When do you it's CD1? Maybe TMI for some

[wideawakenurse]

My cycles, since TTC'ing, have become irregular - ranging from 24 to 34 days. I am going to start using ovulation sticks this month.

AF arrived yesterday, although just very small amounts of thick brown spotting and brown tinged CM. Does this count as CD1 or do you count from the day AF arrives in full force? Sometimes I can just have this spotting for a few days, so I wonder if I have been calculating my cycles incorrectly.

TIA!

I read somewhere the other day that you should count CD 1 as first day of full bleeding before 5pm. After 5pm, count the following day as CD 1, so I suppose that would infer that spotting wouldn't count as CD 1. Can't nb where I read it though. I was googling info about fertility generally and noticed it, so might be worth double checking :)

First day of proper red flow. I get half a day of brownish cm just before , but I don't count cd1 until I see proper red blood.

Fertility friend puts spotting as last day of previous cycle and a flow as CD1.

I understood it was day 1 when you had a flow heavy enough to need a tampon or towel.

Thank you all for your help.

Looks like today is CD1 then.