VERY light brown spotting for 2 days before period - what is this? And when does my period "start"?

[Anonymous]

Recently I have noticed that when I am expecting my period, I sometimes get a bit of brown spotting for a day or two before the red "flow" begins. It's really a very tiny amount, barely even enough to notice. For charting purposes, do I count the first day of my period as the first day of spotting or the first day or red blood? Also, any idea whether this spotting has any significance with regard to my fertility? It only started fairly recently. I have had one successful pregnancy but having trouble conceiving # 2. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,

My RE tells me that the first day of your cycle is the first day of real flow -- so not the spotting. Basically, if you don't have to use a tampon or pad, it's not cycle day 1 quite yet. I wouldn't think that there would be any issue w/ fertility based on a couple of days of spotting. Brown blood is just old blood. Probably trickling out first as the real sloughing off begins. Fun, fun! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recently I have noticed that when I am expecting my period, I sometimes get a bit of brown spotting for a day or two before the red "flow" begins. It's really a very tiny amount, barely even enough to notice. For charting purposes, do I count the first day of my period as the first day of spotting or the first day or red blood? Also, any idea whether this spotting has any significance with regard to my fertility? It only started fairly recently. I have had one successful pregnancy but having trouble conceiving # 2. Thanks!

It's considered healthiest to have a flow that starts at once and is red with no light spotting leading up to it. I also started having this brown spotting when I turned 32. I went to an accupuncturist and after 1 month the spotting stopped and my flow began red again, I also got pregnant that month. You also may want to look into your iron levels.

[Anonymous]

brown flow is usually older blood- probably in there from the last time

[Anonymous]

Day 1 is first day of real flow (not spotting).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Recently I have noticed that when I am expecting my period, I sometimes get a bit of brown spotting for a day or two before the red "flow" begins. It's really a very tiny amount, barely even enough to notice. For charting purposes, do I count the first day of my period as the first day of spotting or the first day or red blood? Also, any idea whether this spotting has any significance with regard to my fertility? It only started fairly recently. I have had one successful pregnancy but having trouble conceiving # 2. Thanks!

It's considered healthiest to have a flow that starts at once and is red with no light spotting leading up to it. I also started having this brown spotting when I turned 32. I went to an accupuncturist and after 1 month the spotting stopped and my flow began red again, I also got pregnant that month. You also may want to look into your iron levels.

Not OP but what makes you say this? My periods have changed over the years and I have started to notice the same thing. I just chalked it up to aging (I'm 39). Just starting to TTC our second, hoping this doesn't signal a potential problem. I'd like to learn more about this. I haven't mentioned it to my OB, because it happened since visits and it really didn't seem like a big deal.

[Anonymous]

It could also be fibroids. I noticed the spotting a few years ago and this was the cause of it, at least in my case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Recently I have noticed that when I am expecting my period, I sometimes get a bit of brown spotting for a day or two before the red "flow" begins. It's really a very tiny amount, barely even enough to notice. For charting purposes, do I count the first day of my period as the first day of spotting or the first day or red blood? Also, any idea whether this spotting has any significance with regard to my fertility? It only started fairly recently. I have had one successful pregnancy but having trouble conceiving # 2. Thanks!

It's considered healthiest to have a flow that starts at once and is red with no light spotting leading up to it. I also started having this brown spotting when I turned 32. I went to an accupuncturist and after 1 month the spotting stopped and my flow began red again, I also got pregnant that month. You also may want to look into your iron levels.

Not OP but what makes you say this? My periods have changed over the years and I have started to notice the same thing. I just chalked it up to aging (I'm 39). Just starting to TTC our second, hoping this doesn't signal a potential problem. I'd like to learn more about this. I haven't mentioned it to my OB, because it happened since visits and it really didn't seem like a big deal.

Ditto. TTC #2, age almost 40, brown spotting just started a few months ago.

[Anonymous]

For those of you asking about spotting - it *is* a sign of a problem. Your period should just start, all at once. If you are experiencing pre-period spotting, it is *usually* caused by low progesterone levels (which definitely decline as you get older), fibroids, or endometriosis (this was my situation). If you are just starting to get spotting, you may want to ask your doctor to run a 7 DPO blood test to check your progesterone levels... if it is low P that is causing the spotting, you can take P supplements and it's a pretty easy fix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you asking about spotting - it *is* a sign of a problem. Your period should just start, all at once. If you are experiencing pre-period spotting, it is *usually* caused by low progesterone levels (which definitely decline as you get older), fibroids, or endometriosis (this was my situation). If you are just starting to get spotting, you may want to ask your doctor to run a 7 DPO blood test to check your progesterone levels... if it is low P that is causing the spotting, you can take P supplements and it's a pretty easy fix.

I also have pre-period brown spotting and have been told by 2 OBs, my internist, and my RE that it's nothing. Hormone levels, including progesterone, are good. No fibroids. No endometriosis. Not saying it can never indicate a problem, just that there is a very wide range of normal and I don't think the spotting is always indicative of a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you asking about spotting - it *is* a sign of a problem. Your period should just start, all at once. If you are experiencing pre-period spotting, it is *usually* caused by low progesterone levels (which definitely decline as you get older), fibroids, or endometriosis (this was my situation). If you are just starting to get spotting, you may want to ask your doctor to run a 7 DPO blood test to check your progesterone levels... if it is low P that is causing the spotting, you can take P supplements and it's a pretty easy fix.

I have had this type of spotting for years, since my 20s at least. Never knew it could indicate a problem! For me it had no effect on fertility at least.

[Anonymous]

Hi I had sex 2/3 weeks ago unprotected . Every month my PERIOD comes on like between the 2nd && the 8th but this month I experience sum light pink spotting 2 -3 days && still is could this be implantation bleeding ? I'm curious Because I never had kids so I don't kno wat to expect .

[Anonymous]

I had the brownish spotting for 1-2 days every period since they started at 14 until I had kids. No fertility problems or fibroids, etc. Sounds like there's a wide range of experiences with this type of spotting.

[Anonymous]

i've had the brown spotting -- sometimes up to a week in advance -- since my early 30s. no doctor has ever been concerned. conceived my first naturally (after two failed IUIs) at 38.

[Anonymous]

There may be a range of experience, but given that this is a new symptom for the OP, it would be worth getting it checked out -- particularly her progesterone levels.