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!!

@Bubblybub thank you so much! Why am I worrying already 🙈 that’s not gonna help the situation. I’ll literally be on holiday and I don’t want the spotting to ruin it :( because then I’ll even be worried about IVF. Seems so strange when I’ve got pregnant twice easily I really do hope the progesterone helps and I can get another few more months worth to try. Xx

@Loz2467 I don't fully remember but I think I was given 200mg pessaries and was told to take 3 a day, but I ended up doing one in am and one in pm so had 400mg per day also. In my experience it completely stopped the spotting so fingers crossed it will do the same for you 🤞 They're not the nicest things to use as can get pretty messy which is the main reason i decided to not put one in at lunchtime as well, but 400mg a day turned out to be fine!

@burtle4 thank you! Fingers crossed it does stop it. Else I’ll be stumped what else to check! Just didn’t get to do the deed as much was I wanted too :( because my partner was working away! Yeah they seem a bit messy. Sorry for TMI but when some was in my pants throughout today I was like eeeekkk stay put! Xx

@Loz2467 haha I know, I would try and lie down afterwards for a bit - another reason why the lunchtime one didn't work! For what it's worth the month we caught I thought we'd completely missed it as for some reason I ovulated really early and we'd only managed to dtd once and not on the right day - but it didn't seem to matter! Good luck with the 2 week wait, hope it doesn't drag too much!

Heya - do you guys mind if I join? Been ttc for 18 months now, had one early loss in September last year but other than that not a single BFP. I used to spot pink / light red a few days before AF, that gradually improved with vitamins and acupuncture but the last two cycles I've started brown spotting / cm tinged from 5dpo. Of course last month I got my hopes up thinking it was implantation, albeit early perhaps, but nah! We were referred to fertility consultant and had the first appointment last week. She dismissed the spotting and my fairly low progesterone results, said it's all fine as long as I have a period then I'm ovulating and hormones are all good 🙄 said to keep trying for another 6 months and if still not pregnant, will be fine to proceed straight away with IVF. I can't help thinking there is something to try in the meantime? Would you guys suggest I contact my GP for progesterone support maybe?

Good luck to those of you trying this cycle 🤞

@RugbyGirl1 I would definitely try and get some progesterone. For some reason doctors don't seem to think it's an issue and if you're ovulating then it must all be ok but my progesterone test results were always borderline or low and the doctor would always assume it meant I hadn't ovulated that month but I knew I had because of my shift in temperature. I never got a hint of a bfp in the two years of trying until 2 months on the progesterone pessaries. It doesn't harm to try and more than worth it if it works! Good luck!

@RugbyGirl1 so sorry for your loss! For me my first two cycles after my loss were pretty normal then it was from last July all the brown spotting started. Sometimes 5dpo or 7 dpo or 8 dpo. Just varied. Progesterone last august was 61 which is obviously very high but I still got lots of dark sludge spotting that month. Had another in December and it was 37. Then last month which was my first clomid round I had it done on the first day of spotting and it was 21 which is low. Because of the august read and the December read being okay and high bbt temps after ovulation I’d ruled out low progesterone and assumed it was something else. Paid private and had a hyterscopy and biopsy which found no polyps or infection etc so now I’m into trying the progesterone. Been TTC now maybe like 16 mo that and just nothing! I mean I don’t know if the prog has helped the spotting yet because I’ve only done 2 nights of it and I’m only 4 dpo. I will keep you posted. @burtle4 and @Bubblybub have been so helpful! Xx

@burtle4 thanks - you're so right, doctors seem so quick to dismiss it even though progesterone obviously makes a significant difference. There was the research by Tommys recently that suggested progesterone should be given out more often as theres no harm to using it and it may really help people!

@Loz2467 sorry for your loss. hope the progesterone makes a difference, will be really interested to hear how you go!

I think if this cycle is another BFN (currently 7dpo) I'll give the docs a ring and request it.... Not sure what response I'll get 😂

Does anyone else go mad symptom spotting? I know I shouldn't but occasionally i get different symtpoms and I start getting my hopes up.... Then AF arrives 🙄

If your doctor doesn’t give you progesterone which most won’t, then just get the cream I linked up there ^^. This will give you 50mg per pump. I use to do two pumps a day! Obvioisly pessaries are stronger so if you can get them then horray but I know exactly what doctors are like when it comes to fertility and progesterone! Yet everyone I’ve put on progesterone out of my friends etc have all now got babies after trying for so long or having lots of miscarriages!

I'd like to join this threat as I'm well confused. On cycle 2 of TTC no 3. I have 28 cycles and ovulate on CD14, so pretty standard. I've been testing negative on pregnancy tests this weekend. Yesterday I had a clump of blood and goop (sorry TMI) but then absolutely nothing else all day. This morning I had the slightest brown blood when i wiped after my first morning wee!... Now I have absolutely nothing again. I was technically due on tomorrow. Im going to wait and see what happens tomorrow but my eyes were drew to this thread as I've literally never had this before. I even bought tampons today and went to pop one in before work but there's literally no blood... #soconfused haha

@burtle4 @Bubblybub im feeling so deflated I’m only 4/5 dpo and I’ve had a dip In my chart which happens in all my non pregnancy charts. It’s right down to my cover line and obviously isn’t implantation because it’s too early. I just feel so down that I’m out already. I’ve had clomid. Estrogen and progesterone I don’t know what more I can do :( I’ve literally cried all morning. I wish I stopped tempting after I confirmed ovulation xx

Your not out until AF shows! And you might not fall on ur first go on clomid etc. takes 6 months with ‘normal fertility’ so ur basically starting again becuase your normalised your progesterone.

Could be implantation! Test tmz!

@Louise34mum

@Louise34mum when was your AF due? I think i replied to you on another thread. It definitely sounds promising but may be worth waiting a day or two as if it is implantation i think it'll take a little time before the pregnancy hormone will rise enough to register on a test. Fingers crossed for you!

@Loz2467 as @Bubblybub said you're not out until AF shows! Could you have had a bad sleep that may have affected your BBT? @Bubblybub I'll look at the cream, thanks!

@Loz2467 a lot of things can affect the temp. I had a friend who was a midwife and she tried temping and seriously her temps were ALL OVER the place cos she had to sometimes get called out etc!

@Bubblybub @RugbyGirl1 I literally had the best sleep! Haha. That’s why I’m like what on earth! I mean it’s one temp but I’m just so deflated after 15 months of this. Our baby girl would of been 1 next month and here I am bloody crying over stuff because I can’t get pregnant again :(

I saw something about an estrogen surge but I just know in my pregnancy chart from my little boy all my temps were high and steady. I really wish I just confirmed O and packed the thermometer away but it’s too tempting. Xx

@Loz2467 please don't stress, my pregnancy chart was no different to my non pregnancy charts - the only difference was that it never went down at 14/15/16dpo because I was pregnant! Other than that there were no indications that it was going to be any different. And as @Bubblybub said, it takes an average of 6 months to get pregnant with normal fertility, so taking all your supplements means you're technically starting on month one. If you are out this month it doesn't mean none of it is working - although I know how frustrating that is to hear when you just want it to happen now!
@Louise34mum did your period arrive today?

@burtle4 yeah that completely makes sense it’s like I’m starting again and this is month one. Although don’t think I’m crazy - I followed this girl on IG who had brown spotting before her periods since a miscarriage back in 2020 and she had her laproscopy yesterday and it’s endometriosis. I had a look and prolonged brown spotting before period is also a sign of that although I don’t have any other symptoms of endo. Just feeling a bit panicked incase it’s that as I’ll have to have surgery before starting any IVF. I’m praying it’s low progesterone and these pessaries help.

@Louise34mum keep us posted if you tested! Fingers crossed!

Most deffo isn’t endo. I’d be very suprised. You would have other symptoms for that I reckon. Most people I know with endo are in so much pain on there period!!

@Bubblybub I know I literally have no other symptoms but you can have silent endo can’t you! I wonder if my uterine biopsy was tested for that last month.

you won’t believe - the hospital just called with a cancellation and asked for me to go for laproscopy next Friday! I’m on holiday! I feel so down about it. It would of been so helpful for my fertility and it was the last piece of the puzzle in looking for any potential issues!

Yeah you can get silent endo but the symtpms your having just scream low progesterone. Have u had any spotting yet ?

@Bubblybub I’m praying! I don’t wanna have to have endo surgery too :( not yet. But I’m only 5 or 6 dpo. Temp went back up to 36.99 today. If anything the spotting will start at weekend if it’s my “usual time” xx

@Loz2467 hopefully another cancellation will come along soon for you so you sont have to wait too long 😊 i think temps can sometimes be out randomly, from moving more in your sleep, body fighting off a cold etc, that you just may not know about

@Louise34mum have you tested?

I still have not started spotting, AF due tomorrow / Saturday but i have short luteal phase so will only be 10dpo tomorrow... Think i may test as no spotting is highly unusual!