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/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/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!!

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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.