You head to the bathroom to pee and you see it...a red or brown spot right on your favorite underwear. You wonder to yourself…. Isn’t my period not due for another 2 weeks?
This scenario happens to many menstruating humans, leaving them feeling utterly confused. What’s happening? Well, you’re spotting! While you might want to book the soonest appointment with your gynecologist and demand to know exactly what is happening, most of the time, it’s really no reason for concern.
Spotting is normal and is often not something to be too concerned about. But if you still want peace of mind, knowing the difference between your period vs spotting will be useful.
PERIOD VS. SPOTTING – THE DIFFERENCE
While a period is the start of your menstrual cycle each month and releases about 2 tablespoons of blood (if you don’t have menorrhagia), it will last longer than spotting. Spotting can happen at any time during your menstrual cycle. Another way to tell the difference is by the color of the blood. While your period blood can range in colors, spotting usually releases light brown blood.
While this may cause alarm bells to go off in your head, spotting is actually fairly common. It can occur between periods, during pregnancy, after sex, or after a gynecological exam.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE REASONS YOU MAY BE SPOTTING:
– Menstruation - Ok, we said that spotting is different from your period, and it is, but at the start of your menses, you may find that you have some spotting. This is totally normal. We promise!
– Ovulation - A likely culprit of spotting, ovulation occurs when an egg is released from the ovaries to await fertilization. This process can cause spotting. Alternatively, spotting can happen due to an increase in estrogen that happens when the egg does not become fertilized.
– Implantation - Implantation bleeding is spotting that happens when the embryo implants into the uterus, and it can be hard to distinguish - is it your period coming or are you pregnant? Well, it could be either. A good way to tell is to check for other signs of pregnancy, like nausea, fatigue, or sore breasts.
– Abnormal pregnancy - Miscarriages, premature labor, and ectopic pregnancies are all cause for concern. Spotting can be present with all of them so if you are concerned about it, check with your doctor right away.
– Labor - Another pregnancy-related cause of spotting is going into labor. This usually occurs around 37 weeks when your body passes the mucus plug.
– Infections or disease - STI’s, reproductive issues, and other infections like Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) could all be causes of spotting. If the above causes don’t seem to be the issue, check with your doctor. Most infections are treatable but can become even more serious if ignored.
WHEN TO CALL THE DOCTOR
While you should feel free to call your doctor anytime you have a health-related question or concern, it’s helpful to know when spotting is a cause for real concern. Here are some circumstances when it’d be smart to call your doctor:
– If you are pregnant or think you may be
– If you have consistent spotting
– If you have had unprotected sex and start spotting
– If you have any pain or cramping around the time of spotting
– If you are on any kind of medication that you think could be causing spotting
CAN YOU USE A MENSTRUAL CUP IF YOU’RE SPOTTING?
If you feel like you’re spotting more than usual, then it’s completely safe to put in your menstrual cup! Check out our menstrual cups and period products at Lunette.
It’s my 2nd day of period and my blood is dark brown and nothing is really coming out unless I wipe
What does it mean if I bleed one time? And I thought it was my period, but then it stopped and then another next week I have brown, pinkish discharge for two days and then I start bleeding but it’s not a usual heavy flow, it’ll bleed through the day but it’s not much.
Once I had sex during my periods, since then my period’s length is shortened. Before I usually have periods for about 5 days but after sex, it only lasts for 2.5 days. It comes in on fix interval that is 28 days every month on which my period is expected and for 2 days I will have a heavy flow and third day very very less flow will be there.In due process i gained my weight and suffered from some stress, is it hormonal imbalance or it is related to pregnancy?
So I’ve had my period around the 4th of July and everything was fine but now a week later after my period ended I’ve got a second period I feel like it’s alil to heavy to be spotting but alil lighter then what usual periods are and it’s an it’s not like alil bleed every other day thing its just like having another period to me I’m constantly bleeding should I be concerned and if ur wondering I did have Unprotected sex threw the week before on another period. So I’m just wondering if it’s another period or am I pregnant
I’ve been spotting two weeks before my period. I’ve been spotting for about 5/6 days. I am taking birth control but I’ve been on it for almost a year now. Does spotting affect my period?