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!!

Anyone else find they have spotting some cycles and not others? I've had a look at my last year's worth of charting and I reckon I'm getting significant spotting in lp about 1/3 of cycles.

Hi all.

Just a positive note here: I started spotting about 3-4 days pre AF after dc1 was born, I went on to have 2 successful pregnancies after that and conceived without any problem. We're TTC no4 now, but this hasn't been easy so far (13m and 2 misc so far). I still have spotting, but don't blame our troubles on that given my history.

Hi everyone,

I've got good news and bad news.

I've had spotting since I came off the pill about 4yrs ago. At that time it was prob about 2-3 days before AF. Had absolutely no problems conceiving DS a couple of years ago despite the spotting (only took once), though I remember I didn't get any spotting the month I conceived (prob cos the egg had already implanted?).

Anyway, ttc #2 just now with no luck so far (only been 3mths though). The difference now is that since I had DS the spotting has gradually gotten longer and now tends to start on CD21 and last til CD26. I now either start my period on CD26 or the spotting stops for a day or two and then I start AF. Got no idea whats made it worse, been to gp but she's not carried out a lot of tests yet (just did a smear and tested for infection so far). She did say I have a cervical erosion but afaik that tends to cause post-sex bleeding rather than cyclic bleeding so not convinced thats the cause. At first I just assumed it was high prolactin from breastfeeding (which can affect progesterone levels) but been stopped a year now so would've thought it'd be sorted by now. Going to start taking B-50 (high dose B-complex) this month and also Agnus castus to see if it'll regulate things - really frustrating!!! Definately timing swi right too so had just assumed it would be as easy as last time.

Anyway, I assume from my experience that the length of time you're spotting may make a difference if its hormone related. As long as the egg has at least 10 days to implant then it should be ok.

P.S. Has anybody here had their thyroid checked? It can affect fertility and cause spotting if levels are low. Other symptoms are tiredness, weight gain and cold hands and feet. Stress can also do the same by depleting the adrenal glands. Both these conditions can deplete zinc which is related to progesterone production so maybe a zinc supplement would be beneficial too? I'm no expert though.....

I think in my case it may have been related to adrenal fatigue wee. and my "spotting" was usually two weeks before af usually lasting the full two weeks.

Yeah, I read a lot about that last year aloha. I had a copper coil put in after DS was born and it didn't agree with me at all. Started researching it since there's no hormones in it and there seems to be a link to copper overload and hormone imbalance, thyroid dysfunction and adrenal burnout. In terms of hormone balance, copper is directly related to estrogen and when its too high will deplete zinc which is linked to progesterone. Don't think the copper coil would effect everyone in that way but if you've already got slightly high estrogen then it wouldn't help. Think quite a few women are a wee bit copper/estrogen dominant without realising it, there's just so many chemical estrogens in the environment nowadays too. I'm trying to balance it out a bit with diet etc just in case but its hard when high copper foods are bread and chocolate

For those of you who've had your progesterone checked and it came out fine, I really wonder what's causing it - fibroids maybe? Suppose the good thing is that if progesterone is fine then an egg has the ability to implant ok so thats a bonus but really frustrating all the same not knowing. Would def recommend a B-complex though (can't remember if someone has already suggested it), B-vits are really important in making sure your eggs mature properly (can take 3mths to work though). Oh and also red raspberry leaf tea. Women generally take it in the last trimester of pregnancy to help with labour but its actually great to take at any time cos it tones the uterus and is chockful of hormone-healthy vitamins. Its not a labour-inducer as many people think so actually quite safe before and in the early stages of pregnancy. I have a wee cup most mornings to give my uterus a wee bit of daily exercise

Can you tell I'm one of those folk that googles the life out of anything that might potentially be wrong with me??

whereismywine sorry I didnt reply to your earlier post, Ive been a bit awol over the past week or so.

They are not doing anything about my fibroids, even though i have been told I have lots they are small the biggest is about 4 cm across. (pretty big to me) When I was pg, they started to grow, I had a cluster of them that reached about 17 cm but that was a bit of an estimate. I also suffered from red degeneration where one of them had got to big for its blood supply and started to strink and die and it was so painful, I woould rather go throught labour again.
I have fibroids inside my womb wall, so they are not considered dangerous, but I was told that it might be marginally more difficult for me to conceive as my wall lining is so bumpy. I guess that is why I spot, as if it was all smooth in there everything would be able to come out unhindered but its got lots of obstacles blocing it which i guess is why I spot.

If you want to pm me about fribroids and my treatment during pg please pm, me I would be happy to share.

Did anyone ever get any answers?

I've been taking a vitamin b complex this month and my spotting is worse than ever!

Afraid not Pipbin! I'm due to start IVF next month but that's not as a direct result of the spotting- I fall into the 'unexplained' category...

Did they ever say anything about the spotting?

Just found this thread. I'm another one who thought it was normal to have a couple of days' brown spotting before AF really starts, as I've had this most months as far back as I can remember. In fact, when I was first pg with DS it was because the spotting didn't seem to be cranking up after a few days (and a weird gut feeling) that led me to POAS. When I discussed the spotting with the mw, she said it had probably been an implantation bleed. This made sense at the time, but reading this I'm starting to wonder.

It did take about 8 months to get pg, which I know is completely normal, but coupled with a history of mid-cycle spotting while on the pill (smears/sti tests all clear) and v heavy periods when not taking it, I'm beginning to think there is a possibilty of an imbalance somewhere - my mum had lots of issues ttc, so might be a bit of family history too.

Only v recently started ttc again and got a bit excited last month as the spotting went on for 4/5 days again but got a bfn followed by full-on AF the next day. Just really hope spotting is 'normal' for me and everything will be fine again, rather than it turning out that we just got v lucky with DS.

It makes me wonder that if so many of us do get it the maybe it is normal.

I've now had 4 days of spotting. Just when I wipe, and a tiny mark on a panty liner. It's brown mainly, with a little pink and some clots.
This is the longest it's been since I've come off the pill.

ISpy Do you mean that you normally had spotting and it was because it didn't slow down that you thought you might be pg?

my mum said she always had this and never had problems getting pg.

Funnily, i've just had a month with practically no spotting, and a very pretty chart, but still bfn. Not sure the two things correlate!

www.fertilityfriend.com/home/carebear1

Has the spotting ever been mentioned by doctors etc?

I normally get one or two days of spotting (brown discharge) then red blood (proper AF). When I was pg, the brown dicharge just carried on - it's only quite slight, bit of a mark on a liner and when I wipe- and after 5 days I did the test. Tbh, I really just did it to put to rest the weird niggly feeling I had that because I hadn't had any red blood I might be pg - and lo and behold I was! Didn't even wait for DH to get home before poas, as thought it would be negative and the spotting was just going on for a bit longer than normal before af.
It did carry on for about a week iirc, which hadn't happened before - didn't really increase in amount and then just stopped. It made me doubt I was 'really' pg though and don't think I believed it until I saw the little bean on the scan.

Thats interesting ISpy thanks for that. Good to know that you got pg even with spotting.
Problem is that it makes me hold out hope that my spotting is not going to turn into AF, which I'm sure it is.

Well I will keep my fingers crossed for you that it doesn't and you get a bfp too. If not, I hope you are able to find out if it is what's standing in the way and that it can be sorted.

I'm in TWW at the moment. On B vits this month & spotting due from tomorrow...

Don't want to steal any thunder but have spotted (get it ) that a previous poster on this thread has recently announced a BFP so hopefully she will return to reassure us all

Hi ladies

I've been absent from mumsnet for quite some time but just wanted to give you an update. I've been ttc for 6 months now and worried about the spotting I've been getting 4 days before af.

Anyhoo, to cut to the chase I actually got a BFP this eve (12dpo) when I realised my spotting hadnt started (I say 'realised' - I was obviously pant watching like a hawk!) There has been no spotting at all so far, but fairly bad period pains for the past few days which are quite uncomfortable in the evening. I'm hoping beyond hope that it sticks and everything is ok but I am going to go straight to my docs and ask for my progesterone levels to be checked as am worried that, if that is what caused the spotting then there may be an issue with pregnancy. Bit worried about that actually. Also as I'm only 12dpo still a likelihood of chemical pregnancy (wow i'm being a bit doom and gloom aren't I! -just don't want to get my hopes up at his stage)

Basically, despite spotting I CAN get pregnant and there has been no spotting so far this cycle (up to CD30/12dpo) so it is possible guys!

Hurrah for the BFP!

As you say, further proof that a BFP and spotting can go together.

Congratulations Why

Keeping everything crossed for you, keep us up to date

Ooh, I was just having a google on spotting and came back to this thread. That's fabulous news Whyso! Sending you lots of positive baby-vibes

I feel brave enough to post on this thread now.

I have had spotting before AF since I stopped the pill in Jan 11. It really worried me and sometimes would last 5 days before AF. This coupled with some dodgy/low progesterone readings sent me into a tail spin about short luteal phases.

I got 2 BFPs in June and then agian in September. I had had spotting before both and they both ended in chemical pregnancies.

I am now 6 weeks pregnant (and scan confirmed a heart beat yesterday, still very very early but NOT a chemical pregnancy this time at least). I had no spotting at all with this pregnancy before AF was due. I had some brown discharge at about 4+5 and thought things were heading in the same depressing direction but it stopped and HCG were rising so I think it was just implantation.

I think I did have a low progesterone problem when I came off the pill and it was partly addressed by acupunture, high dose B vitamins (100mg) and just time off the pill!

I am on clexane and progesterone for this pregnancy and we shall see (fingers crossed!) but I wanted to offer some hope to those with pre AF spotting. Good luck to everyone.

Thanks for coming back and sharing farfalla and congratulations

When did you start the progesterone? Did GP prescribe it after BFP?

Yes I started after BFP and will take it until 12 weeks I believe (I need to check and just taking it one day at a time!)

Like many others this is normal for me. I've just had blood taken on Monday (results due next week), I've got an appointment for a smear and day 21 bloods booked in. I'll see if they say anything. I just viewed it as a warning that AF was coming and don't remember a time when it didn't happen. In fact my whole AF can be that way at times!

Sorry for my ignorance but what's a chemical pregnancy?