Is this spotting? TMI, sorry!

[daisyrosie]

My DH and I have been TTC our first baby since March. I have PCOS and so my cycles are irregular, but usually I get a period every couple of months or so.

This time, I've had what I think is spotting (brown, not much of anything) for a couple of days, then yesterday it was brown mostly but with some dark red blood and clots. Today I've had nothing at all.

I am trying to chart my cycles but I'm not sure if I should count this as spotting or a very short period?

Thanks for reading and for any advice you can give.

I would seek medical advice sooner rather than later if you have already got a PCOS diagnosis. Such cases sometimes require careful management in order to conceive.

I would also speak to the GP now0 about both the bleeding you've had and a possible referral. Many GPs do not know a great deal about PCOS and can mess around in ignorance (hence me suggesting this person makes the referral now).

Charting in such circs is a wasted effort on your part; you would be far better off also having blood tests done to see what your LH and FSH levels are like in relation to each other.

Hi daisy just wanted to say I have PCOS and I get this too, not sure what causes it, so frustrating isn't it. I get it more often than you by the sounds of it. I did go and see my GP and she didn't know much at all about PCOS, she did transfer me to a hospital but she wouldn't do that straight away - however you've been ttc for long enough now that hopefully a GP will refer you due to the PCOS symptoms. Good luck, Cx

Oh and for the record, I don't count spotting as AF, not sure if I'm doing the right thing but it just doesn't seem heavy enough and my acupuncturist said it sounded like old blood rather than proper AF.

Hi Attila and Charlotte,

Thanks for replying. I have been thinking of going back to my GP for a blood test to check my hormone levels, as I had a couple done as part of the diagnosis but that was 6 years ago and to be honest the consultant didn't really explain what the results meant, other than to say that my best chance of having a child was to try before I was 30 and to come back when I was TTC!

I'm 29 now so definitely time to get the ball rolling again. I guess I was hoping I might be lucky and settle into a normal length cycle like when I was younger but if anything they have got longer! Thanks both for your advice, it's given me the nudge I needed to go back to the docs again for a referral.

Charlotte - do you find the acupuncture helps? I was thinking of trying that while waiting for the referral to come through. Good luck to you too if you're TTC. x

I'm 31 soon, wish I'd started ttc sooner but that's not the way life worked out and I was on the pill for years and just thought everything would sort itself when I was ready, also only met my DH at 27. Been ttc for one year. Acupuncture helps me relax and funnily enough I always have a lot of discharge after, not ewcm but still discharge so makes me think it must be helping somehow. I think worth a try, am also trying reflexology soon. Have you tried doing a low GI diet, exercise and other PCOS tips? I was but have fallen off the wagon after a doctor told me I won't ovulate naturally at my first hospital app. Maybe I gave up too soon though. Good luck to you too, Cx

I'm similar, was on the pill for a long time and met DH 4 years ago. It's so disheartening when doctors say things like that. That was pretty much the vibe I got when I went to the hospital before, it was like they were focussing too much on the negatives rather than the treatment options.

I recently read a book called PCOS and your fertility, by Colette Harris and Teresa Cheung, which was much more positive about things and does focus on the low GI diet and other complimentary therapies, which gives you hope that there are things you can do yourself too. I definitely recommend it. I've tried the GI diet and I have noticed that I have more energy and feel healthier, just need to combine it with more exercise! It's hard to stick to sometimes as I have such a sweet tooth! But it's ok to treat yourself to something you like every now and then. I try to think of it more as a lifestyle choice rather than a diet as such, then I don't crave the naughty foods as much as if they were not allowed at all, if that makes sense?

The acupuncture sounds great, will give it a try! It sounds like its helping you from what you've said. I've heard good things about reflexology too, good luck with it if you do decide to try it.

Don't give up, you will get there! Thanks again for posting.