Can Spotting Indicate I Am Pregnant?
Question
My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for almost a year. I have been regular for 4 years straight. Now I am 6 days late with my period and pregnancy tests came back negative. I was spotting on the day I was supposed to get my period and also 5 days later. What could this be, could I be pregnant?
Thank you for your time.
Lisa
Answer
Last Updated: June 14, 2013
Dear Lisa,
Spotting can indeed be an early sign of pregnancy, occurring around the time of implantation, which would be when you would have expected your menses.
The key in knowing when your period is “late” is how you determine that. Often women consider themselves late because their period did not come in the number of days it usually does. For instance if your cycle is usually 30 days, and it has now been 37 days since the first day of your last period, you would consider yourself a week late. But there are many reasons ovulation can be delayed in a cycle, thus delaying the menses, even if you have a history of regular cycles.
Learning to observe the biomarkers of your cycle, you can identify the time of ovulation, and when your period should begin. This will enable you to identify the days you can achieve a pregnancy, evaluate your fertility, and know when to expect your period and test for pregnancy. Without such specific information, it is difficult to advise you as to whether the spotting you are experiencing is implantation bleeding, or perhaps due to another reason, such as an anovulatory cycle.
A blood test will alert you to pregnancy sooner than a home urine test. You may want to contact your physician and request such a test be ordered for you.
I hope you get the good news you are hoping for!!!
Spotting can indeed be an early sign of pregnancy, occurring around the time of implantation, which would be when you would have expected your menses.
The key in knowing when your period is “late” is how you determine that. Often women consider themselves late because their period did not come in the number of days it usually does. For instance if your cycle is usually 30 days, and it has now been 37 days since the first day of your last period, you would consider yourself a week late. But there are many reasons ovulation can be delayed in a cycle, thus delaying the menses, even if you have a history of regular cycles.
Learning to observe the biomarkers of your cycle, you can identify the time of ovulation, and when your period should begin. This will enable you to identify the days you can achieve a pregnancy, evaluate your fertility, and know when to expect your period and test for pregnancy. Without such specific information, it is difficult to advise you as to whether the spotting you are experiencing is implantation bleeding, or perhaps due to another reason, such as an anovulatory cycle.
A blood test will alert you to pregnancy sooner than a home urine test. You may want to contact your physician and request such a test be ordered for you.
I hope you get the good news you are hoping for!!!
Answered By:
CANFP
CANFP unites under one umbrella all those who use, teach, and advocate for NFP, and our members are our strongest resource: the physicians who provide authentic women’s healthcare, the Practitioners and Certified Teachers of all the natural methods instructing couples in its use, the couples who use NFP and reflect its values in their families and communities, the clergy providing the spiritual formation and context, and the churches, dioceses, hospitals, and profile organizations who collaborate in providing access to these services throughout the state.
