small amounts of brown discharge instead of 'normal' blood?

Hi,
Welcome to ehealthforum,
Some women have brown discharge/spotting before their actual periods. This usually occurs as response of uterus and endometrial lining to the changing hormonal status. It could also suggest possibility of infective causes or cervix related problems, hormonal derangements, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, endometriosis etc. The exact cause can be made out after careful evaluation and further investigations. Do not ignore your symptoms. Consider visiting your gynecologist/obstetrician at the earliest for further evaluation and assistance. Treatment as needed (based on examination and investigations results) would be started to help you. If you are planning for pregnancy, do not delay your pregnancy plans as advanced maternal age can cause complications in getting pregnant as well as carrying the pregnancy smoothly. If you have not been successful in your pregnancy plans, consider getting complete infertility work-up done for you and your partner to see if there are any underlying causes for the infertility/inability to conceive. Treatment as needed (based on examination and investigations results) would be started to help you get pregnant. Consider visiting your gynecologist/obstetrician for further evaluation and assistance and be in regular follow-up monitoring as instructed.
Take care.