QuestionQUESTION: My husband and I have been trying to conceive going on 2 months. I have a very regular 28 day cycle, and have no known fertility problems. Today is day 25 of this cycle. I have been checking cervical mucus for ovulation sign, but I was a bit confused this month as to when I ovulated. I found what could be egg-white mucus on day 14, but also again on day 17 of my cycle. On day 22 (this past Sunday) I had some brown spotting, sometimes dark, sometimes pale brown or pink when mixed with mucus. There wasn't much - maybe 10 spots or so. It happened mostly on Sunday, followed by a little more (mostly when wiping or after exercising) on Monday and Tuesday. It was accompanied by a little breast tenderness. By today (Wednesday, day 25) it seems gone. I thought it might be implantation bleeding, since I never get mid-cycle bleeding, but today I used an early pregnancy test to determine if I was pregnant and it was negative. My understanding is that (if I am pregnant) once implantation occurs, hCG should be present, and the test should register positive. Obviously I'll just have to wait to see if I get my period, but my question is - am I jumping the gun? Could it just be that the hCG levels are still too low and I am actually pregnant or could the spotting indicate some other problem? Since I have never had anything like that happen, I'm curious to know what it was. Thanks!
ANSWER: Hello,
The symptoms you described could possibly be implantation related and it's too early to tell. Although HCG begins secreting into your blood right after implantation, it does not always register in your urine from home pregnancy tests until a day or so before your period is due. I would test again in couple of days and see how it comes out. Good luck.
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QUESTION: Do you have an idea of what else it could be if it wasn't implantation bleeding? Again, I never get mid cycle spotting, and I haven't been on birth control pills in years.
ANSWER: There are many different things that can cause spotting, one of which is pregnancy. Hormonal changes, having intercourse, vaginal infections or having a recent vaginal exam by your doctor could all cause it as well. Please let me know if your pregnancy test comes out negative again and I can research some further causes.
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QUESTION: Me again. Thanks for all your help. I got my period today - day 26 of my cycle, 3 days early, so I'm obviously not pregnant. So, now I'm wondering (for next month) what happened. Could we have concieved, implanted and it not been viable, or was the spotting caused by something else, as I asked above? I'm almost 33, and my husband is almost 40, so we want to avoid months and months of heartache.
AnswerHello again. I know how hard it is when you want to be pregnant and you get the dreaded period each month. I have been in your shoes many times, and it's never easy. The good news is that most couples conceive within 6-8 months of trying, however it is not unusual for it to take up to a year even if there is nothing wrong with either of you. It is certainly possible that you conceived and the embryo did not develop successfully, or did not implant properly. They say that everyone has at last one miscarriage in their life, with most women having it happen very early in their cycle so that it happens as a typical period. Just keep trying and believe that it will happen. Usually insurances don't cover fertility testing or treatment until you've been trying for a year, unless you're over 35. I recommend using the home ovulation predictor kits which help you know the best days to have intercourse. Good luck and stay positive.
Sarah
