'BBQ sauce' stage of your period explained by gynaecologist

Doctors have long reassured women that period blood can appear, feel and even smell different depending on what menstrual stage we're at.

It's not always the traditional crimson colour that we expect - and in fact, factors like flow speed, hormonal shifts, medication and certain health conditions can have an impact on the shade of blood that emerges between our legs.

That said, however, concerns have been raised over one of the lesser discussed 'times of the month'.

We are, of course, talking about the 'BBQ sauce' phase.

Nicknamed for the thick brownish-red liquid that defines this era of the menstrual cycle, the 'BBQ sauce' phase is often a cause for concern for young women, who might jump to the conclusion that something is wrong.

These concerns can only be heightened by the fact that the blood's unusual appearance sometimes comes hand-in-hand with a strange smell.

According to experts at Flo, however, the 'BBQ sauce' stage is rarely something to fear, and actually, should be normalised amongst women.

The brains behind the period-tracking app recently attempted to offer up an explanation for this phase.

In a post shared to Instagram, they wrote: "Brown discharge is caused by oxidised blood when it mixes with normal discharge.

"While a change in discharge can be alarming, brown discharge is often nothing to worry about and could be a sign that your period has just ended or is about to start."

They added that there's no real reason to be alarmed in these cases, even during menstruation.

In these cases, it means that the blood has had time to darken over time, usually as uterine lining shedding slows down, signalling that a woman might be nearing the end of their period.

It's important to note, however, that in some, very rare circumstances, brown blood or discharge could be a very early indicator of something else.

"If you notice brown discharge at times other than your period, you think you could be pregnant or have other symptoms like pelvic pain, itching, or a bad smell, reach out to your health care provider," Flo experts urged.

This is because the 'BBQ sauce' phase could be a sign that you're ovulating, or that you're very briefly along in a pregnancy. Bleeding in this case is technically referred to as 'implantation bleeding'.

Flo has also compiled a list of other shades that period blood could appear, and what they could each indicate, right here.