Can you help me...?

[Whysoserious]

I'm so sorry to crash the pregnancy board (again ;) ) but I am after some advice from people that have successfully got pregnant and, well, there tends to be a few of you hanging around here.

I have been having brown spotting for around 3-4 days before AF (and then proper AF full flow starts straight after this) for the last 4 cycles. I have a cervical ectropion so could be related to this but am also worried if could be related to a luteal phase defect.

Did anyone here get this before they were pregnant but manage to get pregnant with no problems? Or did you have it and have to have treatment (for whatever the cause was for it) before you got pregnant.

I just feel at the moment that it's never going to happen and that my body can't support a pregnancy because of this early spotting / bleeding. I have had ultrasound and all looks fine there so am convinced it's some kind of hormonal thing that is really going to hinder me.

I'd be so grateful to hear of your experiences with this or similar and congratulations on all your pregnancies!

Hi there - in a bit of a rush but didn't want to read and run!

To answer your question, yes, I did have this and like you really worried it was going to stop me ever getting pregnant. I got really, really stressed about it, which I don't think helped either.

The short story is I am now 24 weeks pregnant and all appears to be going well, so spotting doesn't have to mean there's a problem. The cycle I conceived I spotted from about 9 dpo until about 14 dpo and was pretty despondent, but it still happened!

I had all the investigations (blood tests, ultrasound, laparoscopy) none of which could find any cause for the bleeding. I was told repeatedly by gynaes and then the fertility specialist that spotting is fairly meaningless in terms of fertility, quote "some women just seem to bleed more than others". It did take us a while in the end - hence the investigations - about 18 months. This isn't that much above the average though, so I don't know if the spotting had any relevance or not.

I was also told repeatedly by specialists that there is no such thing as a luteal phase defect - it used to infuriate me, but now I do wonder if we were just getting our timing a bit wrong. In the end the Clear Blue Fertility Monitor was what worked for me, I got pregnant twice using it, the first time sadly miscarried at 5 weeks but got another BFP two months later and that one is still cooking nicely

All the best of luck - it'll happen!

Oh and one more thing - I saw an accupuncturist for a few months before I got pregnant and that did seem to have a really noticeable affect on the spotting and the length of my cycle (which sometimes was as short as 25 days, with what I felt was a 9 day luteal phase, but who knows really). She was a fertility specialist and was really understanding and proactive. Obv no idea where you live but she works in SE England. I can PM you her details if you are interested.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply HotPinkGingham - it's been really worrying me (which also doesn't help conception success!) so it's great to hear your story. It definitely seems to be one of those things that isn't known much about and could be one of any number of things.

It's interesting to hear you also spotted when you conceived - something I've been wondering about because each month I go through a bit of a limbo phase where I'm pretty sure AF is going to start because of the spotting but still wondering if there's a chance because it's not a full flow.

Congratulations on your pregnancy - I bet you're so excited! I really can't wait to be in your shoes :)

Hi Whysoserious, I recognise you from the conception boards! wave

I had pretty much the same as you. My cycle was only 23 days. I know people often said that your LP never changes but that turned out to be completely wrong for me.

If you can afford it, I would definitely recommend the CBFM. I got my BFP within 2 months of using it (after SWI without contraception for a couple of years!). One month I ov'd on CD20, the next month was on CD10! Without that, I was thinking my ov was at a completely different time.

Good luck!

Goodness me OP, I could have weirder this post just over 2 years ago. Take heart though, not only did I get pg in the end but we found out that the delay was caused not by my spotting but was far more likely to have been because DH has pretty significant sperm issues. Well, I say 'has' - 9 months after DD2 was born last year, and on my very first cycle after having her - we conceived again. Only took us one go. We weren't trying and thought that between the spotting and the swimmer issues it wouldn't happen for us again.

I have spotted ever since I came off the pill 7 years or so ago. It seems to be made worse by stress I think. It was usually 5 days per month, but sometimes 8 days. I wondered about LPD too but my 21 day progesterone was off the charts at over 70 so it couldn't have been that. I spotted as usual when was pg with DD2, I think for around 4 days. With this pg, I had teeny tiny but if spotting at around 3+2 weeks.

Best of luck to you Whysoserious. Really hope you're pg soon. I have been exactly where you are now and know how incredibly stressful it is.

Written not weirder. Teeny tiny bit of spotting not whatever nonsense I wrote instead. It has been a v long day....sorry.

Thanks Whysoserious yes, really excited, esp. as when I eventually got this BFP I had decided it was just never going to happen...

Interesting - and reassuring for all of us too - that other ladies have had this and conceived without treatment. Another vote for the CBFM too!

Best of luck too all! xx

We were TTC for 3.5 years before we got our first BFP earlier this year, now 36+6. My irregular cycles (anything from 25-90 days) were very like this, spotting for a few days prior to full blown AF (and sometimes that could last 2-3 weeks as well). It's hard to count how long your luteal phase is but I used fertilityfriend.com which helped me learn more about my body and my cycle. We had sperm issues plus I didn't always ovulate (I have PCOS, underactive thyroid, fibroids) and we were told we were highly unlikely to conceive naturally (in 4 months of testing, I ovulated once) and would need assistance. In the end we did conceive naturally so I'd say NEVER lose hope. I was so desperately sad before we conceived that I'd never get pregnant and I can't believe how much more whole it's made me feel. Good luck to you and your DP/DH, it's hard going when it doesn't happen but keep the faith x

Thank you everyone for all your advice - and hello up there oggy!

It's really reassuring to hear your stories. I have actually used a CBFM for the last 2 cycles. First cycle I used it I had peak on day 21 of 33 day cycle (although that probably should be day 17 because I started it from spotting not full flow) and last month it was high from about day 9 all the way through to day 25. Although I did sleep in one day and miss the window and I reckon that was around ov

This month I started it from full flow - you guys have really helped me to understand my cycle more so thank you so much!

fhdl34 that's amazing that you conceived naturally after you were told it was unlikely. Just goes to show you doesn't it! Sounds like its not long now before you get to meet your little one.

And thank you greenleafytrees (sorry am on my phone so could refer back to posts). Seems this is quite common but not the end of the world. Brilliant news that you got pregnant straight away the next time!

Whysoserious we tried the CBFM and unfortunately it didn't work for us because of my PCOS. I think understanding my cervical mucus changes around ovulation helped us. We tried so many different things, it's so easy to get obsessed which doesn't help with trying to stay relaxed.
If you get chance I really would check out www.fertilityfriend.com, it's dead easy to use and you can track the changes in your body if you don't want to basal body temperature monitor. We did do the BBT monitoring but stopped in the end because you have to do it at the same time every day and I don't wake at regular times so had to set my alarm to wake at 4am every just to take my temperature - doesn't do much for your mood nevermind sex life lol. But it was helpful because by doing it for about 6-9 months and also tracking my CM and other body signs, I learnt when (and if) I was going to ovulate and the BBT would confirm it. However, I'd give the CBFM a chance first, could be it works for you. Sometimes I'd be high for days but never peak. Thankfully I got most of what I paid for it back by selling it on ebay.
We feel so lucky to have finally got pregnant after so long and I've had the most wonderful pregnancy as well, I'm sure your day will come soon as well x

I had brown spotting from about 8 days post ovulation every cycle, full flow would start about 12-14 days after ovulation. I was worried but I conceived after 6 months of trying, now 38 weeks. The month I did concieve, I didn't spot.

Best of luck!!