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

[Whysoserious]

Morning ladies!

I have bleated on about spotting before AF a lot now on these conception boards and have realised that it does seem to happen to a log of people, can be for many different reasons and also people can be fobbed off by the doctors as "nothing to worry about".

My periods were normal until last August when I started getting brown spotting 4 days before AF came in full force.

I have googled and googled and there are lots of threads of women TTC with this mysterious affliction, but they only last about 20 posts so you can never find out what the outcome was. What were they treated for? Did they manage to conceive? And the one that I'm always desperate to know the minute I start spotting every month; did they get the spotting the month they conceived?

So I want this thread I be a place for TTC mumsnetters who spot before AF to come and share their experiences and stories and support. The information out there is so conflicted so it would be so good to keep this one going until we get some answers and some BFPs!!

@kiza I used emrita in the past. I've got prescribed suppositories now. I choose emrita as if u get a BFP it's one of the few that is still safe to use.

@orangeloo thanks, did you manage to buy it OTC? I found was appears to be a god gel called Circone but I need a prescription so am going to call my consultant and ask if she would consider prescribing me to try before we start IVF

@Kiza I got it off eBay as it's American. Yes def worth an ask.

Hey all, just wanted to say that last month i've seen a few ppl get pregnant even with spotting (2 from 5 DPO). So don't give up guys. This gave me some hope so thought I'd share.

I'm still spotting even on progesterone so think there must be another reason too apparently thyroid can be even when tsh is good. Having tube test next month.

Anyone else got any updates. X

Sorry guys I really should of updated!! Totally forgot. But I was one of the people orangeloo was talking about. I still had spotting even before I got my BFP. So I thought I was out. It was exactly the same as it was every month. 7 days before my period. Yet I still got my positive test. I’m now 7 weeks 3 days. Good luck everyone x

Hey ladies!
Thanks for the updated @orangeloo!
@Bubblybub congratulations! I wish you the best with your pregnancy!
As for me, I'm on progesterone from ovulation day up to two weeks. This definitely stopped my spotting. So, maybe, in my case, my spotting was due to low progesterone levels during the luteal phase. But as @orangeloo says, it can be du to some other reasons.
Anyway, the positive stories give us hope!
Good luck to us all!

@Morgane777 did you get that from the nhs? What progesterone are you taking?

@orangeloo I'm in Montreal (Canada)... I got a prescription from my doctor. We had a virtual appointment and I came back to talking about the spotting issue (he never gave any importance to it).
My spotting around ovulation day had stopped a couple of months ago thanks to Letrozole, but I continued to spot some days before AF. So, when the doctor asked me when it was the first day of my period, I told him it was difficult to know because of the spotting, so he said: "I'll give you progesterone to deal with this issue".
So he gave me a prescription for "Treva progesterone". I have to take a vaginal suppository twice a day. I started last month and worked very well for me. It can delay your AF though.

@Morgane777 ah I see. I'm glad it works for you. Sadly progesterone didn't stop my spotting. One doctor thinks my thyroid is to blame even when my tsh is okay. So I was really pleased to see @Bubblybub and a couple of others get BFP's even with the spotting

Yep and I still carried on spotting until I was 5 weeks. So not a clue what it even is. However I did use the progesterone cream that month. didn’t help the spotting at all but I wonder if it gave me a boost I needed after OV.

@orangeloo how long have you been TTC? Are you under any treatment? We have been TTC since September 2019.
@bubblybub how long did it take you to get pregnant?

It was my 16 month I got pregnant. But I did put other half on loads of vitamins 2 months previous and took soy isoflavones the month I got pregnant. So I do think it was the soy that gave me a better egg quality and maybe helped that he had been on about 10 different vitamins for two months x

@Morgane777 I've been ttc18 months. Only progesterone treatment wise, as I do ovulate. having a tubes teated next week. And nhs fertility referral ball starts rolling in August but waiting lists will be a while.

Hi Everyone,
A major lurker of spotting threads here... Just wanted to say it's possible to get a BFP (got mine yesterday) even if you're still spotting throughout luteal phase and have endo. I have been ttc 8/9 months age 37. Was spotting consistently from 5DPO every month (including this month) until AF after coming off BC last August.
This month I was convinced I was out, and the spotting continued lightly until I realised I was 2 days late. Then BOOM BFP (I almost didn't bother to test). It's now subsiding and I'm still in shock.
I took prenatal vits, evening primrose (def helped CM) and just chilled out a bit this month. I was meant to see a gynae back in Feb for tests but then Covid happened. Just wanted to give others out there some positive vibes, as I was getting pretty worried and looking for this sort of story. GOOD LUCK ALL!

@SpotterofN0te massive congratulations and big thanks too for taking the time to post. I really really need to see these stories . Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy x

Thank you so much @orangeloo! Sending you much luck and positivity! x

@SpotterofN0te @Bubblybub congrats both of you! ☺️

Can I ask a bit of a gross question, when you ladies talk of spotting are you talking brown or pink? Mines always brown and sometimes a bit stringy which always lead me to believe it was old lining coming out?

Yep mine was always brown and sometimes stringy! Was always quite thick rather then watery x

Mine has been anything from brown, bit stringy to a gush of red (couple of months I thought I was getting AF early). This month it was mostly v light brown and then turned light and pinky/brown when AF was due. x

Hi all great to find such a lengthy thread on this. My background ttc since Aug 18 I too spot 🤔 anywhere from 8dpo up to af have constant lp of 12/13 days. Spotting consists of TMI pink mucous or brown mucous or tan coloured blood brown blood or brown stringy bits all varies.
I have see 3 GPS 2 fertility experts no one concerned with spotting..!! But I am.
I did get a bfp I was on letrozole and duphaston which is prog 3 tabs. the month I got bfp I did spot 8dpo as usual up to 12 dpo and got bfp. Unfortunately ended in mmc at 11 weeks my angel baby stopped at 6/7 weeks devesating after ttc a year apx.
So prog did not stop my spotting?
7dp ovul bloods ranged from 28 to 45 I have amh of 9 at 33. This is such a difficult journey for all. Ttc 6 months again after mmc 😔 god give me hope and strength

Just want to add I'm trying
procieve vits this month
red raspberry leaf tea, castor oil pack up to ov, abdominal massage, maca, Coq10, selenium, evening p oil till ov.
Oh and seed cycling
Just to see will it help. I'm officially crazy 🤪 what ttc does to a women.
Will update if works. Sending love ♥

Hi @Michelle122 nice to read your story. sorry about your miscarriage and having a crap time. I can def relate to the crap time in general haha. Prog did not stop me spotting either. FX for us all. Where do u stand with nhs fertility referral?

Thanks for response. x
I am not in uk
So have been on 3 round of clomid start of 2019 then nothing for few months then Letz for 2 months got bfp that was mmc. I do ov on my own so dunno whether clomid or Letz do much but seems To be first protacol. Had hsg all clear bloods done lots Dr's happy. Dh has 4% morph and 20 dna within range but I don't know. Its all very depressing and sad.
Went to another fert clinic last week just to hve experience eye on my bloods and situation all he did was give me script for gonal f injections 😔 so maybe will try that next cycle. I did mention to him about spotting took no interest then was on the phone to him and said again about spotting he said its "fine" 😐
Sending love ♥

@Bubblybub @orangeloo I'm also on a lot of vitamins. I don't know how many pills I take every day... I'm on Coq10, prenatal vitamins, Folic Acid, Omega 3, Vitamin D.... I hope this will help with my egg quality.
@SpotterofN0te Congratulations on your pregnancy! Thanks a lot for coming here and sharing your story!
@Michelle122 Sorry to read about your miscarriage. It seems that Clomid or Letrozole is first protocol indeed. Then I think the doctors start adding some other stuff. They try to start as less as invasive and expensive as possible. I also got a prescription for Gonal F this month. It is more expensive than the other ones, but I hope this will help.

Spotting has definitely stopped for me since I'm on Letrozole and Progesterone.

Hello Ladies,
After three inseminations, I finally got my BFP this weekend!!! DH and I are so happy!! This is my first pregnancy and I hope everything will be OK!

Here is what worked for me:
Letrozole from days 2 to 6
Gonal-F on day 5
Ultrasound showing three follicles on day 10
Ovitrel on day 10
Intrauterine insemination on day 11

I'm wishing you a BFP soon as well!