What is going on?

[MissEmily5]

I’m at a loss with my periods now- TTC baby number 1 for a year now and my periods have gone haywire in 2024 and I’m just so tired/exhausted of it all!

My periods range from 26-31 days, I would say my average cycle length was about 27/28 days long. I have a short LP of around 12 days and spotting is a common occurrence for me- but apparently my progesterone has come back fine.

Me & my OH have had private testing- he had a low sperm count (but good morphology and motility) and I had scans which showed a thin uterus lining. However, 6 months on with certain changes such as cutting caffeine down and reflexology, his sperm count is well over the average amount and my scan showed a good lining. I’ve also had a hycosy to check tubes and lining and all good.

fast forward to this month (2nd month on from hycosy), yesterday at 8dpo I noticed some slightly discoloured CM which usually means spotting is going to be coming soon, I wasn’t able to pass bowel movement for a couple of days but did last night and once I’d been I saw bright red in the toilet and when I wiped. Put a pad on but hardly anything at all, other than when I wipe a couple of times. This morning (9dpo) I had some bright red but again when I wipe, so put a pad on but on the pad there now is more blood but all dark brown… what is going on? I’m not due till Tuesday but who knows now at this point! It’s just so difficult.

I really hate this rollercoaster of emotions- sometimes I think it might have finally worked and then others I’m completely despairing… we’re on the NHS IVF wait list now but it makes me so nervous and I just wish we’re one of the lucky ones who get caught before going in for that wonderful opportunity but nerve wracking time. I’m already exhausted and I know people go through so much more but it breaks my heart constantly.
sorry for the rant but I know how great this community is and I don’t really have anyone to talk to about it who understands minus OH.

I used to get pre period spotting from 7/8dpo and I started agnus castus and that has definitely helped. It’s worth a research. I had to get mine from Amazon as the dosage in the likes of Holland and Barrett isn’t enough to make a difference to your cycle

Have you ever been diagnosed with cervical erosion/ectropion?
Years ago I started getting bright red bleeding after bowel movements and sometimes after sex. It tended to happen in the luteal phase of my cycle only. They did many scans and tests and in the end I was diagnosed with cervical erosion. (Now called ectropion). It flares up and down. I normally find it's different blood to actual period blood. Bright red and more watery. The toilet water can look bright after a bowel movement but after that's over it's just brown spotting for a few days. It never keeps being red after I've wiped a couple of times etc.
It might not be this obviously, but it's something to possibly look in to.

Oh and to add, I've always spotted from 3-7 days before periods even when not getting any bright red bleeding. No medical people have ever seemed concerned. But equally I've also struggled to conceive for years. Who knows if it's related. The doctors say no.

@MrBigsCat thank you, I’ll definitely look into that. Do you no longer spot now?:)

@PaperSheet I’ve not, no; I’m not usually bright red, this is the first month I’ve ever had red spotting, it had always been brown spotting, this why I’m so confused this month.

On a typical cycle, It’ll start off sometimes a week, but more often then note about 3-5 days before my period, first with some discoloured CM (more creamy coloured) and then get darker brown until it turns into a standard period flow, the past couple of cycles I’ve only had a couple of days proper flow and then it’s just spotting. It confuses me as I used to be fours days proper flow and then spotting one or two days before and after. I definitely want my spotting investigated more… surely it won’t be good when the time comes to start IVF.

When I had my hycosy, they said they saw no damage or anything unusual and tubes, cervix and uterus were all looking really good.

I’m also really sorry to hear about your own struggles and the lack of help from medical professionals, it’s crazy to me that they haven’t helped more when it can’t be a good thing when TTC and even when your not it’s incredibly annoying too.

@MissEmily5 i only spot the day before now instead of the full week before! Makes such a difference