I’ve been spotting for the past 12 days. I am on day 21 of my cycle but it is as if my period hasn’t stopped. Full flow lasted for 4 days, followed by some darker blood for a couple of days which is nothing unusual for me.
The bleeding stopped for 2 days and then on day 10 I started spotting, dark brown in colour, and it’s not stopped. On day 19 the blood turned from dark to bright red and I thought I had started my period, although the colour was period red, there was no flow, so what’s happening?
My understanding is that it’s down to hormone levels. I may or may not have ovulated (very common during perimenopause) after which I would have experienced a sharp fall in my oestrogen but my progesterone didn’t rise to an adequate level, so I have a dominance of oestrogen and this affects the uterine lining which gets shed during a period.
The darkness in colour of the spotting blood indicates that the blood and tissue have taken time cycling their way out of my body and as there is no distinct odour I am taking it as is perfectly normal. ⠀
Continual loss of blood, however small, could affect my iron levels and bring on amenia. I am not a big meat eater, but at the weekend I had a craving for rare roast beef and red wine, a clear indicator that my body needed iron. I had both and thoroughly enjoyed them. There is a lot to be said for giving in to cravings and giving your body what it is asking for. ⠀
Spotting can be normal during our fertile years and perimenopausal years, but what’s normal for someone else might not be normal for another. I will keep tracking my spotting and any other physical and mental symptoms that arise and If I think they are a sign that is an underlying issue, I will seek advice from a health professional. ⠀
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