7dpo bleeding but NOT implantation

[HollyP21]

Hi everyone,

I am hoping to find someone who may have experienced something similar as I am at a loss. We started TTC 3 months ago. I can pinpoint ovulation through OPK and tracking temp. Roughly 7DPO I get bleeding which I initially thought was implantation bleeding but I’ve not had any BFP. The bleeding comes the same time every cycle, lasts for about a week on and off (not enough to fill a pad but can have sudden gushes that leak through my underwear and some clotting - usually dark brown) and then finishes and my periods comes. It’s definitely not my period as my BBT remains elevated and it’s on and off - my period is always on time and lasts 5 days with no on/off. This cycle I had very bad cramps with the bleeding too - I never normally have bad cramps. This literally only started when TTC and it’s clearly not implantation, and it’s been 3 cycles in a row so it’s not a one off. I’ve had my progesterone tested and my levels came back as normal. Not been on hormonal birth control in years, I eat clean, am a healthy weight and regularly exercise. Any help would be SO much appreciated- I am losing my mind! Thank you xxx

Hi,

this sounds so familiar and is me this month!! In the past 8 month I’ve had this the odd time along with the same thing around ovulation too which has always been put down to ovulation bleeding by my GP. I’ve began spotting 5-7DPO I’m currently day 7 now and yet to have a BFP but highly doubt it is IB. I’ve got a doctors app tomorrow however not really sure what to expect as I’ve already had bloods done and everything came back normal.

just wondering if you have any further update on this? Also if you don’t mind me asking where u on any contraception before hand? I have been on depo after my little girl then came back off when she was 18month with periods resuming 7month later now been TTC for 12 month xx

@Lollywhite

thank you for replying! Glad to know I’m not the only one!

I’ve had my bloods done, an ultrasound and a transvaginal and they can’t find anything. But it happens every month when TTC a week after ovulation. This month I had 8 days of bleeding and then my actual period started. Going for an MRI next month as I found a thread on here with women discussing similar bleeding and some of them found out it was silent endometriosis so going to have the MRI to check that out.

I wasn’t sure any birth control prior to this. My partner and I were only having sex on non fertile days as a method of non-hormonal contraception (the app natural cycles if you know it).

let me know if your doctor has any clue what it could be as mine has been clueless!! I also went for acupuncture with a fertility expert and she couldn’t give me any reason for it either!! Xxx

Thank you so much for your reply..

yes I’m totally clueless myself I keep reading things on here and jumping to every conclusion.. I’ve had ultrasound, and bloods done and no concerns.. ever since my periods resumed last February I’ve had on/off mid cycle bleeding which like I mention has always been put down to ovulation bleeding.. but this month I’ve had it after + 5 days after ovulation it’s making me think something else, I’m wondering if it’s something to do with my progesterone/eastrogen but then surely this would have been picked up at blood tests?

I will update u on my GPS concerns but not holding out much hope as I feel like they’re just following text book xx

I could have written this! That’s so odd. I have the exact same.

I used to always spot a little (like 2 days before my period) but since TTC I’ve had the exact same as you - spotting at around 7dpo (which at first I got excited was implantation) but not even a sniff of a BFP.

My BBT does the same and remains elevated, coming down just before my actual period.

It’s so odd it’s only started since TTC as well. I went to the DRs and they said my bloods are fine, but as I’ve only been trying 2 months ‘it’s just one of those things’.

Do you have any other symptoms of endometriosis?

@Lollywhite

yes I’m in the same boat! It doesn’t make sense when they can’t find anything in scans and bloods show progesterone to be fine. I did read somewhere that high levels of cortisol from stress can block progesterone rather than actually deplete it which could mean that progesterone seems fine in bloods but because it’s blocked the body responds as though it as has low progesterone. And this is definitely a stressful time! My next steps after my MRI are to have a cortisol test to see if my levels are elevated, and if not, then a tubal patency test to see if there’s anything blocking my tubes.

good luck at the doctors! Hope you get some answers!! Xxx

@Mushroo

its so frustrating isn’t it not getting any answers!! I’ve had no other symptoms of endometriosis at all - my periods have always been really regular and the bleeding only started when TTC. I read about a woman with the same symptoms and she had silent endometriosis so she didn’t have any endometriosis symptoms either so as you can imagine she was really surprised to find out she had it. I’m hoping the MRI will be able to rule that out or confirm it for next steps.

my acupuncturist thought it could be repeated implantation failure which can be due to poor quality egg or sperm but there’s no test for this. I’ve been following an egg health diet to hopefully improve my chances, but I ate really healthily before anyway so I’m not sure if it is that. I’ve just had my 4th cycle of bleeding which would also be strange to have 4 fertilised eggs in a row too!!

so frustrating not having the answers!! Have you had any pain with your bleeding? Xxx

Hopefully the MRI will give you some answers. I’ve never heard of silent endometriosis so I’ll do some reading just in case.

I don’t get any pain, I tend to have one day of bright red blood around 7dpo, then just like brown on and off from 7dpo to my period

I thought the same as the acupuncturist but based on nothing at all. It would seem odd that an egg would be good enough to fertilise but not implant so many times in a row. How have you found acupuncture? I’ve been thinking of trying it or reflexology (I’ll try anything at this point!)

@Mushroo

your bleeding sounds just like mine. It drives me crazy not having any answers!

I enjoy the acupuncture and I do feel really relaxed afterwards, but it hasn’t stopped the bleeding yet and I’m still not pregnant! Lol. I’ve only had 3 sessions though so I expect these things take time. It’s nice just to have someone to listen and then relax for an hour knowing some good is going on in my body. I’ve had acupuncture before for other medical reasons and I’ve had success with it, so hoping it will help this time too!!

Here are the other threads I read:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/infertility/3701156-Bleeding-throughout-luteal-phase?page=1

https://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/becoming-mum-ttc-64/trying-baby-752/1459268-continuously-spotting-during-luteal-phase.html

ive also been listening to this podcast that talked a title about the time of bleeding:
https://www.foodfreedomfertility.com/podcasts/periods-and-fertility-with-nicole-jardim/

hope these help!! Has your doctor been helpful at all? Xxx

That’s is so helpful, thank you so much! It’s so reassuring to hear from someone with the exact same issue as it feels so unusual.

Im almost tempted to not try for a month and see if that fixes it, but then I don’t want to ‘waste’ a month for the sake of a theory.

My GP has been ok in that she hasn’t dismissed me, we’re doing bloods again in 3 months but at the same time, no practical ideas at this stage. The only flag was that my prolactin was slightly high, we can be caused by stress, but not high enough for her to be worried about it.

I do have private medical insurance, it doesn’t cover fertility but I might just word my worry as ‘unexplained bleeding’ and see if I can get referred.

I’ll definitely keep you updated on whether I find any miraculous cure or insight! Or if either of us manage to get a BFP to prove it’s possible.

Im currently on CD1 so getting myself ready for another cycle. Like you, I already take vitamins, exercise, don’t really drink. I’m going to focus this month on increasing my steps as they’ve been a bit low with the crap weather, and try to be a bit more consistent with resistance training.

Might look into acupuncture as well, like you say, even if I just relax that can’t be a bad thing!

Thanks for that @HollyP21 will have a read of those threads.. does your spotting always result in your period? I had a small instance of spotting in January on CD 22 which was nothing like a normal period and no ordinary symptoms so I was convinced it wasn’t however blood test seemed to show that it actually was!

@Mushroo ive been referred already but can’t help and question every sign and symptom I’m back at the Gp today and guna push for ‘unexplained bleeding’ because at the moment I feel like I’m going round in circles! Xx

@Lollywhite yes it always results in a period. At first I was certain it was implantation bleeding, but now after 4 months of it, I’m thinking it must be something else.

@Mushroo yeah I would definitely push for testing for unexplained bleeding - you could say suspected endometriosis or fibroids. That might work!

will definitely keep you both updated after my MRI and if a BFP ever happens!! It must be such a rare thing we are experiencing as I don’t know any women in real life who have gone through it and I couldn’t find anything online for bleeding that only starts when TTC. All the professionals I’ve spoken to haven’t encountered it either!! Xxx

Any updates from anyone? (Mainly posting so I don’t lose this thread!)

Im 4dpo this month and really hoping for no spotting!

@Mushroo I’m 5dpo so also hoping for no spotting!! Keep us updated :) and I’ll do the same! Xxx

@Mushroo @HollyP21
Hiii, nothing much to update from myself currently CD3, after an oddly long 42 day cycle…

GP done a pelvic exam 2 weeks ago, suggested everything looks fine but is happy to repeat another ultrasound so waiting for my letter! Then if ultrasound doesn’t pick anything up she said she would refer me to gyno at hosp in addition to my fertility referral!

I’ve also just ordered an OvuSense as read they seem to work with irregular cycles, has anyone else used this?

@Lollywhite I haven’t used ovusense. I use an Oura ring with Natural Cycles to do my tracking which I’d recommend. The Oura ring is so good for BBT tracking. It also helps as I can definitely distinguish when the spotting ends and the period starts as my temperature dips which also suggests my progesterone is working as it should and then wouldn’t be the cause of the bleeding.

I had an oddly long cycle of 36 days in January when I’m usually 29-32 days. I think it was the stress of TTC. So perhaps yours could be the same?

I’ve got an MRI on Sunday so should have the results 7 days after that so will let you both know if they find anything as my ultrasound didn’t detect anything! Xxx

Oh my goodness it's so nice to find this thread! I have EXACTLY the same thing, before TTC I would get some brown spotting a day or two before period but since TTC I always get spotting start on 6dpo (literally the same every cycle)! Then it's random bits on and off until AF comes, weirdly mainly in the evenings and sometimes there will be a random gush in the day but then goes back to nothing straight after. Always brown and a bit stringy (soz TMI). I am going crazy wondering what it is. Had bloods done last week and all normal and now have a gynaecology referral on Monday so fingers crossed for some answers! Will report back here 💕

@Piglet34 welcome to the weird club! It’s kind of reassuring there’s a few of us, but odd no one seems to know what it is!

This cycle is a bit shorter for me (will be 30 days rather than the last two which were about 33) so I wonder if that will change anything.

My only working theory for the spotting is failed implantation, but there’s zero evidence backing this up.

@Mushroo haha thanks! Definitely reassuring to know I'm not the only one going through this and nice to have people to talk to!

I have a sneaking suspicion mine is endo as I used to have really bad pains with bowel movements on my period which is a main symptom of that. This was about 7 years ago though and don't have the pains anymore, don't know if endo can clear up by itself or if it was even that in the first place! Just weird this symptoms has started since TTC! I thought it might be the new pregnancy vitamins I was taking as people say that messes their cycle but stopped those this month and still got the same!

@Piglet34 welcome to the club!! It’s so frustrating isn’t it not being able to get any answers! It’s so bizarre that it only starts when TTC. @mushroo I thought failed implantation at first as well but after 4 cycles in a row of this, I feel like it’s not even possible for an egg to be fertilised 4 times in a row so must be something else! My bleeding has been getting longer each cycle (first cycle was about 4 days of spotting, second cycle 6 days, third cycle 7 days, fourth cycle 9 days) so I’m really hoping I can find a way to stop this!!

like you, my bloods and scans have come back normal so far. I thought maybe it’s the stress of TTC causing my progesterone to drop, but my progesterone levels came back normal. I read somewhere that stress affects the way your body interacts with the hormone so even though the levels might be normal, your body isn’t actually using it because of the stress. I might get a cortisol blood test as a next step to see if my cortisol levels are high which might explain it??

I am also trying seed cycling at the moment too to help balance my hormones if it is low progesterone! Xxx

@HollyP21 im also trying seed cycling - will try anything at this point!

Cortisol is a good shout, I’m naturally a bit of an overthinker and prone to doom scrolling /
googling everything. Really trying hard not to this cycle and do a bit more yoga / going out and keeping busy.

5dpo and so far so good but not out of the woods!

Look forward to hearing everyone’s updates.

@Mushroo I'm with you there - absolute over thinker!! Have scrolled the deep dark depths of google until I've convinced myself I have every illness going 😂

Will keep you all updated!! Xx

@HollyP21 @Mushroo definitely an over thinker too and endlessly scroll especially in the TWW, lead up to O is much nicer and I feel relaxed. I was worried about stress as well which is why I stopped doing BBT as that was just stressing me every day (although when I did do it my charts seemed normal at least). I now just do OPK and that is enough for me haha

I'm also doing a lot of yoga to try and help unwind and seeing friends as much as poss. Anything to not think about this! Every month I get hopeful the spotting might not come and then always happens on 6dpo 🙄 I just feel deep down it's stopping me get preg and just want answers. Looking forward to hearing your guys updates too!

@Piglet34 I completely understand - I stopped doing the OPK because that was giving me too much stress. My Oura ring does my temperature automatically so I don't find that as stressful.

I'm in the hopeful stage at the moment! I go through the exact same feelings as you. Even if I don't get a BFP this month, if just the bleeding stopped that would feel like a bit of a win! Xx

@HollyP21 really hope it doesn't start for you this cycle! What day are you on? I'm 13dpo and bfn/brown spotting is getting slightly more red which usually happens the day before AF comes so I think that will be tomorrow! Ah well onto a new cycle I guess and at least I have the gynae appt Monday, feel like that's a step in the right direction at least. Can't stand when there isn't a plan/I don't feel like I'm doing anything proactive.

Might try fertilily next cycle and already using preseed. What next ahah

@Piglet34 I'm on 7DPO and the bleeding hasn't started yet, but I'm so nervous every time I go to the bathroom! The last three months the bleeding had already started by now.

Yeah we've got our referral to the fertility clinic so that feels like a relief as I know it's not all down to us now if that makes sense. Are you based in the UK? Was just wondering if you were how your experience with the NHS has been. It seems really inconsistent between different hospitals.

How long have you been TTC? Sorry if I missed that in a previous post! Xxx