Long-time luteal spotter - anyone else?

[Chooklass]

Hi ladies,

Since my early 20s I've always had heavy spotting from ovation to AF. 36 now, TTC for first time and worried this is a problem. Just wondering if any other ladies out there with same problem who can offer mutual support! Doc says not a problem as long as I've a regular cycle (which I do) and only on cycle 3 of TTC so early days. I just don't see how bean will ever stick if I bleed so much. I've read it can be due to low progesterone, so started taking vit B complex and following a low-GI hormone-balancing type diet. Any advice greatly appreciated! Xx

@Chooklass I found it so much easier than I thought it would be so try not to stress. I found it helpful to break it into parts (downreg, stims etc) and didn’t think about the next stage until I’d finished the previous one. I found that made it less daunting. I ended up only taking one day off which was for ec. I just told my manager I was having a gynae procedure and it was only a day so I could self certify. My clinic has a really good setup with scans and bloods all done between 7-9am and it’s on my way to work so I didn’t have to take any other time off. I think this made a huge difference to my experience and it just sort of slotted into my routine. I was also super lucky that I didn’t get any side effects. That said, I think the tww and potential bfn will be the hardest part. The FET has just been tablets so very straightforward. Currently feeling very calm about it but I’ll see how I feel after the transfer. However we have 4 in the freezer so I feel it doesn’t all ride on this round and fingers crossed one will be our baby.

Best of luck for December. Keep in touch with how you’re getting on.

Spotting before period can be a sign of endometriosis (it was for me). Do you have any other endo symptoms?

@Betsyboo87 - so weird! Was just thinking about updating this and letting you know about my BFP when I saw your message on the other thread! How's things going for you?

@Chooklass it’s such fab news. We were also so very very fortunate and I’ll be 20 weeks tomorrow! I still can’t believe it’s actually happening

I'm so happy for you @Betsyboo87 !! Can't believe I started this thread so long ago! I'm so happy to have my first BFP after so long, and feel incredibly lucky our first IVF round worked. It's terrifying though - long way still to go.

While I was going through IVF I often thought of your advice to just focus on one stage at a time - so helpful, thank you!! Xx

@Chooklass how are you getting on?

Good thanks @Betsyboo87 ! 14wks today ❤️. 12wk scan went well (apart from DH not being allowed in 😢). How are you? X

@Chooklass great news! I’m so happy your scan went well. Yes it’s not an ideal situation at the moment but at least it should all be out of the way by the time the baby is due.

I’m 30 weeks today which is absolutely crazy but everything is going well. It still doesn’t feel real at all!

How are you getting on @Betsyboo87 ? You must be getting close?! X

@Chooklass I’m writing this with a little 5 day old baby boy asleep on my chest! We’re so in love and he was absolutely worth everything we did to have him.

How far along are you now? You must getting close to the third trimester. I hope you’re enjoying pregnancy and it’s going smoothly. Do you know what you’re having?

Aaaah!!!! That's so exciting! Congratulations! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I'm 25 weeks and doing fine xx

@Chooklass just checking in to see if your little one has arrived yet? I think you were due early Oct? I hope you’re all doing well. Our little man is 4 months old now. Absolutely crazy!

Hi @Betsyboo87 ! Yes, he arrived 10 days ago! Crazy, intense, but amazing ❤️. 4 months already for you - hope it's going well?! So glad we both got our babies in the end! Xxx

Huge congratulations @Chooklass! Hope he’s settling in well. Enjoy every second with him (day and night ). We’re good thanks. Still exhausted most of the time but I love his little personality. Mat leave is going too quick too!

I’m so happy we both got our little boys too xx

This is such a lovely thread to read @Chooklass and @Betsyboo87 as a long term spotter and a current stimmer 😊

Feels like a world ago I started this thread but so glad it might still be useful to people! All the best @Decaffe - hope all the meds aren’t making you feel too rotten.

My little boy is nearly two now!

@Chooklass @Betsyboo87 I am so happy you have your babies after the journey it seems like you’ve had to endure.

I had a second trimester miscarriage in feb 2021 and then since July 2021 I’ve had brown spotting for a full week before my period. The GP was no help so I finally went private in January. It started the month I had my covid vaccine so I was waiting for it to “settle”. But it never did. I paid for a hyterscopy and tons of bloods and we can’t find a reason at all for the spotting! The Dr at the fertility clinic thought he could give me a d n c and check for polyps and rejuvenate the lining and then have clomid to give a stronger ovulation but that didn’t work. So the last 3 months I’ve had clomid and then progesterone from 2 dpo which has controlled the spotting so I’m hoping if we go to IVF that the spotting will be controlled with the meds. I just worry already about it not being successful which I know might sound crazy but after loss and secondary infertility it makes me think this way.

Maybe I should go for IVF sooner rather than later I’m 36 now xx

@Decaffe wishing you all the luck with your IVF. Did your clinic shed any light about the spotting?

@Loz2467 unexplained problems are so hard, you still have some hope that it could happen naturally. We ultimately went for IVF due to my age, I was also 36. Our clinic offered further tests but said they would still lead to IVF as their recommendation anyway so we decide to save time and money and go straight for it.

@Decaffe good luck for your cycle!

@Chooklass just reading back through this thread and it really feels like another lifetime. I hope all is well with you.

Well an update from me for this thread is that I am currently 11 weeks pregnant with our second child. We’d decided we were all done with one but to our huge surprise conceived naturally. After my first pregnancy the spotting continued every month. I didn’t get any the month I got my bfp though.

@Betsyboo87 that is what’s really difficult the unknown isn’t it. I conceived our now 3 year old no issues and then our baby girl which we lost second trimester. So since my miscarriage and the covid vaccine something has gone wrong. I can’t have people say “it might be taking time” because it’s been 15 months now of trying or more! Plus the spotting issue that’s been going on over a year. It’s not like I’m continuing to try and I don’t have the spotting issue or if age was on my side it might be different.

congrats on your pregnancy! That’s amazing news! Did you still have the spotting for like a week or so before your period then when your cycles returned? But obviously still managed to get pregnant regardless of the spotting? Did the progesterone given after transfer stop the spotting? If it’s stopping mine in TTC naturally cycles I’m hoping it would stop it in IVF.

Im going to get back in touch with my clinic because I can’t wait till the new year now. I’m worried about eggs and egg quality. My AMH is only 8.4 but my follicle count was 21 so he said they don’t match well. I just don’t know what’s going on after no issues before and I do feel worried about the vaccine. Xx

It’s actually quite strange because progesterone stopped my spotting during normal cycles but it didn’t stop the spotting during my first pregnancy. I had spotting everyday from around 5-8 weeks. When my cycles returned after DS was born the spotting continued. When it did happen during my last cycle and then AF was late I did a test. I haven’t had any spotting during this pregnancy. So I really have no idea what the issue is!

From my experience, AFC varies from cycle to cycle. I had an AMH level of 9.2 and AFC of 11 when I was tested. During my actual IVF cycle they counted a much higher AFC and they ultimately collected 20 eggs which was much higher than expected.

I don’t know how much evidence there is about the vaccine affecting fertility. On the flip side I didn’t conceive naturally after years of trying but I have had 3 vaccinations and now I have conceived naturally (pretty sure it wasn’t the missing link though 😋)

@Betsyboo87 oh really! The human body is such a weird and wonderful thing and so hard to figure out. I did spot with my first pregnancy around a similar time but second pregnancy I just got 1/2 days implantation bleeding along with cramps. It just feels such a double blow to deal with a late loss and then inferitliry. My mind can’t handle it most days!

Thats good to know about AMH and AFC. Thank you! I’m hoping mine hasn’t fallen off a cliff because it needs to be over 5.4 for the refund cycle packages. The 8.4 was back in January.

yeah completely agree not saying it can cause fertility issues but potentially could of been my immune response to it. It does seem strange it only started that month.

Im just so stuck with it being close to Xmas if I just try and get started asap or if I wait till new year xxx

I know this thread is really old now, but I just have to say that reading this brought a tear to my eye. I'm so happy for you all!

I spot from about 7 days before AF too and have had so many of the same experiences as the people on this thread - I've felt so fobbed off to be honest. My scans were all fine so was just told not to worry because it's 'normal', etc. I suggested it may be hormonal and was told no. It's so frustrating.

Finally managed to get to them to test my progesterone and it was low. But I've since realised I had the test at completely the wrong time in my cycle (I was counting spotting as CD1), so I'm getting another one this week. Fingers crossed my levels are better!

I'm in my first cycle TTC and I'm 35, so naturally I'm panicking that my spotting will stop me getting pregnant. I don't see how my lining can have enough time to build up if I'm spotting 7 DPO.

Anyway, just wanted to say how lovely this is to read. Sending love to all the other spotters out there!

As this thread was bumped I thought I’d give an update. That initial cycle of IVF failed so I had a laparoscopy. It revealed advanced stage 4 rectovaginal endometriosis. My pelvic organs were glued to each other with adhesions. It was such a shock as I didn’t really have many symptoms.

Last summer I was put into medical menopause before successful excision surgery in the August.

I came out of the menopause in November 2023 and in the couple of periods I have had since then I had no spotting whatsoever. No ‘javelin arse’ period poos either!

The plan was to transfer one of my frozen embryos later this month, now that my body has healed. However, nature had other ideas and today I am 8w0d with a natural conception!

Wishing you all the luck in the world @purplecolouroffunk 💜

oh @Decaffe this is wonderful news!! What a happy ending to this message. I'm so happy for you - big smile on my face :) I'm wishing you all the luck with your pregnancy 💕