If you always get brown spotting before your period..

[WonderVibe]

Did you struggle to conceive?

I always get brown spotting for at least three days before my full flow period starts. Sometimes I can get this for a few days a week before my period.

I was wondering if this means I will have a harder time getting pregnant because, in a very crude way, my uterus is already emptying so surely it isn't going to hold in an embryo!!!

Please let me know your experiences :)

If also be interested to know if you got the spotting the cycle you became pregnant!

I had this with no problems conceiving

@WonderVibe I did for at least a year, I come off the pill, didn’t have it for a year then a year after it randomly started! Normally 1-2 days before my period, I wasn’t ttc then! I fell pregnant first month trying, ended in mmc then took my 3 cycles after that so I wouldn’t say it had an effect! I didn’t have the brown spotting on either cycle of getting pregnant xx

You're very unlikely to conceive in the few days before your period anyway. Thankfully it doesn't work like this though.

I’ve always had it. Most annoying thing as it drags my periods out for ages. Never struggled to conceive or carry pregnancies - first time each time and all went to term.
i think I’ve read one a few ttc boards about this tho and sometimes it can be an indicator of something (sorry, can’t remember what) but not always.

@Teacherteachernotapreacher thank you . Did you have it the cycles you conceived?

Yes, I’ve had it since my 20s and mid 40s now and shows no signs of stopping even tho I don’t get many periods now!

So in my experience, it turned out my progesterone was low which caused all that spotting. When I took progesterone,the spotting before my period stopped and I had a regular 5-6day period. The issue I had was that due to that I had two MCs because the spotting made the luteal phase short and so the embryo wouldn't get attached to my uterus wall. I would check it out if I was you. Spotting before your period (longer than 2 days) is not normal, despite my family doctor telling me for years that it was fine.

I had this, still do, I was very fortunate and conceived 4 babies first month each time and have never had a miscarriage. I do remember reading that it could indicate low progesterone.

I've had this over the last few years (didn't used to). I've conceived 3 times since the spotting started so hasn't been an issue. On the months I've fallen pregnant i haven't spotted at all.

I have heard it can be due to low progesterone so might be worth exploring but certainly in my experience it's not prevented me conceiving.

If I was intending to have any more children I might look into it further but since we're not I've just left it & put up with the annoyance of your period being strung out for much longer.

Hope you have a similar experience & it doesn't affect you conceiving if you are hoping to

Thanks everyone really helpful to hear your stories

Still having problems 18 months in discovered I have endometriosis at a pelvic scan. I spot for 4 days before period and have bad PMS in this time. Also, have a short luteal phase 8 days so a year after miscarriage went to the GP. I highly recommend if this is the case and more than 6 months ttc perhaps have a pelvic scan to rule anything out. Also, I only had dd straight after coming of the pill. I always had a feeling that if I hadn’t been on the pill I would of never had her and gynaecologist agrees. I have also had a miscarriage. Good luck. Biggest advise is don’t stress on taking supplements or skipping coffee or sleeping enough etc etc if it is going to happen it will! Fertility investigations really help with peace of mind if you can afford them.

@RosyappleA That’s interesting and I assumed something similar with me. Had my first child after coming off the pill. Then when he was 15 months we TTC again and got pregnant easily. Lost her at 19 weeks in feb 2021 and haven’t got pregnant since and IVF hasn’t worked. After my loss my periods changed in texture then around 5 months later I started with the brown spotting issue. A whole week before my period and a few days after and also a clotty weird period. Last November before starting my IVF I for diagnosed with adenomyosis. Because it comes hand in hand with endo I was sure I had that too! Anyways I had a lap last week and a hyterscopy and apparently I don’t have endo. But my IVF is likely failing due to the adenomyosis. :( have you managed to get any where?

This is really interesting to hear it can be linked to low progesterone, I was always under the impression it was old blood so was normal. I had a mmc in January and oddly the 2 periods following that I had no PMT and no spotting, my period literally just started both times, then back to the brown spotting after that. Last month I had a chemical so EPAU have suggested I ask my GP about progesterone.

@RoseH36 I’m so sorry you’ve had all these issues. How are you getting on now? We just lost our 4th IVF transfer at 13 weeks. I just feel done now :( I’m exhausted of it.

I think the brown pre menstrual spotting for me is linked to low progesterone and my adenomyosis and maybe an immune issue, it only started the month I got my Covid vaccine too which makes me even more paranoid :(

In case it helps anyone, I finally got pregnant but believe it was due to the endometriosis supplement plan I followed in the book it starts with the egg. After 3 months of religiously following this I got pregnant and the spotting had improved significantly by the third month!

My dhea was very low. I got it to the recommended level in the book. Please test don’t take blindly. It is not for everyone.
My vitamin d was low also so I also took huge doses to get it to the recommended levels.
Others included ubiquinol and N-acetylcysteine (I read reviews that NAC had made periods more manageable for women).

Could be a coincidence but I am convinced it was the above. Worth a shot.

I see that this is an old thread but just wanted to add that I also fit in this category with no determined cause of the spotting but that it didn't hinder me getting pregnant with my first.