Facebook Pixel
EmpowHER Guest
Q: 

could it have been a miscarriage?

By Anonymous October 12, 2010 - 11:36am
 
Rate This

I'm 18, and about 2 weeks after having unprotected sex, I was due for my period on 9/23. It didn't come. (Usually my period comes within 1 or 2 days before the day it came the previous month, so i knew something was wrong.) But 3 days later, 9/26, I started having this brown discharge. First it was dark, then it got lighter, but only lasted for about 4 days. I don't think it was my period, because there was never any blood in it. Just brown stuff. So I thought I could be pregnant. Now this month, 10/10, I woke up to what looked like my period, except it was 13 days before my regular cycle would start. I had bad cramping & it was a really heavy flow with lots of clotting. But it only lasted like 2 days, because today I have barely had anything except for a little bit of brown and cramping. I'm wondering if I really was pregnant, and could have had a miscarriage, or if my cycle is just messed up. Help would be appreciated... I'm really confused.

Add a Comment1 Comments

Hi,
It sounds like it was your period, since you had discharge for 4 days. Periods can be a few days late, or a few days early. They can be red, brown, pink...or some combination of these colors.

Your symptoms do not sound like a miscarriage, as you would not have been pregnant yet (or just a few days pregnant, and would be indistinguishable from a period without any additional symptoms). Women do not actually become pregnant until 10-14 days after ovulation, as it takes this long for the sperm to travel all the way into fallopian tubes, fertilize the egg, then the fertilized egg must travel through the fallopian tube, into uterus, where if finds a cozy place and implants itself. The moment of implantation, your body begins signaling to begin different processes that include the release of "pregnancy hormones", and your menstrual cycle stops its usual "routine".

In your case, your menstrual cycle does not sound like it stopped its usual routine; it sounds like it was slightly changed. Women's bodies are not like clockwork; our bodies are constantly reacting and interacting with our environment, and subtle changes around us can cause slight changes in our menstrual cycles. Nothing to worry about!

When to worry about a change in menstruation:
- bleeding that lasts longer than 7 days
- bleeding excessively, soaking more than 1 pad or tampon every hour
- extreme pain

So, your cycle is not even "messed up", as the normal, healthy range is 21-35 days between periods.

Hope this helps!

If you are having unprotected sex, be sure to talk with a gynecologist about using birth control, use a condom every time, and be sure to get your annual exam to stay healthy!

October 12, 2010 - 12:31pm
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy
Add a Comment

All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.

Pregnancy

Get Email Updates

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!