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

@burtle4 that’s really helpful thank you because I was always like my bbt is so high surely it isn’t progesterone and I’ve no other symptoms of low progesterone but I’m absolutely going to ask him when he calls me next week. I’m hoping he doesn’t say no :( because I know it can be such a fight to get medication these days. I thought my prog might of been better this cycle because of the clomid assuming I might of released 2 eggs. My MMC was Feb 21 so a good 17 months ago. I did over exercise a little after as running was my coping mechanism and I was running to raise money for Sands but surely that wouldn’t be having an impact 17 months later? I think exercise can affect those particular cycles but not so long after. I’m just exhausted trying to think of options! If someone said to me 17 months after loosing your baby you wouldn’t be pregnant again I wouldn’t of believed them after getting pregnant relatively easy twice. I’m also nearly 36 now so maybe my hormones are to blame.

I also forgot to mention I had a hysterscopy done which showed up nothing, mixed emotions of being happy nothing was wrong but so upset that I still didn't have any answers!

@Loz2467 I'm so sorry for your loss, that must have just been such an awful experience to go through. You say that the spotting has started since you had your loss and I'm wondering if your hormones haven't quite balanced themselves out since the birth. I managed to get pregnant three times relatively easily before having trouble conceiving our third child and I definitely think it was down to my low progesterone which for whatever reason had decided to start dropping early. My temps would also stay sky high through the spotting, sometimes not even dropping until a few days into my period. I would find it so upsetting because I would convince myself each time that I must be pregnant. The first month on the pessaries I had no spotting and the second month I got pregnant and had no spotting either. Definitely ask for them if you're going private, definitely worth a shot x

@Firsttimetrier I forgot to mention a very small fibroid was also picked up by the private clinic but apparently wouldn’t change my chances of conception because of the placement.

@Firsttimetrier congrats on your pregnancy! Not long to go now!

Thats a great point about the polyp. On my private scan they did see something that looked like a polyp hence the reason so have the hysterscopy done however he said it was an endometrial fold which doesn’t usually affect conception but he corrected it anyway. I’m waiting on the rest of my biopsy report but I was convinced I had something called endometritis (not endometriosis) which is infection and inflammation of the uterine lining. As we lost our baby due to an infection and I had to be induced etc and give birth and apparently it’s quite common after second trimester losses but apparently my biopsy is negative for it.

i was thinking when the Dr calls me Monday so maybe ask for the month of antibiotics and treat as if I’ve got endometritis and then ask for the progesterone as @Bubblybub suggested. That’s interesting that all though your BBT was high your prog was still the lower end. Like you say there is definitely something making the lining come away and if he’s been in there with a camera and not picked anything up then surely it has to be hormonal imbalance!

i was hoping he was going to remove a polyp and have the endomretriis and the surgery stop the spotting so it was well worth the money and answers but unfortunately I’ve spent a lot of money and I’m no further forward. :(

If you’ve gone private then most deffo get progesterone. My temps also stayed high until AF. but yep I reckon your progesterone starts lowering after 7dpo. Which would explain the spotting. Something is deffo making the lining shed and it’s got to be that. If you get the pessaries then make sure you start them 3dpo. I’m just asking my friend which cream it was as I’ve totally forgot. When she responds I’ll post it in!!

Sorry to hear of your loss @Loz2467

I had spotting before AF which was usually around the time of ovulation. I had my bloods checked but my hormone and thyroid was all okay, but then I had a scan and they found a small polyp which they think could have been the cause.

I was due to have a polyp removed in December last year, but I found out I was pregnant in November which meant I couldn’t have it done.

I’m now 33 weeks pregnant and the polyp hasn’t been picked up in my scans, but I do now have a fibroid which hasn’t grown since my 12 week scan or interfered so far with the pregnancy.

I would recommend getting checked for polyps if you’ve not had it done as I know they can sometimes interfere with conceiving, but they can also not mean anything, like in my case.

Hope you get some answers soon!

@Bubblybub congrats on your little one! Thank you so much for this invaluable information! I’m in the UK too. So do you think maybe at 7dpo my progesterone is okay but could be starting to drop too quickly? I’ve gone private now so I’ll be paying for private prescriptions which I don’t mind I’m willing to try anything so when I speak to my Dr at the fertility clinic hopefully on Monday I can ask him if for my next 2 clomid cycles I can try progesterone. I do chart my BBT and my temps remain super high all through the TWW and even when I get the spotting so I didn’t really think it was that but unless your having blood tests daily you wouldn’t actually know would you. If you could send me a pic of the cream that would be great thank you. I just had hope that the hysterscopy would help as the Dr suggested so I’m really upset today that it hasn’t “worked” or given us any further answers to our secondary infertility.

Thank you @burtle4 and congrats on your little one too! It seems like progesterone may help because I’m completely stuck what else to even check and ask for now. Thank you both so much!

100% agree with what @Bubblybub said. I had my baby 6 months ago after trying for 18 months with no luck. Managed to convince my consultant to let me try progesterone pessaries since I was spotting from as early as 7dpo every month, and I fell pregnant the second month on them. Surely can't just be coincidence! My bloods always showed my progesterone was borderline so they never flagged it as an issue and I had to really fight to convince them that it was my progesterone that was the issue.

Hello!! First of all, sorry for your loss. That must be very tough. So I had my baby 16 months ago. I always spotted before my period. Usually from day 7 after ovulation. The problem when they check your progesterone levels on day (can’t remember when it is) but basically your progesterone levels might be dropping before ur AF. which then causes the lining to shed a bit. I used progesterone cream from 3dpo to when my period was due. This was the month I fell pregnant. Surely not a coincidence considering I’d been trying for 17 months with no success.

the doctors wouldn’t give me progesterone pessaries which I wanted as they say there’s no science behind it. Even though there is the internet full of it and they give it to all IVF patients.

this however didn’t stop the spotting. Did reduce it though and I continued to spot during pregnancy until week 8. I carried on using the cream until week 13. If you have a good doctor which you sound like you do as his been testing you for different things. Maybe ask him for progesterone pessaries to take from 3dpo. The idea is to then do a pregnancy test the day u are due on, if it’s negative then you stop using the progesterone to then bring on your period.

I’m also not the only one who’s had success with progesterone. Two of my friends who kept having miscarriages begged tbere doctors for some. One of them got the pessaries. Other one wasn’t successful with getting her own way and had to order the cream. But we’ll worth it as it held on to baby after 6 miscarriages.

im in the UK not sure if you are. If you want the name of it I can search my emails just let me no!

hope this helps x

Hi Ladies,

I can see this is an older thread but is there any positive stories from the recent 2021 posted in TTC with spotting?

I had a late second trimester loss last Feb 2021 and since then I’m getting spotting for 5-7 days before AF. I’ve had day 3 bloods. Progesterone checked twice. 61 and 37 (UK) I’ve had a hysterscopy and biopsy done 3 weeks ago and he was hoping that would correct the spotting but no luck as it’s started again today at 7 DPO and is 100% not implantation bleeding as I’ve had that with 2 pregnancies and it’s different.

just loosing hope now and not sure what else to get checked :(

Thanks so much for the suggestion. I’ll definitely raise it with my doctor. Willing to give anything a go :)

@KateAlix my progesterone levels were always borderline so the doctors never really picked up on that being an issue. I think I always had enough to ovulate but not enough to stop the lining coming away early. If you can, try and get some progesterone pessaries and try them for a few months at least. It doesn't hurt to try and it might be the solution!

Hi everyone,
My experience with spotting is similar to many in this chat and it’s reassuring to hear that others have had spotting and conceived.
We’ve been TTC for over a year now. After 15 years on the pill, going off it has taught me so much about my body including the fact I spot for around six days before my period. The spotting starts on day 22 and my period generally comes day 28.
My husband and I have been seeing a fertility specialist for a few months now. I recently had a hysteroscopy to try and address the spotting. Fortunately the hysteroscopy found no underlying issues, however the spotting is still happening.
I’ve had a number of tests, as you do when seeing a specialist, and there’s nothing obvious causing the spotting. Despite the fact that my hormone level and my lining appear good, seeing it month after month is unnerving and frustrating.
I’m so happy to have stumbled on this chat today. I feel comforted by the positive experiences of many and hope it’s only a matter of time for us too.

@GingerJar that’s good to hear and I hope the new pessaries work. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.

I’m doing well as I had a check up last week and the doctor advised that it shouldn’t stop us from TTC, so we’re going for it whilst we await a confirmed date that I can have the polyp removed properly. It’s our first ever time trying, so not hoping out much hope but we will see next week!

@GingerJar I'm so pleased and keeping everything crossed they work for you too! After trawling the internet for so long trying to find answers I swore to myself if I ever found a solution I would try and share my experience in the hope it would help others in my situation. Great news that you aren't spotting yet, that's a really good sign. Just don't give up on them if it doesn't happen the first month as it was the second one for me - good luck!!

Thank you for your suggestion @Firsttimetrier! My fertility specialist said I was ‘polyp free’ during my hysteroscopy in June this year. I thought it might have been polyps too (actually was hoping!) so there could be a fix. How are you going? x

@burtle4 huge congratulations!! I was reading through your posts from April and they are actually what gave me the push to request the script for progesterone. (Thank you!!) My specialist was skeptical, but he is really supportive of trying different things. Normally I’d be spotting by this point in my cycle….but nothing! Fingers crossed! I hope your pregnancy is travelling along well! x

@GingerJar Good luck with the pessaries and keep going with them! I was ttc for 2 full years with no hint of a bfp and the second month on them I fell pregnant! I kept going with them through the first trimester and am now 27 weeks! Fingers crossed the same happens for you x

Hey Becky, sorry to hear of your struggles!

I would suggest asking your GP to check if you have any polyps. I have one small one that causes spotting before my period. Luckily, they are easy to remove but they can cause infertility as it’s harder for the egg to stick.

I hope you fall pregnant soon!

Hi ladies, as with most of you I’m so happy I found this thread and that it’s still going near 10 years later!!!!
Hi my name is Becky and I’m a spotter.. Hi Becky
For the last year and a bit, 4/5 days before my period comes I get what most of the others have described as (tmi) brown wet discharge / rusty spotting. I also get cramping for most of that time. Some months the spotting stops 2 days before my period comes (cue emotional roller coaster).
We’ve been TTC 2 years for our second. We were lucky we fell pregnant on the second cycle trying for our first (now 3yr old).

I’ve done everything from fertility acupuncture to drinking and eating disgusting pills and potions, vitamins up the wazoo, 2 different fertility doctors, Metformin, Letrazole and a a hysteroscopy. So far not even a sniff of another pregnancy.
I’m currently CD27/12DPO, I’ve been on progesterone pessaries since 7DPO (started late I know, but my new fertility doctor wanted to see my day 21 progesterone levels without the ‘top up’) and so far no spotting (but still some cramping) fingers crossed we have some luck this month!!
Baby dust ladies and congratulations to all who have conceived despite the spotting!

This month I had my normal 4 days of spotting, which started a couple days before I was expecting it too. But then my period didn't start after like it normally does, so I waited a couple of days until it was due and still got nothing.
This morning, roughly 15dpo, I took a test and got a BFP! 😁😁😁 so happy, and relieved that the spotting didn't seem to make a difference, so there's definitely hope for all the spotters, just try not to think that you're out if it starts as that's what I always thought.

Mine has been going on for years!

I find it weird that mine only started when TTC as well, seems to be a common theme...

@aspiring2021 mines only seemed to start when since TTC too, back in April as well, and mines is also quite heavy for spotting, but not like a proper period.
I was on the implant for nearly 3 years, came off that in October last year, so I'm wondering if it's sort of changed my periods or something and this is just normal for me now.

Hi ladies, just checking in as I also have spotting for 2-3 days before AF and nice to know I’m not alone. Oddly this has only really started (or come to my attention!) since starting TTC in April. This may be tmi but I think I have quite heavy spotting (?) as I need to use a panty liner to protect my undies from the brown stuff but I know it’s not full AF until the severe stomach cramps and red flow arrives! Just wondered if anyone else has similar experience.
Currently taking vitamin C & zinc and omega 3/Vit D supplements. I’ve heard good things about Vit B complex but it gives me awful acne so I’m steering clear of it for now!
Baby dust to all on this bank holiday evening