r/TryingForABaby • u/AutoModerator • Apr 04 '26
DAILY Wondering Weekend
That question you've been wanting to ask, but just didn't want to feel silly. Now's your chance! No question is too big or too small. This thread will be checked all weekend, so feel free to chime in on Saturday or Sunday!
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u/Electrical_Dot5378 Apr 07 '26
Has anyone had a thick lining or (endometrial hyperplasia). The ultrasound and biopsy was done while on day 3 of period) Waiting for results from a biopsy and being advised to go back on birth control by gynaecologist. (Pill or non hormonal iud) What treatment did you receive and what help is there for getting pregnant with this? ( been trying for two years without success).
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u/hvadermitnavn 32 | Grad Apr 05 '26
There’s something I’ve been wondering about. I see that many people, both here and on TTC TikTok, test early for pregnancy - like 8-9-10 DPO. And I totally understand the desire to get a positive test, but why not wait until you can be more certain of the result? Why not wait until your period is actually late and (hopefully) avoid potential disappointment - and spending a lot of money on pregnancy tests?
Is there a reason for testing that early? Why do we do it? Someone please enlighten me 😄
I really hope this doesn’t come across the wrong way - I mean absolutely no harm with this question, it’s purely out of curiosity.
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u/Cornelia_1211 30 | TTC #1 | Cycle 3 Apr 05 '26
Because I am an insanely type A person who has a really hard time with relinquishing control so waiting is really hard for me. I would rather take a test and see a negative than spend all day wondering if I might be pregnant.
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u/LethallyBlond3 33 | TTC#3 Apr 06 '26
SAME. Not testing when it "could" be positive is too hard for me. Also, I feel a lot of pressure about having even just a glass of wine without testing first when I know a positive is already theoretically possible.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 05 '26
I have a unique reason for starting at 10dpo. I want a homebirth and I’m terrified of not getting on the midwife waitlist in my area soon enough, and not getting a midwife, which means no homebirth. I ovulate on the later end already and they base it on LMP so I am screwed if I don’t find out and get on the list asap.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 06 '26
Incidentally, I would recommend this post on adjusting LMP if you ovulate late.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 06 '26
Oooh I did know about this stuff, but it didn’t occur to me to lie to the midwives about my LMP on the form to even the odds and make them fair to me😂 Perhaps I will! Will still be testing before a missed period though, to get on there asap, which matters too. Thank you!
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 06 '26
I would actually argue that it's not lying! They're not really interested in the date you started your last period, per se, they're just trying to estimate embryonic age (and likely due date) accurately. So adjusting the information to make it more accurate is fair, IMO.
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u/Cornelia_1211 30 | TTC #1 | Cycle 3 Apr 05 '26
I'm surprised to hear that a midwife uses LMP if you have charts that show actual O day
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u/MyShipsNeverSail AGE 33| TTC#2 cycle 5| Sus PMOS/IR| 1CP Apr 06 '26
My OBGYN annoyingly went with LMP even though I had a dating scan and alllll the charting showing I ovulated at CD30 due to traveling for a wedding. They even went so far to say BBT wasn't always accurate.
Next time, I'm just going to give the adjusted date if I ovulate late again.
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u/Cornelia_1211 30 | TTC #1 | Cycle 3 Apr 06 '26
Yeah that doesn't surprise me with an OBGYN, just with a midwife. I would have def lied and just said whatever date was 2 weeks before ovulation. That's so ridiculous of them, and I bet now they think your baby is measuring 2 weeks behind!
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 05 '26
It’s just the intake form that asks only for LMP. I’m sure if I got taken on as their client then they would opt for o day for due date purposes, but just for getting in with the LMP only I would be signing up a few days later than others with the same LMP. Where I plan to give birth there is a severe midwife shortage so I am pretty desperate to do anything I can to increase my chances!
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 05 '26
HELP!!!! It’s test day and I woke up at 3:45am desperately needing to pee - drank too much water.
I bought a 4-pack of strips and intended to use one everyday 10-13dpo, so I don’t want to double test today because it would mean either skipping testing another day or buying more tests.
So, I went to the bathroom, caught it in a cup, and left it to sit while I decide if this is the urine I should use or my actual FMU. The urine doesn’t look diluted from all my water, if that matters.
I just woke up for good! What do I do????
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 06 '26
You've presumably already decided, but I would personally just test using the 3:45am urine.
The major point of telling people to test for pregnancy using FMU is just that you generally don't drink a lot of water overnight, nor empty your bladder, so FMU is likely to be a source of concentrated hCG (a little of which slips into your urine every time your kidneys filter your bloodstream, if there's hCG in your bloodstream). Otherwise, there's nothing special about urine from any particular time of day with respect to pregnancy tests.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 06 '26
Ah I picked the new urine!! I worried the old urine sitting out too long could impact things, and I found on a provincial health website in my country that HPTs should be used within 15 minutes of sample collection, so that convinced me in my rushed morning decision.
I also noticed my FMU was oily on top and had a lot of debris, presumably from my prenatal vitamins, and got worried that would interfere! None of my other urine ever looks like that (like from my OPKs, or the 3:45am).
Still I went with the new. If both were 4h+ after the last bathroom trip, can I ask what made you pick the 3:45am urine, so I understand if this happens again?
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 06 '26
Oh, I just assumed the 3:45am one was after a longer hold. If you ended up having a longer hold for the newer one, that's totally reasonable.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 06 '26
They were approximately equal holds😂 Very good to know that that’s the #1 most important thing though. Thanks so much!
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u/Fluffy-Bad6058 Apr 05 '26
We have our first reproductive endocrine appointment next week after 1.5 years of trying with one miscarriage. Wondering what to expect for the first appointment and how it went for others.
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u/pattituesday 45 | DOR | lots of IVF | losses | grad Apr 05 '26
There’s some good info over at r/infertility! My experience was it was A LOT of talking. Doc told me what tests I’d need done and how to schedule them. We set a follow up appointment to discuss results after they’d come in
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u/starsssandmoon 28 | TTC#1 | Cycle 8 Apr 05 '26
My appt was very calming and reassuring. They took my partner and I’s history and then went over all the testing we would need to have done. After that, it took about a month to complete all the testing and then you get the next steps.
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u/BavarianBootyShorts Apr 05 '26
I consistently have two lh peaks. Once around cd 10 and once around cd17. Both have appropriate cervical mucus and behave like ovulation. I even temped and got hits both times. It isnt even a one off thing. we've been trying for 11 cycles now and this has happened during each.
would it be worth trying to medicate for timings?
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 05 '26
FF has an article about two patches of cervical fluid. They say you ovulated the second time, and that double ovulation typically happens very close together, not from two difference patches. I don’t know how multiple LH surges works for sure, but I do know that a surge means your body is trying to ovulate, not that it actually did. So, your body could be gearing up to and attempting ovulation, not succeeding, and having to try again. I would consider yourself still fertile until the second round, so you don’t miss a chance to conceive!
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u/MyShipsNeverSail AGE 33| TTC#2 cycle 5| Sus PMOS/IR| 1CP Apr 05 '26
Do you mean you had a sustained temp increase for both?
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u/Standard_Attitude_19 30 | TTC#1 Apr 04 '26
I’ve been using the digital and regular test strips and they never seem to match up. I do both at the same time every day leading up to ovulation. Last month I got a positive strip, but the digital advanced test was negative. This month, digital advanced is a clear non blinking smiley face but the strips are still negative. How do I know which are accurate?
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u/misses-hippie 28 | TTC#1 | PCOS | Dec 24 | 1 CP Apr 05 '26
If I remember correctly, the digital tests look for drops in estrogen, whereas LH strips test LH, so it could be any number of things. LH surge could be missed if you only test once a day, estrogen could be dropping slowly. These inconsistencies are why some people suggest every other day method
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 06 '26
The Clearblue Advanced digital tests actually test for both estrogen and LH -- the "high"/flashing smiley state is triggered by a rise in estrogen, and the "peak"/solid smiley state is triggered by a rise in LH.
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u/misses-hippie 28 | TTC#1 | PCOS | Dec 24 | 1 CP Apr 06 '26
Thank you! I couldn’t remember correctly lol
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 05 '26
It's not possible to know, unfortunately. Any time you use two different instruments, they may not agree with each other (for example, if someone took their temperature with two different thermometers). You may just want to pick the one you prefer and use that one going forward.
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u/himymfan5243 Apr 04 '26
can i get pregnant without a period? i haven’t gotten one since may last year. and my whole life ive been very rare. my husband are just now starting to try and i don’t want to get my hopes up
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u/pattituesday 45 | DOR | lots of IVF | losses | grad Apr 05 '26
Seconding what dev bio said and adding that seeking the help of an RE would be advisable in your case.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26
If you haven't had a period in nearly a year, you haven't been ovulating, and it's not possible to get pregnant without ovulating.
I'd definitely advise talking with your doctor -- for people who aren't ovulating, there are inexpensive medications that can be prescribed that work well to induce ovulation.
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u/NeonAquaMango Apr 04 '26
What can cause brown discharge/light spotting throughout the luteal phase other than low progesterone and implantation bleeding? Mine has gotten to a point that it’s almost every day to some degree between ovulation and my period (ranging from very light tan cervical mucus to dark brown to fresh blood). My progesterone panel was in a good range at 7DPO (11.6). My luteal phase is typically 11-12 days but ALWAYS with brown spotting/discharge for a few days beforehand that now is happening almost daily for my whole luteal phase.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 05 '26
There are a variety of possible causes for bleeding or spotting, some of which are structural (like polyps or fibroids), some of which are hormonal, and some of which are idiopathic (the cause isn't known).
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u/AutoModerator Apr 04 '26
Hello! Welcome, and we thank you for posting. You seem to be looking for information on implantation bleeding. Unfortunately, bleeding or spotting after ovulation is not a sign of implantation, and bleeding can happen in both pregnancy and non-pregnancy cycles. You could still end up being pregnant this cycle, but this sort of bleeding is not a reliable indicator that you will test positive. Taking a pregnancy test around the time you expect your period to come is the best way to determine whether you are pregnant or not.
For a longer read, please see this post, which you might find useful. For scholarly sources, this paper and this paper are useful.
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u/Ladybugintruder Apr 04 '26
Do twins run in the women’s side of the family? My cousins on my mothers side, and their kids all had twins…
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 05 '26
Hyperovulation can be caused by genetic variants that would be present in the ovulating partner of the pair (i.e., you), but it doesn't matter whether your family history is on your mom's side or your dad's side.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 05 '26
This is where the idea of it skipping a generation comes from! If a your dad was a fraternal twin, his mom may have had the gene. He can pass it on but can’t produce two eggs himself, so then his kids aren’t twins, but any of his female children could get the gene and then they have fraternal twins. (Simplified, but that’s the idea)
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u/Uwu_hullabaloo Apr 04 '26
Hyper ovulation runs on moms side so 2 eggs release at the same time (fraternal) but identical is kinda just pure luck
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u/Uwu_hullabaloo Apr 04 '26
I already had what seemed to be my “peak” on the 28th but today I had a total dye stealer opk. Yesterday was high too. I unfortunately didn’t track bbt and my cm doesn’t seem to be in the “fertile” stage but could I be late ovulating I’m on cd 31🙃
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26
Ovulation is most likely within two days of the first positive OPK, even if there’s another positive later, and this “double-peaked” surge pattern is a variant of normal. The pattern of positive OPKs doesn’t give you additional information about when or whether ovulation has happened, unfortunately.
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u/Uwu_hullabaloo Apr 04 '26
Thank you. So I should just go by the positive from last week? After today’s test the app I used changed my ovulation date from the 29th to the 24th which was weird moving me from 6dpo to 10 dpo. I know the apps aren’t super reliable but it messing with my dpo count😂
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u/victorianovember 39 | TTC#1 since Aug'24 Apr 04 '26
Did my first egg retrieval and got 2 day 6 blasts. Unfortunately they both turned out to be aneuploid with PGTA testing. Is the fact that they were slower to develop a clue about my infertility? I.e. the egg and sperm are meeting, but whenever we've tried on our own the blast has developed too slowly to implant? It's hard to avoid feeling like all my eggs have been bad so far.
Trying on our own this month as we wait to start priming again for ER 2 when I get my next period.
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u/pattituesday 45 | DOR | lots of IVF | losses | grad Apr 04 '26
Ugh, I’m sorry. It’s devastating to go through a whole cycle for what feels like nothing.
Day 6 blasts are still good! Yes, day 5 is considered the best but day 6’s still have a very good chance of resulting in live birth.
That said, aneuploidy, slow growing embryos and egg quality are all connected. So in a sense yes, you did learn something about the cause of your infertility — your eggs were able to grow into blasts that unfortunately were aneuploid. This is no surprise given your age — egg quality at age 39 is the primary reason for difficulty having success.
Given that you got two blasts and statistically you’d expect about half your embryos to be euploid, it’s reasonable to think you just had some bad luck this round and the next round. I’m crossing my fingers for you!
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26
The slow development and the aneuploidy are likely related, yes — when an embryo is genetically abnormal, this usually slows its development, since the dividing cells have trouble replicating (there are sort of QC checkpoints for the right numbers of chromosomes during cell division).
The outcome of an IVF cycle doesn’t tell you for sure what happened in previous unassisted cycles, but certainly aneuploidy resulting from older eggs is one of the driving forces of lower fertility in the later 30s and beyond.
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u/victorianovember 39 | TTC#1 since Aug'24 Apr 04 '26
Thanks devbio and /u/pattituesday. It sucks because when we started I was 36.5 and then my spouse got laid off just as we were trying, which set us back 6 months, hence why I count from August 2024, because that's when I realized we are not getting younger job or no job. I had difficulty accepting the need for IVF. Not that doing a cycle 6 months ago would have likely made a world of difference.
Anyway, thank you, both. Hopefully ER2 goes better.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 05 '26
I just want to note my full agreement with what patti said, both above and in this comment thread -- sometimes it takes more than one cycle, and having 2/2 aneuploids could fully be just the bad luck of small-number statistics (0/2, 1/2, and 2/2 are all possible expressions of an underlying probability of 50%).
In my own experience, I had a much more successful second IVF cycle than first. Some of that was probably my RE being able to adjust my medications in response to my first cycle -- they'll generally follow an algorithm based on a couple of factors for a first cycle, but that formula works better or less well for different people. And of course some of it was probably just the luck of the draw. But I got 4 embryos (1 euploid) in the first cycle and 8 embryos (7 euploid) in the second.
It blows, and it really sucks that there's not a better way to know how people will respond in the first place other than this incredibly expensive, exhausting, and emotional process. I'm sorry for the aneuploid results this round, and I hope next cycle goes better for you.
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u/victorianovember 39 | TTC#1 since Aug'24 Apr 05 '26
Thanks DevBio! I hope my second cycle goes as well as yours. I'd be over the moon!
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u/pattituesday 45 | DOR | lots of IVF | losses | grad Apr 04 '26
You made the best decisions you could with the information you had at the time. Sometimes (most of the time really) it takes more than one cycle. I’m sorry you’re in the place now. Sending internet hugs and lots of 🍀🍀🍀🍀
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Apr 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/victorianovember 39 | TTC#1 since Aug'24 Apr 04 '26
Sounds like you're doing a monitored cycle. Any meds? I think bodies can just be different cycle to cycle. I did a couple medicated IUIs in the fall and I think some of my follicles got really big to the point where they'd be considered over mature. For me I didn't know if that was information that shed light on why I've been having trouble conceiving.
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u/Fun_Passenger_5493 Apr 04 '26
Hi all,
I’m stuck in a super long cycle. Yesterday it appeared I had some fertile CM so I tested for ovulation. It was positive ish but not peak. My bbt this morning was the highest I’ve had in this cycle (90days) coming in at 97.88 (previously 97.52 was as high as I got). I did another opk around 11am today and it was super positive - almost a dye stealer. This is the strongest ovulation test I’ve had since coming off of birth control. I am a bit confused because I expected my temp would rise after the peak of LH. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Not sure if ovulation occurred/is coming or this is just a fluke in general.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26
The only thing you can really do here is keep temping — this could be the start of a valid shift, or you may see your subsequent temps jump even higher over the next few days.
Any of the markers we use at home are accurate to the “plus or minus a day” level, so it’s possible to see a temp shift slightly prior to ovulation, even though it’s not the most common pattern.
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u/Cornelia_1211 30 | TTC #1 | Cycle 3 Apr 04 '26
FWIW, this cycle I got my first positive on CD15 am, CD16 my temp jumped up half a degree, and I kept having positives through CD16pm. CD17 I didn't test and my temp went higher and my CM lightened up. So I'm quite sure I ovulated on CD16 despite an early temp rise, and I still had positive LH all day that day. Sounds similar! Some people also don't get their positive til after ovulation
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Apr 04 '26
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u/victorianovember 39 | TTC#1 since Aug'24 Apr 04 '26
Potential benefits would be its claim that it balances your hormones. Risks IMO is that there isn't much evidence to support it and so it could make you feel stressed out if you don't conceive. I've seed cycles on and off, currently off. You eat 2tbsp of raw pumpkin and flax seed in your follicular phase and 2tbsp of raw sesame and sunflower seeds in your luteal phase. If you're tracking BBT you can eat the seeds accordingly, otherwise if you don't know your cycle you can just eat each for 14 days (assuming a 28 day cycle).
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Apr 04 '26
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26
No, eating the same seed every day will not disrupt your hormones. Eating seeds won’t change hormone levels at all.
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u/victorianovember 39 | TTC#1 since Aug'24 Apr 04 '26
Oh yes, seeds are very healthy to be eating any time. The claim of seed cycling is that it will appropriately balance your hormones during your cycle. I don't think there is any scientific evidence to support this (otherwise everyone would do it and we'd all get pregnant easily). Check with your doc of course, but I don't know that 2tbsp daily would be enough to disrupt anything. It hink hormonal disruption would maybe come from eating some humongous amount.
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u/TooDumbToCum 32 | Grad | 🇪🇺 Apr 04 '26
Is there any point in starting temping during the TWW or should I just wait till CD 1?
I know that a sustained higher temp can point towards pregnancy after a certain point in time, but I wouldn't have a baseline to compare to anyway as ovulation has defo already happened.
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u/Cornelia_1211 30 | TTC #1 | Cycle 3 Apr 04 '26
It's good to get into the habit, it'll give you some data to compare to in the next TWW, and will likely warn you when your period is coming because even though you won't have your follicular baseline, you'll likely see a big temp decrease right before you start bleeding.
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Apr 04 '26
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u/Cornelia_1211 30 | TTC #1 | Cycle 3 Apr 04 '26
Yup! Mine is around the same. That's why when I had a cold in December and my temps were in my luteal temp range but I was in the follicular phase, I knew it was basically a low grade fever, even though my temp was still below 98.6. it is crazy!
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u/guardiancosmos 40 | MOD | PCOS Apr 04 '26
It can help you get in the habit of temping! But no, you wouldn't get any useful info out of TWW temps.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 04 '26
How soon after implantation is progesterone saved enough to stop pre-period spotting?
I always start spotting at 8-10dpo, almost always 9dpo (exactly the most common window of implantation, I know 😅). LP is 11-12 days, usually 11, so about 3ish days of spotting before full flow.
So for example, if I start spotting today (9dpo as I typically do), if I were to also implant today (as is the most common day for implantation), would the spotting stop immediately? Would I still spot tomorrow, even the next day, before it kicks in? Could I even start spotting briefly tomorrow even if I implanted today, for example?
I would just like some idea of how much hope I have left if I do start spotting and it doesn’t go away quickly, or even by 11dpo or so.
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u/zarah-zahara Apr 05 '26
I’m a chronic spotter (light spotting for 1-2 days right after ovulation and then consistent spotting with cramping starting 6-8 dpo until I get my period which varies and could be as early as 8 dpo or sometimes what is a long luteal phase for me 11 dpo. Also have history of several early first trimester losses and CPs.
If I had to guess in my case it’s likely poor egg quality due to age, because the cycle I got pregnant with my son, I had what seemed a stronger than usual LH surge, zero ovulation spotting or pain, and no spotting at all through the normal luteal phase length until pregnancy was confirmed.
Currently trying for baby #2 and, I’m sure it doesn’t help that I’m even older now, the same pattern every cycle - frequent ovulation spotting and always spotting for days leading up to my period (unless I take progesterone vaginally).
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u/blissquacks 34 | TTC#1 | Cycle 16 Apr 04 '26
I had no further info on this but I am the exact same as you. I always start spotting about eight DPO, every single cycle. It drives me nuts. 😩
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 04 '26
Ahh how long is your LP? Like I KNOW that early spotting doesn't actually prevent a successful pregnancy, but if I see it when I wipe I know I'm going to lose it
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u/blissquacks 34 | TTC#1 | Cycle 16 Apr 05 '26
I have a 12 day LP give or take a day. I’ve definitely done a deep dive on other people who are chronic spotters and what their experiences are when they get a BFP. It sounds like it could really go either way.
But I also feel like when I have my typical spotting that it’s just not a good sign. My spotting has a pattern of coming on heavy and then completely ebbing away around DPO 10 so it gets my hopes up every time, but then it always comes back.
If you ever get a BFP feel free to DM me and tell me what happens in terms of spotting lol
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 05 '26
I will, thank you!! In my last 9 cycles (the ones I’ve tracked ovulation) I started spotting at 8dpo 1x, 9dpo 6x, and 10dpo 2x. I am about to go to bed today at 9dpo and haven’t started spotting yet, so I’ll admit my hopes are up! I’m going to start testing tomorrow🤞🤞🤞🤞
I would also love to hear more about your deep dive!!
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u/blissquacks 34 | TTC#1 | Cycle 16 Apr 06 '26
My stats are very similar to yours but majority 8DPO, a couple 9s and a 6 or two (though usually for the sixth, it’s just a tiny brown smudge until DPO 8)
My deep dive was just looking through anecdotes! Basically, I combed through all of the pregnancy and TTC subs looking for people who got spotting and then had a BFP - or people who are chronic spotters who didn’t spot before a BFP. My conclusion that I remind myself every cycle about is that spotting does not indicate anything either way. Some people spot and get a BFP and continue to spot into their pregnancy, and others who typically spot just don’t spot and get a BFP. In my books spotting doesn’t mean I’m out. I will probably spot on a successful cycle.
At this point, I actually try to avoid tracking my spotting. I put on black underwear DPO 8, and black period panties, and just avoid looking 😂Sort of saves my mental headspace in those last days before my period. If it doesn’t matter either way, then I don’t need to be checking.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 06 '26
An update this cycle: My spotting started yesterday morning at 10dpo, BFN today and yesterday. 8-10dpo I wore my whitest underwear to make sure I was seeing everything, but when my spotting started I quickly realized that that was just upsetting and switched to black underwear today lol. You definitely have the right idea. I am having a lot of my other classic day-before-AF signs too (swollen tender breasts are calming down, backache, etc.) so I am definitely losing some hope.
I am super interested that you said some people don't spot at all on their successful cycles and others spot into the pregnancy. I had imagined a successful cycle would stop the spotting quickly, even before a positive. Have you seen that too in the posts, or was it just either spotting into the pregnancy or none at all? If you have seen it, how many days does it tend stop before the positive, or at what dpos? Similarly, how many dpo does the spotting tend to continue for past a positive?
I know these are hyper-specific questions and I totally understand if you don't remember the answer!! I am soooooooo grateful that you did this deep dive and can answer any of these questions at all! I am finding my spotting very emotional and any information I can latch onto to tell myself it doesn't make a difference will help my peace of mind so much. Thank you so much!!
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
There’s not a concrete answer, unfortunately. You could see less/no spotting in a successful cycle as progesterone production is rescued, but you could see spotting as usual. This is exacerbated by the fact that spotting isn’t always due to progesterone (EDITED for clarity) dropping at all — you could be spotting due to sensitivity of the cervix or something, which might not be affected by pregnancy at all.
The moral of the story is that spotting or bleeding doesn’t tell you anything about whether or when implantation has happened — it’s not a sign that the cycle was unsuccessful any more than it’s a sign the cycle was successful.
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 04 '26
Thank you so much! Good to know spotting doesn’t mean I’m out even if it lasts.
Could you elaborate on the cervical sensitivity? What is the cervix sensitive to that would cause this on the same days every cycle, if not hormones?
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26
Oh, it’s also sensitive due to progesterone, it’s just that it’s high levels of progesterone that can cause the sensitivity and spotting, so it’s something that could quite reasonably still happen in a successful cycle (and during pregnancy).
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 04 '26
Interesting! To be explicit, this is sensitivity to penetrative sex? Asking because I am in a same-sex relationship and don't receive penetration, and it's also been happening my whole life since my first period, so if that is what you mean then I can be sure mine is from the drop in progesterone rather than a rise. It is also a pretty significant amount of thick brown spotting, not like a couple drops of red liquidy blood, if that makes a difference.
Could I ask just to be sure we are on the same page, if I have understood correctly and I can indeed know that it's not cervical sensitivity, then is it still possible to implant on like 10dpo and continue spotting for another couple days before progesterone is rescued? or were you only talking about spotting as usual in the case that the spotting was caused by cervical sensitivity?
Thank you so much for all your time!!1
u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 05 '26
It's certainly something people often report after sex, but it doesn't have to be related to physically disturbing the cervix, no.
But yes, it's possible to have implantation happen and still have spotting.
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u/MyShipsNeverSail AGE 33| TTC#2 cycle 5| Sus PMOS/IR| 1CP Apr 04 '26
This post might be a helpful read, though devbio herself may be able to give more insight
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u/RevolutionaryHelp451 27 | TTC#1 | March 2026 | Endometriosis with endometriomas Apr 04 '26
Thank you, I have read it! Hopefully devbio hops on. It would be great to know how long exactly it takes for implantation to save the progesterone.
I haven’t bought my tests yet this cycle. I am going to buy them by EOD today regardless, so that I can test tomorrow. But! I told myself that if I started spotting yesterday or today then I can buy the tests right away, to remind myself in that moment that it doesn’t mean I’m out. Saving that moment for myself also helped stop me from testing too early, since I don’t even have them in the house!
Just feels cruel that I always start spotting in the exact window of implantation😂
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u/GingerSnap_725 33 | TTC#1 | Cycle 3 | 2CP Apr 04 '26
How accurate are the apps at predicting ovulation? My first two cycles off birth control, I ovulated on CD15. But the second cycle was shorter, so maybe that’s why it’s predicting CD13 this month?
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u/Zeeicecreamlover Apr 04 '26
They were way off for me last month compared to test strips this month
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 Apr 04 '26
They’re quite poor — they’re wrong about ovulation day about 80% of the time (see, for example, here).
Historical data can’t accurately predict future ovulation in general, and even if you’re generally regular, a given cycle can be longer or shorter than your usual (reflecting ovulation that happened later or earlier than usual). In addition, the length of the luteal phase (the time after ovulation) varies from person to person. Most apps predict a 14-day luteal phase, but the most common luteal phase length is actually 12 days.
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u/Opalite_10_87 38 | 2 IVF| 4 IUI | 1 MMC | TTC 2.5 yrs Apr 04 '26
The apps generally just predict based on your past cycles, not any current data. OPKs and BBT are generally more reliable sources. 😊
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u/GingerSnap_725 33 | TTC#1 | Cycle 3 | 2CP Apr 04 '26
Thanks, I do use the OPKs. I don’t get home from a work trip until CD13 so I’m freaking out that we might miss this cycle if the app is right.
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u/Opalite_10_87 38 | 2 IVF| 4 IUI | 1 MMC | TTC 2.5 yrs Apr 04 '26
I feel like you are probably going to be safe! I’d take the OPKs with you so you can be sure, but I bet like you said, your app is just averaging and that’s why it’s predicting 13. Good luck, I’ll send you lots of positive vibes. ❤️
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