Spotting during luteal phase every month

[paintfairy]

I just wondered if anyone had been successful TTC with this issue? I'll give some background. I'm 37 this month

Came off cerazette june 2018. No idea what cycles were like before going on the pill as I was 15. Cycles vary from 26 to 30 days but mostly around 28. I tend to spot on ovulation (also very pain with that some months). Then I get a few clear days (if I'm lucky, odd times it's pretty continuous tbh) and I start spotting again (varies anything from day 18 to 23) right up to my period then starting. Sometimes its fairly light and only apparent once a day. Other times it's actually quite a lot and bright red and fairly constant. I also seem to get a high sex drive at this time and I know that when that happens, I'm about to start spotting.

My periods are short. Usually only 3 days proper bleeding and then 1 or 2 really light.

I did go to the Dr. Obviously because some months it meant it was going on for 2 weeks or so and its hardly fun? The gp was pretty good. Did a pelvic ultrasound twice and there was nothing to report. She also tested hormone levels day 2 of my cycle. All ok. She referred me to gynaecology as she didn't know what else to do. It was some nhs centre, as opposed to the hospital. They went through it, basically said nothing they can do and live with it. It's likely hormonal so go on the pill if you don't like it.

Obviously I don't want to do that! And now we are TTC anyway. But clearly they won't look at anything fertility wise until we've been doing it long enough.

So I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this kind of thing but managed to still conceive successfully?

Hi @paintfairy, sorry no success story to report but I also have the spotting during my LP on and off for the past year, some months is worse than others, I also have a short LP so I wonder if I have low Progesterone during that time. Would love to hear other success stories too

I wonder if I do too. Obviously with time I will go back and try to persuade them to check. But I'm quite sensitive to any changes I think (can feel most stuff going on) so it could just be a similar thing. Be useful to know though!

I had this. I didn’t get pregnant for 10 months so went to see a Chinese herbalist. Managed to lengthen my cycles with a fertility tea they recommended and acupuncture. Got pregnant that cycle with no spotting. Might be worth a go.

Sounds like low progesterone to me, I'd go back to sea again and ask to have this checked

I have this too and only noticed it when started TTC and had been off pill before this and had not noticed before so wonder if its some sort of thing that happens to the body when TTC. Obviously no research etc but weird how it's only happened since. Have gone to doctor and have had blood test and about to do transvagibal ultrasound next week so will see what happens. Periods are also short about 2 days when before pill they were five days long.

We weren't TTC initially so for me I know it wasn't that. I do wonder if its an age thing?

Have you read Taking Charge of Your Fertility or The Fifth Vital Sign? Both are really informative books which might help. It is not widely reported but is clinically recognised that being on the pill can cause vitamin deficiences, which can then cause hormal imbalances and problems with your cycles. I started taking pre-pregnancy vitamins after I read these, plus Vit B7 (as I had a short luteal phase) and evening primrose oil, and I also used pre-seed to help with cervical mucus on fertile days.

I should add I'm 35 and got my BFP yesterday, almost exactly a year after coming off the implant and 7 months TTC.

I'll have a look, thank you! I was taking the boots pre conception vitamins for a fair while. I'm now taking the well woman ones. But maybe something is still lacking.

And congratulations on your BFP! That's brilliant news!

I had the same and self-diagnosed with low progesterone. I am now 21 weeks pregnant (after deciding to give up ttc and enjoy my birthday and a holiday. Sounds like a cliche but it’s true!)

Fingers crossed then! Congratulations!

Have you had all your hormones levels tested? Day 3 and day 21 bloods? Spotting can be caused low progesterone. I had spotting in my stacked and used acupuncture to length my cycle and sort the spotting out and get a better flow. However we also discovered Male factor infertility in our ttc run so did end up having ivf. But the acupuncture did help my cycles.

They did the early test for me and that was fine. But haven't done a day 21 test. I'll push for it if we have no luck TTC in the next couple of months. I hate dealing with drs, its like pulling teeth trying to get them to sort anything.

Hello everyone,
I know this is an old thread, but I've lurked and lurked on the spotting pages freaking out about my spotting and wanted to share my experience, which just resulted in a BFP today! WOO!
I started TTC 8 months ago after over 15 years on the pill/injection/nuvaring (you name it). I'm 37, so age not on my side. Every month I would spot like clockwork on cycle day 21 and it would increase before dipping off the day before my period (day 30-33). It could be brown with occasional red.
This month didn't seem much different, but the spotting was a bit lighter and seemed to peter out before AF was due (though still there if I bore down). I basically thought I was out for the month. Anyway, 15 DPO AF still not here, so out of curiosity did a OPK (I read this can be an indicator) and it was blazing positive. Then sent my OH out for a HPT and it was positive (very clearly so).
Just want to say that it IS possible if you're a regular spotter, and if like me have endo. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary this month other than making sure we DTD on the day of a positive OPK and have a few glasses of wine/not care so much.
TWW symptoms were at a minimum other than slightly tingly nipples, feeling tired evening of 14DPO and minimal cramping when AF was due.
I'm still spotting extremely minimally (yellow/brown), but I'm just happy it is possible to conceive, as was mentally preparing for docs intervention. Interestingly I feel as if my spotting was getting lighter each month after quitting BC, so it may just be a case of it slowly coming out of my system. GOOD LUCK ALL! It's possible.

@SpotterofN0te you may not see this but congrats on your BFP and that's for the positivity 🙂