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

I've attached a screenshot of my chart on the month that I got pregnant if it helps at all? I got a drop in temperature (maybe implantation?) but then it went back up again. I didn't have any other symptoms of low progesterone other than the spotting which is why it was so hard convincing the doctors that I needed the pessaries!

@burtle4 thank you! I’m praying it’s the same for me but I’m not convinced. My BBT was a slow rise this month on the clomid which shocked me. I usually get a sharp rise and super high temps but I didn’t this cycle. How were your charts? Did you have any other symptoms of low prog or just the spotting? I wonder if the estrogen will help to build my lining too. I’m just worried incase I’m not reacting to it because non of this is checked on ultrasound I’m just taking the meds.

I’m so anxious today thinking what if this doesn’t fix the spotting issue and what would I even do next :( IVF is so expensive for such low chances plus would I risk that still with spotting on progesterone as it’s only like they do in an IVF cycle.

Yes keep us posted, I'll be really keen to find out if it is the progesterone. When the pessaries worked for me I literally wanted to tell everyone who was having problems with spotting to get their levels checked. I couldn't believe I'd been trying and stressing for 2 years and it was such a simple solution in the end! I really hope it's the same for you x

@Bubblybub thank you! That makes complete sense. So frustrating with the periods though isn’t it! To be honest I spotted with my first pregnancy actually from 6 dpo to about 11 weeks something like that! I couldn’t actually believe I was pregnant and just did a test on New Year’s Eve before I went out. Wish it was that easy now :(

I’ve seen someone on ig saying her spotting before her period is from gut inflammation but surely not? Im just really panicked about the vaccine because it literally started that month . May and June were normal cycles and then from July that’s when it went bad.

I Have such bad anxiety 🙈 as you can probably tell!

thank you! I’ll keep you posted the support is great xxx

Mine have also been light aswell. And really LONG. god it’s a pain. Then I have one heavy day. But it’s totals to abojt 9 days. Even if you do get slight spotting with progesterone please don’t panic, as I think I still had it slightly. But mine was only the cream so it isn’t as strong as pessaries. Once I doubled up the cream at around 7 weeks pregnant, it did stop the spotting. (I had spotting from 7dpo to 7 weeks preg) but I generally do think when I doubled up the dose it got rid of the spotting. I think I would of lost the baby otherwise as this spotting was like clumps of brown. 😷

please let us know how you get on, these always come through to my emails (even tho I haven’t been on here for 2 years ha ha!) it’s always nice to help a fellow spotter as I remmeber google having NOTHING!!

xx

@burtle4 @Bubblybub thanks so much to you both for giving me such great advice!

Fingers crossed it stops the spotting this month! I don’t even know what I’ll do next if it doesn’t! Literally running out of things to test so feeling panicked if this medication doesn’t stop it.

yeah if it stops the spotting he might agree for me a couple more months medicated. fingers crossed!

my lining never got very thick and my periods have been quite light since last summer when the spotting started but I do get lots of the fertile cm which is meant to be the estrogen so I didn’t really think I had low estrogen. All these changes were also since my covid vaccine which is also worrying me. :( xx

@Loz2467 annoying about the biopsy but that's great that you've got the medication this month, in my experience the progesterone completely stopped the spotting but it took two months for me to get pregnant on it so as previous poster said it would be useful if you could get more than a month's supply. Fingers crossed for this month!

Glad you have clomid. As soy isos are basically the same but herbal. The fact he is able to give you progesterone is great. Although I would deffo ask for more then one months worth just incase. But that’s really promising. Try not to focus to much on the spotting. I have nothing wrong with me apart from having shit hormones and I managed to get pregnant with soys and progesterone! Xx

@Bubblybub I hope it’s more simple for you when you start to TTC Number 2. It’s draining isn’t it. Affects your whole life! My Dr called today! He said no inflammation or infection markers were picked up on the biopsy ( I could of sworn I have endometritis - inflammation and infection of the uterine lining as I lost our girl due to chorioamtetis which is very closely linked) I’m still not so sure I believe it. Brown spotting is a symptom and also the lining not growing to a good level and also being resistant to progesterone. So it literally all added up to that where you get a month of antibiotics. I was hoping that was the answer but apparently not. Because Only half of the biopsy got completed on time I’ve lost a bit of faith but I guess I have to believe them else it’s just a waste. I have to believe the job was done properly.

he’s prescribing me clomid to take day 2-6. Estrogen to take 7-11 and then progesterone 48 hours after ovulation. He said if that doesn’t stop the brown spotting he suggests we move to IVF quicker than anticipated because he isn’t sure what else to try. I’m not hopeful to be honest. I’m still torn about the endometritis but I’m glad he’s willing to help out. I only have 1 month of this medication.

@burtle4 I have actually tried acupuncture and reflexology but I’ve never got anywhere with it. Had the Chinese herbs and all sorts! Had it every other week - spent thousands but no luck! I’ve literally diagnosed myself with that too! I can’t believe it’s been this long after not having an issue before. As I said above I need to try and trust the biopsy that’s been done and assume it’s a hormonal issue now maybe thrown off by my miscarriage. It’s upsetting keep trying let alone with all this brown spotting when you know something is clearly not right.

@Loz2467 have you tried acupuncture? I've used it for a lot of stuff but I used it once to sort out my cycles after miscarriage and it got them completely back on track. It can also help with fertility issues so it might be good to give it a go just to feel like you're doing something to help? I basically diagnosed myself with secondary infertility as well so I know exactly how it feels to be so lost as to why you can't get pregnant again, it took me over 2 years of trying but we got there in the end and you will too x

I’m not to sure about thyroid. If them numbers are in the normal range then I’d go by that. I also got pregnant the month I took soy isoflavones. Just google BFP soy isoflavones. You take them on day 3-7 of your cycle and it’s meant to make your egg really strong. So I did that and then progesterone cream and it worked after 16 months. U can get them off Amazon. You need 150mg a day on them days. I took them at night. I deffo think your issue is progesterone though. But the soy just helps the egg become strong.

it could be your miscarriage that has mucked your hormones up. But yeah mine have most deffo not sorted themselfs out after a baby. Some do though. But I reckon I’ll always have low progesterone. Xx

@Bubblybub Thank You! I’m thinking if nothing was seen visibly on my hyterscopy then it must be hormonal. I did loose my baby due to covid and heard covid can affect your thyroid. I know my TSH is 1.5/1.4 is it worth me paying a full panel or not? I really don’t have any signs and symptoms of anything being off! I’m spending fortunes - not that it matters but it’s money towards IVF If we need to do that route. So did yours just come from no where? I know I saw on the thread that after having a baby they sometimes stopped the spotting. I was induced for my miscarriage and had to birth because I was so far so I wonder if it’s just a change in my cycles. I was 34 when I got pregnant with her. Lost and then started trying 6 months after my conceive date and still nothing! So makes me think I’ve got secondary infertility because nothing is happening for me! :( it’s breaking me every single day!

It’ll just be hormonal basically. So anything can cause it. Just where your body isn’t making enough progesterone. Mine started at around 26 - hadnt changed anything, just started happening. So I don’t think it’s a age thing or anything. Im 30 now and it’s still the same even after having a baby. I was hoping the baby would make my hormones go into place but it didn’t! So good luck to me again when trying for my second hahahaha. Let us no what the doctor says!

@Bubblybub I got my progesterone tested on which I thought was 7dpo but looking back I think it was 8dpo. It was only 21 so so you think it’s dropping too quickly? This is the day the spotting started too? Is it likely an age thing (36) or something my miscarriage caused. It just seems strange after never having these issues before. I’m waiting for my Dr to call me at the end of the week. Hopefully!

@Cactus87 it really is. I was told this was my most fertile cycle after having the procedure done and using the clomid so I got my hopes up and thought I’d have a positive test by Father’s Day so I’m feeling completely hopeless and deflated. This is month 15 I think of TTC. My first 2 pregnancies I conceived the first time twice so if you can imagine my anxiety and worry is spiralling out of control and looking for things to blame. I only got the spotting after my miscarriage too. Before that my cycles would just go straight to full flow. Sorry that was a typo with my temps I meant 36.80 etc. this morning it was 36.78 so still high with the spotting which is odd but the other ladies on here experienced that too.

i had my progesterone blood test but I went by accident at 8dpo and not 7dpo and it was 21 so I’m wondering if it’s dropping too quickly as that’s the day the brown discharge started for me.

@Isthisjustnormal thank you for that info. I’ve had my smear done and nothing was noted for cervical erosion and it was checked during my surgery too but I did read online somewhere that it can be coming from your cervix or lower uterus or something and not your lining but I just don’t know. I’m exhausted looking for answers so that’s why I thought I’d pay and get the hyterscopy and biopsy and hopefully get answers and be “cured” and then get pregnant but the fact they haven’t found anything is even harder.

Not read full thread but I have/had this. Conceived on third and first cycles of trying (two kids) so didn’t impact my fertility but I was diagnosed with cervical
erosion as I spotted throughout both pregnancies but esp the first.

@Loz2467 I'm so sorry for your loss, I can't begin to imagine that pain 😥
It's horrible getting your hopes up each month for the spotting to start. Sometimes I even convince myself it could be implantation which is stupid because I just get more upset when AF arrives. I starting spotting 11dpo this month, but last month it was 9dpo and the month before I'm not even sure I ovulated....all over the shop 😐
My dropped to 36.1 on 11dpo, they haven't got passed 36.8 my whole cycle! I really hope someone can shed some light on what's going on for you too...I wonder if the progesterone cream will make a difference. X

Hi @Cactus87 it’s so frustrating isn’t it knowing your out and just waiting on your period when the spotting starts. I literally cry for a few days when the spotting arrives. I’ve exhausted all fertility tests / options to get down to the bottom of the spotting. I don’t even know what else to test now! I’m bbt charting too but my temps stay high during the spotting for example today is still brown spotting and my temp is 37.80. What are your temps dropping to? Spotting at 11DPO isn’t likely an issue as it’s enough implantation time. Spotting before that is usually an issue like I’m experiencing. I’ve had 2 pregnancies (lost 1) and my luteal before those was only 11 days. So it’s enough time to implant. X

Hello!
I'm so glad I found this thread!! I hope you dont mind me posting, trying to make sense of what is going on.
Trying to convince #1 cycle 5. I've been getting spotting 5 days before AF since coming off the pill Jan 2020 (year and a half ago!!). It's my first month of tracking bbt and I noticed my temp started to drop 9, 10, and 11 dpo and today at 11dpo the spotting has started...5 days before AF is due. I honestly thought spotting before/after AF was normal but after reading more into it and this thread I'm quite worried it could be low progesterone?? Would my temp drop if it was a progesterone issue? (sorry if thats a stupid question) I'm 35 and worried time is against me 😥

So you alternate it in certain areas. Thighs, arms, stomach. So mornong I use to do one area. Then night a diff area!

Thank you @burtle4 I’ve made some notes for when my Dr calls me this week. I was at a children party yesterday and the amount of times I was asked “is he your only one”. I just wanted to cry! If this surgery would of fixed the spotting I’d be happy to just keep trying naturally till the 2 year mark but the fact I have this is just super frustrating.

thank you @Bubblybub that’s really helpful! It sounds silly but do you just rub the cream anywhere? Xx

buynaturalprogesterone.com

there you goooo!! It’s quite expensive but was worth it in my case!

@Loz2467 I totally feel your pain and can only say tomorrow is a new day and please don't give up hope. Don't worry yourself with things like egg quality, although in the medical world we are considered 'old mums' 36 is still young and women these days are having babies well into their 40's! As I said, I was 39 and had my best experience! I can only imagine how hard it is knowing that you should have an 11 month old and be past all this worry but you just have to try and remain positive and tell yourself that one day it will happen x

@burtle4 thank you so much for your kind words 💗 I do think a lot changes. I had just turned 34 when I got pregnant with our little one we lost and now to be 36 that’s a big difference. Someone worried me and mentioned egg quality but I know you can’t find out about egg quality unless you have IVF and see how many fertilise. My AMH is lower end at 8.4 and my FSH was a little high. I’ve cried so much this morning. I should have an 11 month old not wasting my days on google trying to figure out my problems (our frenemy). I’m thinking to email my nurse at the clinic ahead of my call with the Dr so he can come prepared. I’m going to ask about the progesterone for sure. I had implantation bleeding my last 2 pregnancies and I implanted at 5dpo with my now nearly 3 year old and 7dpo with the one we lost. However the brown spotting is obviously old so it’s coming from somewhere and is fresh at some point. I’m just worrying if it’s not progesterone and he doesn’t give me the antibiotics for endometriris what do I even do next. IVF is such a huge financial cost for the chances x

@Loz2467 I really feel for you because I was in your position at the beginning of last year, completely at a loss with what to do next. We started trying for our third child when I was 37 and I was convincing myself as the months went by that I was too old. I finally got pregnant at 39 and had my best pregnancy and recovery from birth yet! I think hormones do change as we get older and what may have worked previously won't necessarily work again. I was very lucky that my consultant agreed to let me give the pessaries a try but I was the one that suggested it otherwise it wouldn't have been an option. I worked out that it doesn't matter how much you ovulate, if your progesterone is dropping the egg doesn't have a chance of implanting. I often wonder how many good, fertilised eggs were wasted because my lining kept shedding too early - but then I tell myself if any of those other eggs had made it I wouldn't have my beautiful boy ❤ There is a baby waiting for you and you will meet him/her eventually, just don't give up x