According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, about 15 to 25 percent of women have some amount of bleeding in their first trimesters. 1  Bleeding is less common—and more concerning—if it occurs in the second or third trimester. What Spotting Looks Like Generally, the discharge you'll see if you experience spotting is brown, red, or pink in color and has a slightly gummy or stringy texture (because the discharge consists of a few drops of dried blood that's mixed with cervical mucus).