5 days of spotting during ovulation

[hereforthefood]

Hello ladies! Apologies if this is long.

Quick bit of context: I'm 23 years old, TTC #1, came off the combined pill very end of June. Since then I've had my withdrawal bleed and 2 periods (much lighter than they used to be though). The 2 cycles I've had have both been 32 days long, with ovulation around cd 16/17. I don't temp or use OPKs, I go based on CP, CM, and spotting (I've gotten ovulation spotting every month since coming off the pill), which leads me on to my concerns.

Since coming off the pill I've had sporadic spotting throughout my cycle. The first month I had three separate instances of spotting (1 day bleed each time), plus 3 days of spotting before my period began. The second month had my period end with 5 days of spotting, followed by two separate instances of spotting throughout the month (1 day, and 2 day bleeds respectively), followed by 3 days of spotting leading up to my period again.

This month, my period ended with 3 days of spotting and then nothing. I thought my cycle was finally starting to regulate but I wouldn't be here if that was the case. This month I've had no signs of ovulation in CP or CM, it's been firm and creamy since my period ended. On CD 17, right when I expected to ovulate, I got a very large amount of bright red blood that fully stained my underwear (unusual amount of blood for spotting). I assumed I ovulated on this day and BD'd when I got home. The next day, more blood, although this time slightly pinker. I assumed it was just a bit of left over blood and went about my day. The past 3 days since then I have had consistent bright red blood and am now on CD 21, with bright, crimson blood upon wiping. It has been making it to my underwear but not even close to CD 17's level. I have not been using sanitary products as I don't feel like it's needed yet. The blood is also not consistent as far as I can tell.

Essentially, I'm worried something is up. a 5 day bleed during ovulation was never normal for me and, despite my random spotting, isn't normal for me now either. I'm confused as to when I ovulated (if I even have), and whether this is going to have a negative effect on TTC?
If anybody has any advice, wisdom, or similar stories to help me out, that would be amazing!

Bump!

Bump! Anybody experienced this?

I'm going to update this as I go. Now on 8dpo and I think the spotting has finally let up! That is a full week of spotting from CD17 to CD24. If anybody has an experience with this or knows anything about why this would be happening, I'd really appreciate the insight!

Hi @hereforthefood, I don't have all the answers but wanted to let you know you're not shouting into a void....

To me, it sounds like your hormones are settling now you're off hormonal BC. Might not stop you conceiving, and should settle in time. I'd push your GP for an appointment though, and maybe get some blood tests for hormone levels and/or an ultrasound to check you don't have a pesky fibroid or cyst in there. (Don't panic, both of these are common!)

If it helps, here's my experience of bleeding outside AF:

After my periods returned following DD's arrival, I would regularly spot for c.4 days before AF. Tracked it (panicking) for 6 months before we TTC and I got BFP on the second month - even with spotting and one day of red bleeding (not loads but enough). That ended in MMC at 13 weeks, but the "missed" bit of the miscarriage shows the spotting was irrelevant - my body was so dedicated to the pregnancy, it hung on long after it should have let go! Had a very healthy lining and placenta in there too.

I've just ovulated following the miscarriage and am having pinky brown spotting which I assume is due to my hormones still being a bit all over the shop. I expect my next couple of cycles will be a bit funky too.

In summary, get yourself checked but in all likelihood, nothing's seriously wrong.

Just to add: the theory behind ovulation bleeding is that there's a drop in oestrogen just after it happens. At the same time, your womb lining is reaching its thickest when ovulation occurs.

In some women, and in some cycles, that drop is so extreme that it slightly disrupts the lining, and you get some spotting, before oestrogen rises in the early luteal phase.

@Shortmamashortcycles thank you for your reply! I did think it could be due to hormones settling but I hoped they would've sorted themselves out by now. When I came off the pill a couple of years ago they went back to normal almost immediately, hoped it would be like that again this time but clearly not!😭
I'll definitely be making an appointment with my GP if they haven't sorted themselves out by next month but don't want to appear crazy as I haven't been off the pill that long😂

Sorry to hear about your MMC, your body sounds very much on board with having a baby though so I doubt you'll be waiting long before you'll have another DC, FX this is the month for your BFP!

It's heartening to know that the spotting will likely have little affect on TTC though! Thank you for the info on ovulation spotting you posted! It does make me wonder whether I have low oestrogen though as that means it would have taken a full week for it to build up enough to stop the bleeding. Or maybe, if I'm very lucky, the bleeding stopped due to an egg implanting and causing my body to start producing loads of hormones to stop the spotting and build up my lining! (I think that might just be wishful thinking on my part though!)

No more spotting for today it would seem! Interestingly, I woke up this morning with a spot on my chin and once I got home from work I also noticed another MASSIVE one brewing under my skin, also on my chin.

Apparently this happens to women when hormones change in their body. I'm thinking it has something to do with why I stopped spotting today, I'm hoping it's a good sign though as, according to my past 3 cycles, I don't get spots at all until AF which isn't due for more than a week yet!

Thanks for the confidence, but I highly doubt it'll be this cycle. This might not be ovulation bleeding, it might be the start of AF, which is weird considering a week ago a scan showed a follicle gearing up to go, but tbh I'd take a period to just clear things out now!

The spots thing is def hormonal - I have finally got rid of the worst chin and forehead spots which slowly developed in the first trimester and lingered after the miscarriage surgery. Bloody progesterone...

Hopefully your cycle will just settle into a more normal rhythm in the next month or two, but I wouldn't feel silly for going to the GP now - it doesn't have to be about TTC, midcycle spotting should always be checked out if there's no obvious cause.

You never know! I doubt it's AF this early, especially if this time last week you hadn't even ovulated yet! Brown spotting definitely doesn't sound like the beginning of AF either (for me anyway) so don't assume you're already out yet!

I was never particularly spotty as a teenager, hoping my body isn't going to try to make up for that during pregnancy!

I've taken your advice and made a phone appointment with my GP for next Tuesday! I imagine there'll be a couple more after that before I get any solid answers but at least it's a start :)