miel

When is Spotting Good or Bad

Many women experience spotting at some point during their cycle, be in after the major bleeding period, in the middle or days before their period is due. There are times when it’s perfectly normal to spot, and there are times when spotting is an indication of something wrong, be it minor or major.

First, let’s define “spotting”. Spotting is when a bit of blood is passed through the vagina. Normally it doesn’t reach the underwear, but rather is swiped with toilet paper after a bowel movement or urination. The blood can be pink-tinged mucus, rusty brown or bright red. Spotting can be a one-time occurrence, or it can last for several hours or even several days. Spotting does NOT define the first day of menstruation. The first day of menstruation should always be the first day of actual bleeding.

“Normal” Spotting

Normal spotting is what may occur at the very end of your bleeding days. A day or two of spotting after 3 to 5 days of “bleeding” is normal, and just the end of the bleeding period.

Spotting that occurs in the middle of your cycle or spotting that occurs some ten to fourteen days prior to the start of the next cycle is normal too. This spotting may occur during ovulation. Seeing a spot of blood during ovulation is considered an excellent fertility sign. It is thought that mid-cycle spotting occurs for one of two reasons. First reason is possibly that when the egg bursts through the follicle, a little bleeding may occur. This blood will then make its way out and show up as “spotting”. Or, during ovulation, the level of estrogens rise, and this sometimes prompts the uterus to shed a bit of lining, which shows up in the form of “spotting.”

Spotting that occurs about a week before the cycle is due – and only lasts for less than one day – is possibly considered implantation spotting. This happens as a result of the fertilized egg burrowing into the uterine lining. Or another reason for seeing implantation spotting may be due to a slight rise in estrogen and drop in progesterone before the corpus luteum takes over the production of progesterone. The corpus luteum takes over the production when the implanted fertilized egg signals the body that pregnancy has occurred and that the lining must be maintained. Keep in mind that spotting that continues for days is not implantation spotting.

“Abnormal” Spotting

Abnormal spotting shows up at times other than the above mentioned times. Abnormal spotting lasts for days. It’s abnormal to spot days before your menstrual cycle is due. The causes of abnormal spotting vary.

One common cause of spotting several days before the menstrual cycle is due is low progesterone. It’s the hormone progesterone that helps to maintain the uterine lining for pregnancy and when progesterone level drops, the menstrual cycle occurs. In women who are deficient in progesterone, they will see spotting several days to a week before their cycle is due. This can also cause minor infertility and early miscarriage.

Another reason spotting may occur could be uterine fibroids, which are fairly harmless, but need to be kept an eye on. Endometriosis, birth control pills are a few other reasons spotting may occur. The most harmful reasons for spotting are possible sexually transmitted diseases and some cancers.

It is advisable if you have re-occurring spotting each month to have your healthcare provider to exam you, just to rule out possible harmful reasons for it and to help you to deal with and/or cure the reasons behind the spotting.


i think i have the "bad spotting " as it occured each month...

diva4180

ditto hun, ditto I've had it every month since too (I think it has to do with coming off my BCP, never had it before going on the damn pills) and probably will get it again this month, haven't had it yet, just not feeling very optimistic about this month.

magicvw had the spotting before AF and still went on to get her BFP, so there must be hope for all of us that get it right? We just have to keep positive, but you aren't alone, I know how you feel and I know there are more of us that do too

miel

but my spotting last for days on and off...each month sometimes a week before AF...so i think i am going to ask my new doctor about it for sure!!!

good luck diva

boobaby04

I'm worried now I have spotting a lest 2/3 days before my period starts! I am having a laparoscopy on 30th October so if anything is wrong it should be picked up then?

bryany1

hi, i'm new to the site so i hope you don't mind be crashing your thread.
I have experienced spottin and bad tummy and backache for the 1st time.
I have endo and have had cysts removed in the past.
Have read wat you have put and am not sure whether i should be worried or not

nik

Fluxuspoem

Thanks so much for the information Miel! I was looking for a post like this!

I think I have bad spotting, even though in the beggining I thought it was implantation spotting. Happened 7 days after ovulation pink blood turning brown, no flow.. but still going on. For 6 days now...I should be do any day now so the answer will come to me very quickly.

I very much doubt that it's good spotting...I havent had that for years so I really thought of it as something positive..

Do you know if that is also a sign of PCOS? I have had PCOS since I was a teen but havent had break through blood before.

Anyway baby dust to all ladies out there XXX

JJF

Good news about what they said about the progesterone is that one, if thats the problem for some of you ladies, is just a pill of progesterone or suppositories and then your bean may stick! Progesterone doesn't hurt anything to try so perhaps for those of you that have never had any 'testing' done you could ask your provider to give you the progesterone for a few months before you start down that long emotional road of test after test cause if that is your problem, it could honestly be solved in 1-a few months. I'm obviously not a doc but just my two cents. Good luck to you all. I've had some spotting the last two months but I don't have low progesterone so not sure what mine is all about, back to square 1

superp123

Okay, this one I've asked my doc about a few times. I spot 2-4days before the witch is due almost every month since coming off the pill in 2003. I've had 2mc's since then, obviously this was in the front of my mind too. Doc keeps assuring me that everything is fine, and I've been told my progesterone levels (outside of when I was loosing my last pg) were fine. So don't freak out girls, call your docs/nurses and ask.
Question: Don't LP defects caused by low progesterone usually give people irratic(sp) cycles?
Miel, you def. do not have irratic cycles, they're always right on time, and your temps even follow the same pattern cycle to cycle. So try not to be too alarmist hun.
P

Sybil

I usually spot the day before full onset of as well...so now I am obsessing about this!!! Could this be my problem too...low progesterone? I had a missed M/C last year and have not gotten pregnant since, but I don't believe that I have any of the other possible causes as I have been in for recent check ups for everything else and have had ultrasounds, etc. for a blood pressure issue (no cysts present). This stuff is just all too much I really think I have to take a break from all this obsessing and just enjoy my DH with some PMA that it will happen when the time is right. Either that or make a doctor's appointment and discuss this issue with him.

Farie

Thank you for that info honey, very interesting and another thing to add to my list of things to ask the Dr next week.
I quite often spot for up to a week before AF is due, last cycle from the day before O onwards
I did think B6/12 had helped as the cycle before AF turned up with no spotting beforehand .. but that appears to be the exception not the rule
Oh well, at least I can ask the Dr