Premenstrual Spotting

[Mizelenius]

Are there any ladies who are TTC (or will be) and experience premenstrual spotting? If it happens to you at or before 10 days past ovulation (or if you're not sure . . .short cycles with spotting) . . .PM me! I'm starting a Yahoo group for women with this issue!

[Julia's Mom]

Premenstrual Spotting

I have been trying to get pregnant with my second child for 10 months. I have been following the "Taking Charge of Your Fertiltiy" plan charting my temps and cervical fluid. It appears that I am ovulating but I spot 2-3 days before I am supposed to get my period. I thought I may have a luteal phase defect from lack of progesterone so I have been using creams or suppositories to augment my progesterone. Last month I had a normal cycle (28 days, no spotting) but did not get pregnant. This month I am on day 25 and have started spotting again. I have also read that premenstrual spotting can be a sign of endometriosis. Any ideas?
Julia's Mom

[Mizelenius]

In my case, I had to use ENOUGH progesterone. From what I've read, creams are not enough for most people. I used a suppository (Prometrium, which can also be used orally). When I used 200 mg, I still spotted. When I doubled my dose, I got pregnant.

Interestingly, I have now linked my low progesterone to stress. When I was spotting, I was under a lot of stress, mostly NOT related to TTC. I spotted for about a year, and that was a very hard year for me. My doctor told me my low prog. was due to age (I was 31) since I'd never had it before.

Anyway, once I got back my period this time, I have had NO spotting and got PG very easily (thank goodness). I used to think my low prog. was because of breastfeeding, but I was nursing my newest baby far more than I was nursing my other toddler. The only thing that is truly different is stress. I am not saying this is the case for everyone, but it seems to be true for me.

Good luck, mama. It is so hard to find info on this . . .very frustrating, I know!

[jandj+1]

I usually spot for about 2-3 days before my period starts. Additionally, charting of temperatures and fertility signs shows that my luteal phase is only 10-12 days long, which is a bit short. I was under the care of a reproductive endocrinologist when I conceived my daughter. She ran basic tests and found that my post-ovulation progesterone levels were low, which indicated that, while I did ovulate, the quality of the ovulation was not optimum. She prescribed Clomid, followed by estrogen (to combat the endometrium-thinning effect of Clomid), with progesterone supplementation (vaginal suppositories, ewww) following ovulation.

I did conceive on my own last month, but miscarried at 5 weeks. Now I have to wonder if it was, as my doctor suggests, a genetically flawed embryo, or if it was my low progesterone levels, that caused the miscarriage. I'll never know, but I'm beginning to consider delaying trying to conceive until my daughter weans so that I can do Clomid again.

[Julia's Mom]

Before having my daughter, I had completely normal 28 day cycles. I never missed a beat. I nursed her for 18 months (until she weaned me!). I think stress may be causing my low progesterone too. I am going to see a reproductive endocrinologist on October 30th. That's the soonest I could get in. In the meantime, I will continue with the progesterone, accupuncture, and maybe try yoga. We will be on vacation during my fertile time, maybe that will help. Good luck ladies. Thanks for the opportunity to connect with other women in the same boat.
One question... Did anyone experience a lack of fertile quality cervical fluid in the cycle after using progesterone suppositories? I had a normal cycle using them but didn't conceive. The next cycle, I had very little cervical fluid which is unusual for me.

[MichelleAnnette]

Last spring (when I was in school), I experienced premenstrual brown spotting 1 or 2 days before my period. My cycles were almost always 28 days. I read Fertility Cycles and Nutrition, and improved my diet and started taking Optivite. I decreased the intensity of my exercise and gained a couple pounds. The spotting immediately went away, but this also coincided with the start of summer (meaning end of classes for me). I started school again 4 weeks ago, and on CD25, I started spotting. We are planning to start TTC as soon as I ovulate again, so I'm kind of freaking out about this. Also on CD25, I switched from Optivite to Rainbow Light Prenatal One. My diet and exercise has not changed much, but I think I might have lost a pound or two. I have been consciously trying to avoid stress from school, but school is inevitably a little more stressful than working at camp. I sleep 7-8 hours per night. I'm confused and frustrated because I don't know what to do, or if there is even really a problem. I have a normal length luteal phase and my lowest temps are 97.7. Any ideas?

[Mizelenius]

jandj+1, I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage.
Before weaning/trying Clomid, why not try just the progesterone? I'm no doctor, but what my doctor did was start small and then work up from there if that solution didn't work. She started me on 200 mg of prog., and when that wasn't enough, 400 mg. If THAT hadn't worked, then she'd do Clomid. Clomid has far more side effects than progesterone, however, so I hoped to avoid that. You might consider taking Vitex or Fertility Blend (which has Vitex in it) as a more natural Clomid. I took Fertility Blend for a few months and the month I got pregnant was also the only month I got a very dark line on my OPK, so I felt like I got a strong ovulation that time. Maybe coincidence, I don't know.

Julia's Mom, I was the same before having my DD. Very normal cycles. That's why I assumed breastfeeding was the cause. For some women it may be, but as I said, extreme stress did it to me. I didn't have a problem with cervical fluid, but I took Fertility Blend until ovulation, which has things in it to help increase your quality of CM.

MichelleAnnette, in the spotting group I have (that is no longer active) many of the women noticed that weight/exercise DID seem to have some relationship with spotting. Most women were either average or below average weight. I know of one woman who cut down on exercising a lot and that is how she was able to deal with her issue. When you say your luteal phase is normal, are you counting spotting? My "actual" LP was 14 days but several of those were spotting (at or before 10 DPO) so it was a problem for me. If your spotting starts AFTER (not on) 10 DPO then you might be OK . . .11, 12, 13 DPO is even better and most likely not an issue at all.

BTW, if it makes you feel better, I would say all but one woman in the group got pregnant. She may have gotten pregnant, too, but hasn't updated in a long time. Her DH had issues, too, I think.

[MichelleAnnette]

Mizelenius, that makes me feel better! My spotting has never started before 11 DPO. It started on 11 DPO this month and has never started this early before. I don't know if FAM is exactly the same as NFP, but I use NFP and count luteal phase from first day above low temp level through last day of cycle. So I'm assuming DPO is the same as first day of temp rise? NFP says you can't tell exactly when ovulation occurred.

[Mizelenius]

Originally Posted by MichelleAnnette

So I'm assuming DPO is the same as first day of temp rise? NFP says you can't tell exactly when ovulation occurred.

Yup! I don't think spotting should be an issue for you, but again, I am no doctor!

[devvym]

hi there, this is my first post so bear with me!! i am hoping someone has some advice...i am 34 yo and have two boys 3 1/2 and 2 and we are on month three of ttc. i hate to even complain because i know there are some women (and friends) that have failed ivf's and miscarriages, etc. so that being said, i conceived first try with preg. 1 and 2. i've been off the pill since dec. and have had no two periods in a row the same length. the last 3/4 months i have had premen. spotting for usually around two days before per. i had the day 21 blood test last wed. and my prog. levels came back 16.5 which the nurse told me sugg. a strong ovulation. so here i am day 26 and day two of spotting. assuming i will get my period tonight or tomorrow. like i said earlier i know i shouldn't be too up in arms but now i know how it feels when either the preg. test shows one line or AF starts...thank you in advance if anyone has any feedback!