Do you get spotting before AF / period? Come and talk to me here

I've always had 1-2 days of spotting before each period (always brown, never pink/red) However, last month I has 5 days of spotting (9 July) followed by an awful 4 day visit from AF (14 July). Have been trying to conceive this month, had some pink spotting for 2 days about a week ago & had a positive test yesterday (8 August)!!!!! My problem now is that I'm not sure which is my "first day"! The test said that I was 2-3 weeks so I'm guessing I should count it as the 9th. All very confusing :s

Hi there, I'm new to Mumsnet. Just wanted to pop in here and thank you for this thread - it's been very useful :)

I recently miscarried my first baby at 6-7 weeks :( I've always spotted 2-3 days leading up to my full AF but never thought anything of it; now I'm thinking there could be a potential link. Reading all your stories and advise on various vitamins etc. has helped me to feel brave enough to possibly try again at some point soon.

That's interesting JJ29 did the polyps also cause spotting during your pregnancy?

I had bleeding for 4-5 days before AF, am now pregnant, have been having spotting on and off from weeks 6 to 12. I am convinced it is coming from my cervix - mainly because there has been no sign of blood in my uterus/placenta etc on scans. Just wondered if you had this?

Just wanted to respond to the original post.
I too had been experiencing spotting 4-5 days before AF since my early 30s (I'm now 39).
In my case, it turned out to be polyps; I had them both on my cervix and in my uterus. I had them removed to make sure they were benign, and they were. They nearly always are, the doctor said. They're really just a nuisance problem, but they can be responsible for spotting before periods.
And yes, I was still able to conceive even with the spotting.

Well I thought i would pass this on.
I've taken 100mg of b complex every day this cycle and only started spotting on day 11 which I suspect is the start of AF.
It really made a difference.

Sounds very promising Impatient.
My spotting is better than it has been, but still there.

Not loads - just Sanatogen mother-to-be which has 2.6mg 186% of RDA.
I compared it with loads of specific B vits but none seemed to have more (Holland & Barret) so just went for that. I'm a bit wary with some of the prenatal stuff as I have chronic constipation anyway so don't like taking lots of iron really

This is my 3rd cycle on it and first one where I've got past 8dpo without spotting but as I said I had been on antibiotics for 1 week in the first 2 months of the vitamins. The spotting was actually worse then so I was a bit disheartened but seems to be settling down - I hope!

My cycle varies from 26 - 31 days and I'm on CD27 now, really trying not to get hopes up but failing miserably!

How much have you been taking Imaptiant?

Pipbin I don't know why we do it either

I'm on 11 dpo (CD27) & still no sign... maybe our B6 has finally started working!

My spotting has been less this month and I have been taking vitamin b6.
However I had spotting today during my run and after a number 2.
Other than that, nothing.

(why do I find myself sharing these things with random strangers like you guys?)

pipbin yes if I am completely honest with myself I think that's a possibility, even if I definitely don't specifically remember.
I honestly didn't think this was normal, but at least I feel reassured now. Next time it happens I will assume that AF is on its way and not drive myself crazy.

Hi ladies :)

I am quietly celebrating getting to 10dpo without any spotting for the first time in 3 months! It's only CD26 so not exactly 'late' yet but that's not stopped me testing twice and running to the loo every half hour

Am pretty sure I'm not pg but am at least glad to have managed a half decent LP as last few months spotting has started 8/9 dpo.

I have had a couple of courses of antibiotics over the last few months which seem to have delayed ovulation - I also had 4/5 days of spotting then rather than usual 2/3. All things to think about.

I did go and see my GP this month as the spotting was really concerning me (especially as taking B vits and no improvement) and although he was lovely and not dismissive he did basically just tell me to be patient and keep trying! He said that there are things can that be done to 'help implantation' but that I shouldn't worry yet that there's any specific problem (ttc 8 months after 13 years on the pill)

Hope everyone else is getting on ok :)

Or Christelle is it the case that you have never looked at your cycle in such depth?

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not doubting what you say, but I have to say that I'm fairly sure I used to spot before I was TTC but I couldn't hand-on-heart say it was the case. I just never paid that much attention to my cycle.

I'm desperately clinging to hope here. I have had less spotting than normal, but yesterday, 8dpo I had red spotting. Today, so far, nothing.

So pleased it's not just me. Been ttc#1 for six months now and for last three months have had on and off spotting (pink or brown usually) 2-4 days before AF sending me up the wall wondering what it was. Now surely it's no coincidence that I've only had this since TTC which surely means the two are connected .

Sorry for your loss Heather, its great that you can take something positive from the experience.
I do wonder if it is normal to spot. After all, why would we all be being told its normal if it isn't?
I wonder how many women spot and never mention it or worry about it because they have never had trouble getting pregnant?

Hi ladies, another spotter!

I wanted to share my experience too - I have endured heavy spotting for a number of years that starts anywhere from 4dpo to 7 days before AF. It can range from light brown light flow to sludgey black goop (sorry!)

I did get pregnant last July but mc in September - I was still spotting when I got my BFP so it can be done! Since losing the baby the spotting has come back just as before and I have been back and forth to the doctors for the usual tests-all come back normal! I'm SO fed up with being fobbed off with 'it's normal'! I sometimes think I have become obsessed with finding a REASON for it and the closest I got to an answer was from a gynae/obs specialist saying it could be due to a 'fragile uterine lining' I really had to demand this explaination though!

sigh thanks for listening ladies - I'm so glad there is a spotters thread!

xx

Well I'm 5dpo with very light brown spotting this morning and bright red this evening after a bowel movement.
Any rays of hope out there?

Good positive news minipie, there's hope for us then.

I posted last month (just a few posts up) and everything was great - no spotting at all last month. This month I have been going through A LOT of stress (FIL put in hospice etc) and because of this and other things I've been drinking too much and eating terribly. Slept has beeen awful all month. Guess what? My spotting has been the worse it's been in years AND I only had 21 day cycle. For me i am sure that my lifestyle is the biggest indicator of how my cycle is going to go. Decided to turn the slobbery on it's head and be back to a healthy lifestyle this month.

Just thought I would share my experience as I am a "spotter" and finally got a BFP last week .

I usually get spotting from about 5/6 days before AF is due. It starts off very light, just brown tinged cm usually, then gets heavier and sludgier and then becomes AF.

This time (BFP month) I got a little bit of bright red blood 5 days before AF. I assumed it was the usual pre AF spotting. Then the same the next day, 4 days before AF. Then on 3 days before AF, just a little tiny bit of brown tinge in my cm. 2 days before AF, I got a BFP and have had just clear/creamy cm since then - no blood at all.

So basically, I did still get some spotting in the BFP month, but it was bright red rather than brown (though did get some brown after the bright red), and it stopped rather than increasing. Maybe therefore it was really the fabled implantation bleeding rather than spotting?

Welcome Mollymoo - I have a doctors apt on 11th so we can compare notes!! My spotting has been worse - starting about 7dpo for 5/6 days since starting prenatal vits??? Anyway off to the docs although expecting to get fobbed off with a 'wait & see'

Hi all

Am quite excited to have a found a thread that's current about spotting, after reading ones that date back to 2006 for a few weeks now!
I have spotting for between 5 and 7 days directly before AF starts and have had this since I stopped taking the pill about 6 years ago. I came off the pill because I got breakthrough bleeding with it and after trying a third pill (which also gave me mood swings) I decided not to bother thinking that I would go back to my quite heavy, but fairly regular thanks v much, periods! That never happened though, the spotting started and has carried on ever since!
It has always bothered me because it's a pain in the backside but it's only really started to worry me in last 12 months as had a new partner and knew we would most likely want to ttc at some point. We're at that point now and only on month 1 of trying and am already paranoid! :-D
Have got an appt at Drs on 12th to try and put my mind at rest but am guessing I'll just be told it's "normal".
It is good to see that a couple of spotters on here have had a bfp...fingers crossed!

ooh have just read thread with interest. Here is my story I have always had really regular AFs and conceived DC1 in first month of trying, then a year after periods returned tried for DC2. After first month of trying got spotting for 2 days before AF for the very first time and wondered what it was about. Then conceived on month 2, no spotting at all and normal pregnancy. Since AF returned have been getting spotting for 2 days before more and more (but not every month). Going to TTC in next couple of months so was wondering if it was going to be a problem. Seems its fairly normal, so fingers crossed.

Out of interest when i conceived DC2 i counted the 'first day of my last period' as the day the spotting started and that fitted the dates that the scan gave so i now count first day of AF when spotting starts...

Good luck to all the TTC spotters!!

I've had a mixed experience with b6 too. First cycle only had 24 hours spotting starting at 13dpo so I really thought I'd cracked it. But last cycle I started spotting at 8dpo and had five days before AF. It did seem lighter though, more watery and fewer clots...sorry way TMI! Anyway am sticking with it this cycle so we'll see what happens.

Mine was definitely different last month so maybe it is the B Vits doing something - just not what we hoped! I currently have a lot of CM (TMI sorry) which is a bit weird, just another thing to note on my one of many chart :)