Luteal spotters and successful pregnancy?

[purplecolouroffunk]

Hi everyone!

Looking for pregnancy success stories from our luteal spotters.

I know there are a few great old threads on this topic, but thought I'd start a new one for more recent stories.

I get spotting from around as soon as 5DPO, and have done for 5 years. It continues til AF 'proper' arrives, and usually stops for a couple of days in the middle.

I've had the day 21 progesterone test - it came back low BUT I've since realised I had the test at the wrong time in my cycle. I was counting day one of spotting as CD1 which I now think is not correct.

I have another progesterone test this week which will be one week from suspected ovulation. I get ovary pain and EWCM each month. I also had peak OPK from testing for the first time this month. So I suspect I am ovulating. I don't have high hopes for this next progesterone test though, because I don't see what else could be causing spotting so early after ovulation.

We've only just started TTC but I'm 35 so I'm already anticipating this being a problem - it's making me worried and getting me down. I was pretty much fobbed off by doctors for about 2 years. They said bleeding for sometimes up to 17 days is 'normal but just unlucky'. I had to go and do my own research and push to even have a hormone test done. It's crazy.

I wondered if there are any other luteal spotters here who've had successful pregnancies? I'm struggling to understand how my lining can ever build up enough to maintain a pregnancy if I'm spotting from 5DPO.

Any stories or similar experiences would be very much welcomed! 💜

@GreyHoggy oh my goodness, congratulations!! That is fantastic news. Wishing you all good vibes for your pregnancy ❤️

Excellent news for spotters too! Did your spotting start as normal before your BFP? Can I ask how heavy it got and what sort of colour it was, if so?

@purplecolouroffunk thank you, after over a year of trying it's quite surreal.

No, I didn't actually get any spotting this month (apart from a tiny bit of pale pink on 10 DPO). This has never happened before so by the time I tested on the day my period was meant to be I was pretty sure it would be positive even though I had no other symptoms.

@GreyHoggy i bet it is! Such amazing news ❤️

That’s interesting to hear. I’d always assumed my spotting counted me out as soon as I see it, but there are so many stories of people having no spotting at all, or having their usual spotting, before a BFP. I guess our bodies are just all so different.

Your story is why I’m so gutted every time I see my spotting though. I’m sure you can relate!!

Yes I totally understand, I’d desperately scour MN every time my spotting started for stories where people had their usual spotting and still got a BFP. And like you said we are all different and there are plenty of people out there who have that so I wouldn’t count yourself out just because you are spotting.

@GreyHoggy that’s exactly what I’ve been doing and have had to stop myself 😂

New development. Had the result of my third progesterone test back today and it’s at 31.8 nmol/l. Much higher than it was at 21 last month!

It’s a good result, but the annoying thing now though is that my dr says she’s holding off on the gynae referral since it ‘it’s above the level we need to confirm ovulation’. Am I being unreasonable to feel like there’s still something wrong?

This month I’m at 10dpo and I’ve been spotting since 2dpo. This morning I’ve had some heavish bleeding with some small clots so wondering if AF might be here, even though she’s not due for another 4-6 days. It’s not consistent bleeding though, which makes me think it’s just heavier spotting. Once AF comes she is verrry consistent for 3/4 days.

Confused and feel at a dead end again since I’m not getting my referral 😔 I suppose I’ll just have to hope spotting also doesn’t stop me from getting pregnant.

@purplecolouroffunk Just to update and see if it helps, I had my progesterone tested last month and it came back at 46! However, no pregnancy unfortunately.

this cycle I’m currently on day 16 and ovulation tests are saying I still haven’t ovulated yet. Once I have ovulated, 3 days afterwards im going to try supplementing with progesterone pessaries as I think my levels, although high, are dropping too soon. So gonna see if the pessaries stop the spotting…. I’ll report back!

completely understand your frustrations

@purplecolouroffunk sorry I missed your message.
I would take it as a good sign, it means that you are ovulating and that your progesterone is high enough to get pregnant so keep going!
Its completely normal to take up to a year and if nothing has happened by then then you can get lots more tests done and they will refer you even if they can’t see anything wrong.

Thanks everyone.

@Frankie2607 glad to hear about your progesterone! I stupidly had thought maybe it shooting up meant a BFP was on the way, so it’s good to hear about your result so I can temper expectations 😂

I have a feeling my levels are dropping too. Though it’s really confusing I was bleeding before, during, and after my test. So who knows what’s causing the bleeding. Let me know how you get on this month!

@GreyHoggy thank you! My main concern is some of this bleeding is fairly heavy, then it just goes back to light. I’m also 35 so feel like time is not on my side (so thankfully referral time is 6 months). You’re right though, at least the levels are in a good place and I’ll just have to see what happens, and get a referral when/if I need to.

@GreyHoggy, @Frankie2607 ahhh okay omg I might have just had a BFP.

What do you think? 14dpo and this was 3rd pee of the day and quite diluted - just did the test on a whim. Could it be a evap? There is colour to it.

Off out to find a first response or similar.

@purplecolouroffunk Omg!!! Congratulations!!! That's a great line for 14dpo and especially not even with fmu.

Spotting means nothing!! So happy for you😀

@GreyHoggy ahhh thank you! I'm kind of terrified to get excited because the spotting is still going, although it's fairly light and sort of more mixed with CM. Just did another 2 easy@homes and they look the same as the one above.

Going to do my Clear Blue tomorrow with FMU and will keep you up to date.

@purplecolouroffunk 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 Really hope this is it for you!! X

🥹🥹

Well there's no doubting that, what a strong line. Congrats again!
You are just a few weeks behind me.

@GreyHoggy aww that’s lovely! How are you getting on?

Hey! I'm ok, well apart from the all day nausea and the tiredness, so just about getting through the work day and then going home and crashing! But this is a small price to pay. Hope you are doing well.

Hello spotters. I hope you’re all doing okay.

Sadly I lost my pregnancy a month ago 😔 I don’t think it was related to the spotting but no one can be sure. Basically I found out at 7.5 weeks I was having a missed miscarriage and nothing had grown since 5 weeks - my body wouldn’t let go so I had to have a D&C unfortunately.

The whole thing was pretty traumatic and there was a week of waiting for confirmation which was awful - longest week of my life.

Anyway, me and DP said we’d wait until after my period had come back to try again, just for timing purposes. 3 weeks after my D&C we had sex for the first time. I’d sort of assumed I would have ovulated the week before which would have been 2 weeks after the D&C so thought we’d be ‘safe’. Turns out I ovulated 3 days after that sex! So now I’m 8dpo in the TWW again, so quickly after my last pregnancy.

Anyway, thought I’d update this thread with this rollercoaster. For current and future readers 🙂

Now at 8dpo I’ve not had any of my usual spotting which is odd. I’m wondering if that’s cause of my body being all out of whack with the miscarriage. Part of me is getting my hopes up that I might be pregnant again, because I’ve never not had spotting for 5 years, but I’m sure the chances of that are low.

Anyone experienced any of this? Spotting in one successful TWW but not in another?

Hope everyone is doing well 💜

@purplecolouroffunk I’m so sorry for your loss 💜 but hopefully the fact you got pregnant that time brings you comfort that it will happen again. Fingers crossed for you on this cycle!

I wasn’t sure whether to reply or not given your update was not a happy one, but hopefully this brings you some hope as my DS conceived on a cycle where I started spotting 5DPO is currently asleep on me, 4 weeks old. When I went into labour I actually had a lot of vaginal bleeding, and the doctors examining me said my cervix is very vascular, which could be why I always spotted with hormonal changes. Not sure if this has even been mentioned to you as an explanation?

@Eddieegg thank you! Yes it definitely comforts me somewhat, and also the fact that it wasn’t a problem with my body. I always worried I wouldn’t be able to hold on to a pregnancy but that wasn’t the case.

Aw that is so lovely to hear, thank you for sharing. I really do find hope in stories like that, and even seeing babies around me. Rather than feeling sad, I feel hope, because I just know it’s going to happen for us eventually 💜

I’ve never had that mentioned about my cervix. I might ask someone about it. No one really seems to have any idea why I spot. I’ve always assumed it’s a hormonal thing, but I find it interesting that I had it when I was and wasn’t pregnant (and that you did too!). The hormone balance in a luteal phase vs pregnancy must be pretty different with the hCG etc. I wonder what the common denominator is.

Hello, hope everyone is doing okay.

Just a wee update from me. It looks like I’m pregnant again! I’ve had one period since my MMC in mid-April. Can’t believe I’m so lucky to fall this quickly again.

Top test is today - 11dpo
Bottom test is 10dpo

Although now I’m really nervous 😞 I’ve been having spotting again since 4dpo. I just can’t figure out why I’d have spotting in my non-pregnant and pregnant luteal phases. The hormone balance must be really different in both.

Also I had no problems in holding on to my last pregnancy (body really didn’t want to let go!) which makes me think it wasn’t a progesterone deficiency. So what else would cause the spotting? Sigh.

Going to call the EPU next week once I’m a little bit further along and see if they have any advice.

Doh didn’t attach pic.

Hi @purplecolouroffunk just seen your updates as I’ve been staying off here for a while. So sorry to hear about your loss, that sounds terrible but congratulations on your new pregnancy, you must be thrilled to have got pregnant again so quickly. Fingers crosses everything goes smoothly this time and hopefully EPU can reassure you. The spotting is strange but doesn’t seem to prevent you getting pregnant at least, I never got to the bottom of why I had it.

Thanks @GreyHoggy.

I hope everything is going okay with your pregnancy?

@purplecolouroffunk Yes it is all going well so far, thank you for asking.