Periods, spotting and progesterone

[geeup]

Sorry to open up a bit of a personal discussion but when you start your period do you go from white CM straight to red blood or does everyone have a day or two of brown tinted CM as AF approaches?
I'm convinced I have low progesterone (brown tinted CM or spotting before red blood of CD1, two failed IVF cycles where I started bleeding before OTD, short luteal phase (10-12 days)). I've only had my day 21 test done once pre fertility clinic which they said was fine but otherwise no tests and (nhs) clinic seem uninterested in testing and just said for my third round I'll have 3 pessaries a day instead of 2. I want lubion injections on top of those pessaries for a belt and braces approach. Am I going mad? There has to be something wrong surely?

Gee, I usually have a couple days of brown before my full on red AF starts. My cycle is usually 29-30 days and I think my luteal phase is 14-15 days. I've been told over and over that it's nothing to worry about but I do wonder whether my progesterone is low. I also started bleeding before my OTD on my last cycle, even with progesterone 2x per day.

It's so frustrating isn't it? I know we're all guilty of over-googling but I just feel like some additional tests could actually uncover something. I'd happily pay for them as an extra bit the doctors just seem happy to plough on with more ivf cycles and say it's just a numbers game. I just struggle to believe the next cycle is going to be in any way different...

Yes, it's frustrating when it feels as if there's something wrong and the doctors don't listen. Have they said why they won't prescribe you the injections?

Also, when I had my day 21 progestrone done it was quite high, in the 70s I think. Perhaps it can be normal on day 21 but then drop quickly leading to the brown ?

I haven't got any suggestions Gee but I do get spotting before AF for 5-7 days. My consultant thought Clomid might help with this but 5 cycles in my cycle is a bit longer but spotting has not improved. I have bought progesterone pills to take from ovulation to AF due date to see if it makes any difference this cycle.
I have had varying results of day 21 tests, (24, 43 before Clomid). After Clomid I had a day 21 test but then AF took ages to come so not sure how useful it was as I think ideally the test should be done 7 days before AF.
If the injections can't do any harm is there any way they would allow you to add them? Or at least explain why they physically wouldn't help if that is their view.

I had this when we started trying for our second after months of just Big Bang start periods. My spotting started really early and then AF would be here at 10dpo latest usually. I’m convinced it was low progesterone. I ended up conceiving DS2 on my first round of clomid. They wouldn’t test my progesterone on a normal cycle for some reason. My progesterone did drop early and I started spotting as per usual but got pregnant for some reason. Still totally baffled what made the difference after months of nothing. Good luck xx

Thanks for your comments. I wish clinic had worked for me @MmmMalbec ! I'm on cd5 and af is now brown - I always wonder if other ladies have a Big Bang red bleed as you described and then the red tails off. Is brown even normal at the end?

@Gee, have you had a hysteroscope, and are your periods very heavy? My consultant recommended it after our first fresh transfer failed. He said the spotting and light period for me could be because of scarring or a polyp that interferes with implantation. I will be booked for one before our FET.

I think some brown can be normal as it's just old blood but what I worry about is that it drags on for a 1-2 days before/after my AF.

I had a lap and dye and hysteroscopy yes but they didn't find anything except a tiny bit of endometriosis. Periods aren't very heavy - rarely use super tampons, usually just regular ones. It's so bad trying to self diagnose but you get at the end of your wits don't you!

Hi Gee I used to have days of brown discharge before I started my period, sometimes as long as 5 days. Drs and the gynaecologist didn’t seem it a problem but after a HSG a polyp was found and supposedly removed. afterwards I didn’t notice any real change until I was about to start ivf cycle 1 and had a saline scan which showed it was still there, since it’s been properly removed I have had no brown spotting and it just starts red.

That's interesting @79Karen I wonder if I have one and they just haven't found it. I have a fibroid but on the outside of my uterus which they say shouldn't be a problem...

Gee our posts crossed, I think if you’ve had a lap and dye and a hysteroscopy any polyp would have been found? I kept asking them to check for it when I had my stims scans so surely anything like that would have shown up?

Gee, as far as I know fibroids can change size, might it have changed a bit and now causing the brown?

I'll ask at my next scan @meadowlark3 but my periods have been like this since before my ivf (although not when I was a teenager if I recall - I think I used to wake up in the night, run to the loo and start bright red blood).