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

my mum said she always had this and never had problems getting pg.

Funnily, i've just had a month with practically no spotting, and a very pretty chart, but still bfn. Not sure the two things correlate!

www.fertilityfriend.com/home/carebear1

It makes me wonder that if so many of us do get it the maybe it is normal.

I've now had 4 days of spotting. Just when I wipe, and a tiny mark on a panty liner. It's brown mainly, with a little pink and some clots.
This is the longest it's been since I've come off the pill.

ISpy Do you mean that you normally had spotting and it was because it didn't slow down that you thought you might be pg?

Just found this thread. I'm another one who thought it was normal to have a couple of days' brown spotting before AF really starts, as I've had this most months as far back as I can remember. In fact, when I was first pg with DS it was because the spotting didn't seem to be cranking up after a few days (and a weird gut feeling) that led me to POAS. When I discussed the spotting with the mw, she said it had probably been an implantation bleed. This made sense at the time, but reading this I'm starting to wonder.

It did take about 8 months to get pg, which I know is completely normal, but coupled with a history of mid-cycle spotting while on the pill (smears/sti tests all clear) and v heavy periods when not taking it, I'm beginning to think there is a possibilty of an imbalance somewhere - my mum had lots of issues ttc, so might be a bit of family history too.

Only v recently started ttc again and got a bit excited last month as the spotting went on for 4/5 days again but got a bfn followed by full-on AF the next day. Just really hope spotting is 'normal' for me and everything will be fine again, rather than it turning out that we just got v lucky with DS.

Did they ever say anything about the spotting?

Afraid not Pipbin! I'm due to start IVF next month but that's not as a direct result of the spotting- I fall into the 'unexplained' category...

Did anyone ever get any answers?

I've been taking a vitamin b complex this month and my spotting is worse than ever!

whereismywine sorry I didnt reply to your earlier post, Ive been a bit awol over the past week or so.

They are not doing anything about my fibroids, even though i have been told I have lots they are small the biggest is about 4 cm across. (pretty big to me) When I was pg, they started to grow, I had a cluster of them that reached about 17 cm but that was a bit of an estimate. I also suffered from red degeneration where one of them had got to big for its blood supply and started to strink and die and it was so painful, I woould rather go throught labour again.
I have fibroids inside my womb wall, so they are not considered dangerous, but I was told that it might be marginally more difficult for me to conceive as my wall lining is so bumpy. I guess that is why I spot, as if it was all smooth in there everything would be able to come out unhindered but its got lots of obstacles blocing it which i guess is why I spot.

If you want to pm me about fribroids and my treatment during pg please pm, me I would be happy to share.

Yeah, I read a lot about that last year aloha. I had a copper coil put in after DS was born and it didn't agree with me at all. Started researching it since there's no hormones in it and there seems to be a link to copper overload and hormone imbalance, thyroid dysfunction and adrenal burnout. In terms of hormone balance, copper is directly related to estrogen and when its too high will deplete zinc which is linked to progesterone. Don't think the copper coil would effect everyone in that way but if you've already got slightly high estrogen then it wouldn't help. Think quite a few women are a wee bit copper/estrogen dominant without realising it, there's just so many chemical estrogens in the environment nowadays too. I'm trying to balance it out a bit with diet etc just in case but its hard when high copper foods are bread and chocolate

For those of you who've had your progesterone checked and it came out fine, I really wonder what's causing it - fibroids maybe? Suppose the good thing is that if progesterone is fine then an egg has the ability to implant ok so thats a bonus but really frustrating all the same not knowing. Would def recommend a B-complex though (can't remember if someone has already suggested it), B-vits are really important in making sure your eggs mature properly (can take 3mths to work though). Oh and also red raspberry leaf tea. Women generally take it in the last trimester of pregnancy to help with labour but its actually great to take at any time cos it tones the uterus and is chockful of hormone-healthy vitamins. Its not a labour-inducer as many people think so actually quite safe before and in the early stages of pregnancy. I have a wee cup most mornings to give my uterus a wee bit of daily exercise

Can you tell I'm one of those folk that googles the life out of anything that might potentially be wrong with me??

I think in my case it may have been related to adrenal fatigue wee. and my "spotting" was usually two weeks before af usually lasting the full two weeks.

Hi everyone,

I've got good news and bad news.

I've had spotting since I came off the pill about 4yrs ago. At that time it was prob about 2-3 days before AF. Had absolutely no problems conceiving DS a couple of years ago despite the spotting (only took once), though I remember I didn't get any spotting the month I conceived (prob cos the egg had already implanted?).

Anyway, ttc #2 just now with no luck so far (only been 3mths though). The difference now is that since I had DS the spotting has gradually gotten longer and now tends to start on CD21 and last til CD26. I now either start my period on CD26 or the spotting stops for a day or two and then I start AF. Got no idea whats made it worse, been to gp but she's not carried out a lot of tests yet (just did a smear and tested for infection so far). She did say I have a cervical erosion but afaik that tends to cause post-sex bleeding rather than cyclic bleeding so not convinced thats the cause. At first I just assumed it was high prolactin from breastfeeding (which can affect progesterone levels) but been stopped a year now so would've thought it'd be sorted by now. Going to start taking B-50 (high dose B-complex) this month and also Agnus castus to see if it'll regulate things - really frustrating!!! Definately timing swi right too so had just assumed it would be as easy as last time.

Anyway, I assume from my experience that the length of time you're spotting may make a difference if its hormone related. As long as the egg has at least 10 days to implant then it should be ok.

P.S. Has anybody here had their thyroid checked? It can affect fertility and cause spotting if levels are low. Other symptoms are tiredness, weight gain and cold hands and feet. Stress can also do the same by depleting the adrenal glands. Both these conditions can deplete zinc which is related to progesterone production so maybe a zinc supplement would be beneficial too? I'm no expert though.....

Hi all.

Just a positive note here: I started spotting about 3-4 days pre AF after dc1 was born, I went on to have 2 successful pregnancies after that and conceived without any problem. We're TTC no4 now, but this hasn't been easy so far (13m and 2 misc so far). I still have spotting, but don't blame our troubles on that given my history.

Anyone else find they have spotting some cycles and not others? I've had a look at my last year's worth of charting and I reckon I'm getting significant spotting in lp about 1/3 of cycles.

Thank you very much for this story alhoa I think the trouble is that when people have spotting and arent trying they maybe dont notice as much or spotters get pregnant and don't think to post on threads like these beacuse they have other things to think about! So it is so helpful for you to post this.

I can't remember if I said, after my lap and dye in December (where they found a fibroid) I had zero spotting before my period. It just started. How mysterious our bodies are.

pippi and tue the only way to tell when you have spotting before is by charting. I could somehow tell the difference between the spotting and the real AF and the temp change corresponded with this. I was in a real mess before I started charting but after a cycle I knew where I was. Day one of real AF is cycle day 1.

I remember being very worried, apart from the inconvenience (to say the least!) of spotting so much, about the possibility that I may be infertile. I think I started taking agnus castus (not recommended when ttc I think, but I wasn't) to try to sort my cycle out. Accupuncture helped a bit over time. I remember wanting to sort it out as I thought I'd want to ttc in a few years, then I fell pregnant by surprise.

This book is great for explaining it all, and there is a website too.

I've read lots of places that say count from 1st day of full flow, also if you use the fertility friend site and add in all your details like temps, spotting, periods, cm etc it calculates your day 1 for you (always been on 1st day of actual period days on my charts) and tells you when you ovulate.

pippi that's what I was going to ask as well - does anyone know what the definitive answer is on when to start counting your cycle from? Is it the first day of spotting? It's so light that it somehow just seems "wrong"

This thread has really interested me as now Metformin has regulated my cycle to 41 days, on day 38, 39, and 40 I get a sort of red spotting.
Not enough to need to wear a liner or anything, just a little noticeable when I wipe, then on day 41 AF starts in full flow.

Any advise as to what is going on, and is my cycle really 41 days, or does the first day of spotting count as the first day of the cycle????!

Thanks M'snetters

I had spotting, or a flow of old blood (though occasionally fresh) for up to two weeks before af. I could sort of tell when the real period started, but did think maybe I just have very long periods. I started charting to see what was going on. the pattern was i started bleeding just after ovulation, then real period after about 2 weeks of this.

after a year or so my brilliant gp got my an appt at the gynea clinic of the maternity hospital. I was in and out over a few months having scans and so on. nothing conclusive, they thought there may be a small water filled cyst but nothing serious.

last September I had the old blood spotting as usual. but I could somehow tell it didn't turn into real af and charting confirmed this. we weren't ttc. The day my temp was due to go up i got a bfp! this was a Saturday and I had a follow up appt at the hospital on the Monday. the consultant said that water filled cysts can come and go, nothing to worry about etc. I said ok, and also i just had a bfp! She took me to the scan dept and the little bean was there!

as I was still bleeding usually old blood I had a few early scans, there was an area inside the womb near the baby where the bleed seemed to be coming from. I bled around the time my af was due for the first 3 months.

perfect pregnancy and birth, dd now 7mo and chatting to herself in cot, had better go get her!

good luck everyone!

PS af started again in November, am still bfing, no spotting just normal cycle.

Oh Why that must be disappointing but let's hope that it's just a sign of that the acupuncture is able to affect your cycle and that it will settle.

My spotting started yesterday at 10dpo cycle day 25 :( as usual I had really got my hopes up but am expecting AF to start later today or tomorrow. Trying very hard to be positive - at least I didn't waste any tests this month!!

Really hope to hear some positive stories from fellow spotters!

Hi, just quick update from me that I've taken a low dose of ginseng this month and bar a couple of days of the faintest bit of colour haven't had any spotting. Due on tomorrow.

One question, luteal phases: are they meant to be fixed or varying? Mine have ranged from 11 - 14 days, is that normal to have that variation?

Oh, and taking b vitamins. How much do you need to take? Should I supplement the preconception tablets I'm taking?

The lady doing the scan said that it was very small and not likely to cause a problem.
It wasn't the reason I was there so it was just left at that.
I had spotting after AF this time, this never happens, and spoke to the doctor who said that I had a clean bill of health in my lady bits and it was nothing to worry about.

pipbin and fanjo what is happening with your fibroids? Are you having them removed. I need some fibroid friends!

I had a scan when I had a dodgy smear and they found a fibroid.
I wonder if that is what caused my spotting.

How many women are spotters I wonder. I've never started with a bang. Does anyone?