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

I think it us definitely one symptom to take in the round with everything else. My worst months I've had some form of bleeding half the month. I go to acu once a week, to a low cost clinic. Try googling low cost multi bed acupuncture.

My periods have always been like this (usually 1 to 2 days spotting at the beginning, then again at the end). Have conceived second month twice, then third month. Oddly the period before I conceived ds i spotted for 5 days, was confused about dates but the pregnancy dated from the first day of spotting. I had the same this time - nearly 4 days spotting, not had scan yet but think I ov'd 16 days after spotting started (30 day cycle). I've always just seen this as a slow start to my period.

I've always spotted a day or two before AF and conceived three times pretty much on first month (expecting my third child in next few weeks). I don't think it is necessarily a problem - best of luck to all of you TTC!

Yes I have been having it since June and I have noticed real improvement in my cycle and less spotting and longer cycles. The month I skipped I had spotting for 5 days pre AF. I only do it once a week evern though my acu lady said I should see her every week

Hi all, I think you're right that some people have this and it's not a problem getting pg so might not look on the TTC board. But I'd definitely appreciate hearing from people who've had this and are now pg, especially if they solved the problem. So I've put a post up on the pregnancy board...hoping to hear lots of positive BFP stories from 'spotters'!

I am using one called Serenity, I ordered it from amazon.
I did a lot of research and it seemed to be the one a lot of people recommended as a natural, bio-identical form.

Farfalla - which prog cream did you get?

Hello ladies, yes I have this problem too.

My progesterone tests have just scrapped a 29/30 so ok not great.

I have found B100 vitamins and accupuncture have helped get the spotting down to 2 days as opposed to 5.

I have also had a MC at 5 weeks and a chemical pregnancy so I am convinced this is a luteal phase/progesterone problem.

This month I am trying B100 vits, baby aspirin from ovulation and a tiny spot of natural progesterone cream post ovulation. I am either 9 or 10dpo today and no spotting so far.

This thread is a great idea, thanks for starting it OP

Here is me chipping in, another ttc spotter. I always had this for the afternoon my period would come before ttc, I think, it's never just started with a bang ever since income off the ill after 8 years. But, since ttc (and maybe just paying more attention) I always get spotting ranging from 1 to 5 days. It's barely noticeable really, but it is there. My progesterone is good, the spotting starts around 11-12 days dpo and I've given up hoping it might be implantation bleeding! No gp or consultant has seemed remotely concerned or interested and acupuncture hasnt fixed it either. I don't have cervical erosion. But - during my lap and dye 2 weeks ago, a big fat fibroid was found and they said it may be causing it. It needs to come out via an op this year :-(

I'm not sure this is much help really, but I've been ttc a year and would like to follow other people with the same issue. It means I rarely get to poas. If it's any help, my mum spotted for 2 days always and had me and my brother relatively quickly and my friend had it and conceived straight away. I guess on the ttc boards we are likely to meet up with people who are worried it's a problem rather than people who had it and got pregnant straight away, making it look like a problem when it might not be? But I hope the thread continues and will try and report back on spotting after my op. I suspect it will still happen!

In case you're interested, this is the lists of other possible symptoms in the book i've got about traditional chinese medicine for 'spleen qi deficiency':

Feeling fatigued
Poor appetite
Energy lower after a meal
Feeling bloated after eating
Craving sweet food
Having loose stools, abdominal pain, or digestive problems
Cold hands and feet
Prone to feeling heavy and sluggish
Prone to feeling heaviness or grogginess in the head
Bruising easily
Poor circulation
Varicose veins
Lacking in strength in arms and legs
Prone to worry
Low blood pressure
Sweating easily
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded when standing up too quickly
Menstruation that is thin, watery or pinkish in colour
Feeling more tired around ovulation and menstruation
Spotting a few days before a period comes
Menstrual cramps with a bearing down sensation on uterus
Tongue that is swollenish with teeth marks round the side

I get a brown spotting 3/4 days before AF proper arrives too. I have been TTC for well over a year now.

Watching with interest too - I've always had a day or two of brown spotting before AF, but recently had a couple of cycles spotting brown very early, and of bright red spotting after sex (like start of AF, but then doesn't continue) up to a week before AF is due. Have just started Ttc for the first time, so I'll be keeping an eye on it.

Just my experience but up until my miscarriage last September (I was 13 weeks) I had been experiencing spotting for years. It lasted anything from 5 days up to 2 weeks (just after ovulation)before AF. I had been to the Dr numerous times in tears thinking it would prevent me conceiving but then bingo! one month my period never properly arrived -though I had been spotting just as usual -very confusing! So in my case, the spotting didn't stop me getting pregnant :)

Interestingly, since my mc I have very little spotting and am wondering if my pregnancy somehow 'corrected' a hormone imbalance? Still ttc now again and good luck to all you ladies! :)

Whyso, i thought that side of chinese medicine theory was interesting too, i was getting fungal infections, and often having loose stools, and generally feeling really tired all the time, and since i've started some of the treatments these have either stopped or reduced hugely. I know some people think that alternative treatments have mostly a psychosomatic effect but i think there's more to it than that. last month i felt way more horny than usual! and i've seen more EWCM so far this month than usual.

scrummy i had prog pessaries during my ivf and still spotted about 3 days prior to AF but then again there's stronger meds with ivf.

squirrel in the past i have spotted in every possible day throughout the cycle (on different cycles) - often after AF. The spotting after af, and very dark brown / black blood has stopped since i've been having acu.

Just jumping in to add my story. I spot every month - before and after. Sometimes up to 7 days before AF arrives proper. Like all of you, doctors not concerned, but when i mentioned it to my private consultant he automatically said it would be just my progesterone levels lowering. I have very high progesterone levels during mid-LP, so it made sense. Having just gone through two cycles of IUI, I've been on progesterone pessaries during the TWW, which extended my LP from 14 to 17 days with minimal to no spotting both cycles before AF.
Interestingly enough, Clomid reduced my AF to next to nothing, so not good for my uterus lining.

Hope you all get your BFPs in 2012!

Hmmm, this is all very interesting.

Since having the Mirena removed 4 months ago I have spotted for 2-3 days before AF, old brown blood. Not sure why. Has anyone else had this as well - I wonder if
it has to do with the body self regulating after Mirena? It's bloody (haha) annoying anyway.

Very interesting thread this... I don't get any spotting BEFORE AF just AFTER! So, the first three to four days normal red bleed, starts heavy lasts like that for two days, light on third day and lighter on fourth; then for the following three to four days dark brown spotting. Never had that prior to six months ago. Cycle length decreased from Regular 28 days, to 25,26,27. Very strange. Any ideas?

Oooh, marking my place, as I am TTC my first and have had this with every cycle since coming off the pill (September). Didn't realise it was anything other than normal...

Oh, and I haven't ever had spotting before getting a bfp...my last pregnancy I didn't bleed until 11 weeks when the mmc was diagnosed, with dd it started at 5 weeks, this time nothing so far