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!!

Another update ladies - last cycle where I spotted at 9dpo I was pregnant but once again miscarried a week later. Got some blood tests ordered from my doc but suspect nothing will be confirmed. She didn’t order progesterone- she seems to think it shouldn’t be an issue. Anyways I’m ~10dpo and no spotting at all ... but also only negative pregnancy tests whereas the last three times I was pregnant I got positives at ten days. Anyhow ... no spotting at least! I’ve been just taking folic acid and b complex, and stopped drinking coffee/caffeine. Crossing my fingers I’ve at least sorted out the excessive spotting issue even if I have sorted out the “getting and staying pregnant” issue. Any updates from you ladies?

@RealSmart1459 sorry about your miscarriage. But good news about the spotting. I used progesterone cream last cycle and my spotting went from 6dpo to 8DPO so not much of a change but better going to try it again and up the dose.

I also had a prolactin test cone back slightly high. Awaiting my results in a re-test. I think I might try Vitex in March if prolactin is high still.

Interesting reading this. @Morgane777 you sound similar to me? I have regular cycles of 27 days. Usually ovulate day 11-13. Shortest cycle 26 and longest 30.

I often spot when I ovulate. Probably 90% of the time. This can be once or go on for 2 days. I then get a break (if I'm lucky) and then I start spotting again. It can be on and off or constant. Its more like proper bleeding some months but still never enough for more then a panty liner. The dsy before AF I usually don't spot- so I know its coming.

This month I'm on day 23 and I'm brown spotting. So this is a good month for me. Other months I spot from day 15 or 18 and it can be red. Its never pink.

We haven't been TTC long but I will go dr because of my age, after a while. However, before all of this- I went to dr anyway because clearly it's inconvenient!
The generic blood test was clear. Day 2 cycle blood test was ok. Pelvic scan clear. Gynaecology said it was hormonal and to go back on the pill or live with it. I'll push for a day 21 blood test next time.

So - whether it'll stop me conceiving i don't know.

@paintfairy it's good you've had the all clear so far but you definitely should push for 21 day bloods. Make sure you have the blood test 7 days after Ov (not day 21 for everyone)

@orangeloo I will do after I can say we've been trying 6 months. Nightmare though having to beg for things!

Hi I’m going to jump in here. I have bright red spotting almost a very light period after I get af. I get af for around 4/5 days nothing for 4 days then this bleeding starts. I’m ttc and worried This will affect it. I’m thinking about sewing the gp.

Hello ladies! @paintfairy @orangeloo @RealSmart1459 Happy so see this thread is still active!
I have some update. We decided to use fertility treatment this month. Took Letrozole from days 3 to 5 and Ovidrel to stimulate ovulation. Then had an insemination. Didn't have my BFP though :(
It's so heartbreaking!
But didn't have any spotting whatsoever! Only a little the day before AF was due! Besides that, nothing, nada!
I think the medication solved something, but I don't know what. My doctor never paid any attention to my spotting issues.
On my last reads, I found out that the famous "Luteal phase defect" is no longer the medical term doctors use, as they think the problem is related to a bad quality ovulation. So, I don't have any straight answers for you...
Have you ever experienced with fertility medication?
Anyway, will start a new cycle, hoping this time it will work!
I'll keep you posted!
Lots of baby dust to us all!

@Morgane777 interesting. Why that medication and not clomid?

I've been doing some reading. And you are right I think to a degree. The problem exists in the luteal phase. But obviously the hormones needed here come from the corpus luteum which of course comes from the egg. So makes sense.

I think using treatment in the luteal phase might work to offset the deficiency. But of course it would be better if that didn't exist in the first place.

My current plan: been taking shatavari a month, continue that. I've just started on vitex and 50mg b6 (previously tried b50 complex but made my stomach unhappy). I also take boots conception. I'm also wondering if to take rhodesia for stress (always stressed). All of this needs to get in my system.

I'm on CD2, so this month I'm going to try progesterone cream in my LP. I'm intrigued to see if it makes any difference at all. Next month we are having a month off (don't want a baby due 30 dec!) and I'll be interested to see if the herbs have kicked in by then and what happens. If the spotting is reduced either month, I'll obviously know easy enough.

The month after I thought I might try the soy isolates days 3-7. See if it affects the egg quality at all and makes any difference to the spotting/ttc. Its supposed to be similar to clomid. But obviously its natural.

Then I shall head to the drs if nothing changes, because I can say its been well over 6 months (I'm 37).

Hey all- another update. Amazingly I’m pregnant again- and am five weeks but I’ve now had two miscarriages at 5 weeks in a row though so I’m not exactly as optimistic as I probably should be but realize how lucky I am to even be getting positives. Spotting definitely eased up though the past few months just on folic acid and b complex. As mentioned this last cycle I’ve also eliminated caffeine (I still eat chocolate but avoid caffeinated drinks). I think the b complex helped the spotting! The same months the spotting improved /was later were the same months I got pregnant (trying the last 6 cycles, pregnant the last 3). That could be a coincidence but also lined up with when I started taking the b complex.

Dr ordered a bunch of tests as ive had two miscarriages in a row and everything came back amazing. I’m a very healthy 34 year old (although she didn’t test progesterone yet). Thyroid, iron etc all looked A+. Crossing my fingers things go well for me this time.

Interesting reading @Morgane777 and @paintfairy that does make sense. I'm going to try and be healthier and perhaps try Vitex. Docs don't hive a damn about the spotting it's true haha.

@paintfairy I don't know why Letrozole and not Clomid. Doctors just give prescriptions and don't explain much. My doctor is really good but is always fast during the appointments, so I don't ask a lot of questions and do as told. I go check on the internet always afterwards LOL!
I did find an interesting article concerning the different medications used for women's fertility. I think the difference is that Clomid alter the quality of the cervical mucus and thin the endometrium, disrupting the implantation process of the embryo. For Letrozole, studies show a lower incidence of unwanted effects, especially at the endometrium. But the results in terms of pregnancy are the same for both. So, I think if you use Clomid, you do need something to help during the luteal phase (progesterone, for instance). But of course, I'm no doctor and this is the interpretation I do from my readings. I could be wrong!
@RealSmart1459 hope this one will go well!
I wanted to add that my doctor told us (my husband and me) that everything is fine (we did plenty of tests) and if we continued trying, pregnancy was possible. But regarding my age (38), he asked if we wanted to accelerate the process. We did! So that's why we're on a fertility treatment now. But if you're younger, even if it's a long wait, that's normal.

That makes a lot of sense. My doctor reminded me that I’m “very young” and although she did do the testing she did not seem very concerned at all. I apprecOates that perspective. Two miscarriages in a row could be a sign of bad news or it could be a sign of bad luck. TTC is so strange and stressful.... and spotting most of the month was extremely unpleasant!

Hello ladies,
How's everyone?
Any good news here?

Hi @Morgane777

I'm okay, working from home trying to keep my anxiety down, limiting socials media and the amount of news I digest.

Nothing new for me, still spotting really cut down on booze will see if that makes a difference but it's a weird time to think of ttc anyway. Was due a HYFOSY early next month to test my tubes but can't see that going ahead now. How are you?

@orangeloo I'm working from home as well.
Didn't have any spotting the last two cycles thanks to the medication. Had two IUI inseminations but no BFP :(
Now, they are putting everything on hold because of COVD-19!!
I asked one of the doctors that did my ovulation ultrasound last time about the mid-cycle spotting, and she said it was ok and shouldn't affect fertility.
Then I had an appointment with my endocrinologist and I told her my spotting had disapeared with the medication and she said it was surely because of my progesterone levels.
So I don't know what to think. Doctors don't seem to agree. But I believe the latter.

Hey all - update from me, after two early miscarriages in a row I’ve now made it to 9 weeks. Im still nervous and frankly don’t plan on telling work until 16 week scan - no need if I’m working from home. As mentioned what seemed to help for me was quitting my horse pill (pre natal) and moving to the b complex and folic acid and an iron supplement. The spotting I did get the past cycle was likely implantation bleeding as it was happening much later in my cycle. This last cycle I also quit caffeine (which I’m sensitive to anyways). This is obviously no guarantee on the spotting but I’m convinced it helped so I’m really glad this board had all those suggestions. I’m not out of the weeds yet but wanted to give hope to those who were like me, frustrated with health care providers brushing off the mid cycle bleed while TTC. You are right to be frustrated. There is no chance in my view that it’s “normal” every cycle and there has to be a way to minimize or eliminate it.

@RealSmart1459 Congratulations! I'm so happy for you and I really hope this pregnancy will go well for you! Keep us posted.
I also think this mid cycle constant spotting is not normal, but I don't know why doctors don't seem to care. I think they aren't a lot of empirical studies done on this, so they don't really know the causes. Hope we will get to have healthy pregnancies!

@RealSmart1459 congrats of your pregnancy. Sorry on your losses. Everything crossed for you.

@Morgane777 sorry your IUI's didn't work. Hopefully when we are through the worst of this you can resume treatment soon.

I also just don't believe it's okay. One because I'm not pregnant 15 cycles in. And two no one can really tell u much about it, why is it okay? It's so frustrating

@Morgane777 when you say you didn't have the spotting due to the medication, are you referring to the letrozole or are you on something else too?

@orangeloo I had two medications: Letrozole from days 3 to 5 of my cycle, and Ovitrelle after a scan that verified the size of my follicles so they could make me ovulate 24h to 48h later.
Letrozole is used to control estrogen levels (it is used to treat breast cancer, but also for fertility). Normally, when your estrogen levels are so high, your progesterone will be low.
But I also think Ovitrelle "supports" the luteal phase.
This cycle, because of Covid-19, I won't have access to Ovitrelle, but I can use Letrozole. I'll see how it goes and share the information with you.

@Morgane777 interesting. Thank you for sharing. Hope it goes well for you fx and yes pls let me know x

I’m so glad I just found this thread. I’ve been TTC for 15 months now. I spot every month from around 4DPO. I use to spot from 4DPO to my period. But now I’m spotting 4-7dpo with cramps. (Mild) then I have 5 days clear. Then AF arrives. Not sure why it’s changed over the past two months. But still very odd. Was meant to have my fertility appointment next week but due to corona, they’ve cancelled :( bloods were done at 6 months of TTC. They said they were fine. Giving up hope!

Welcome @Bubblybub !
Hope we'll get some good news here! Being in this thread and reading situations as mine has helped me get through this TTC journey!
My appointments were also cancelled due to COVID-19! :(
Don't give up hope! I've never had a BFP yet, but it will surely come one day! Even without fertility problems, every couple has from 20% to 30% chance every month, so we need some luck! ;)

Thankyou! I just don’t understand if I’m spotting from 4DPO surely my lining is coming away before it even has a chance to implant. This is what is bugging me, yet they always fob off spotting. Very frustrating!! X

@Morgane777 sorry forgot to tag you x