormonal modulations.
Among the causes of organic origin, however, there may be fibroids, polyps, cancer of the cervix, polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid problems, premature menopause, ectopy of the cervix. Particular attention must be paid if brown losses are very frequent and always coincide with ovulation: it could be a symptom of endometriosis or ovarian cysts.
Brown Leaks: Period or Pregnancy?
Brown discharge can also be indicative of pregnancy. This is the so-called "implantation spotting", which occurs when the embryo nestles in the inner part of the uterus. These losses, therefore, occur at the beginning of pregnancy and, although not frequent, are completely normal: to cause them is precisely the physiological lesion of the tissues that causes a small hemorrhage.
Implant losses are not painful and last a few days. If, on the other hand, they become more intense, it is good to contact your doctor because it could be a possible threat of abortion or detachment of the trophoblast, a kind of placenta that surrounds the embryo (in this case, with due care and with rest, the case is solved without problems)!
Brown discharge after 10 or 15 days from the period: am I pregnant?
Let's clarify the timing: if your brown losses are indicative of a pregnancy, they will appear about 10 days after the period itself, but after conception. Of course, you can't be as accurate in your calculation if you have an irregular cycle.
Implant losses usually occur between 14 and 12 days before the next cycle, but there are also cases where the spotting comes just before the normal cycle should come. To be sure if you are pregnant or not and to remove any doubts, proceed with a pregnancy test.
How long do brown leaks last after the cycle if they are plant leaks?
Implant losses last only a few days, are scarce and disappear quickly. This can help you recognize implantation spotting, and therefore a possible pregnancy, compared to normal pre-menstrual losses. The latter can last up to 5 days and they usually become more and more abundant.
Brown losses due to embryo implantation last approximately 48 hours. If you think you are pregnant and you find that your discharge lasts longer than expected or changes color, see your gynecologist right away.
What to do in case of brown discharge after your period and when to worry
Generally speaking, if you find yourself having brown discharge after your period, don't be alarmed. If they occur with a certain frequency or for a continuous period, however, do not hesitate to contact your gynecologist, who will provide, with a series of specific tests, the diagnosis and then the cure, whether it is a drug treatment or a surgery, depending on the problem.
From the moment in which pathological causes are excluded, no special care will be necessary: the spotting will pass by itself. If the cause is stress, it will be a question of making changes in your lifestyle to restore psycho-physical balance. It will also be recommended to take greater care of your diet, sleep regularly and carry out healthy physical activity.
For further information and scientific insights on brown losses after the cycle, you can consult the website of the Alessandra Graziottin Foundation.
