I haven’t posted for a while but here I am again. We are going through our 4th ICSI round (all previous ones were completely unsuccessful and we didn’t even get to a transfer). This time we somehow magically got 2x 3BB day 5 blasts. Both were transferred on day 5.
I am on 2x morning and evening cyclogests and one lubion injection.
I am 8dp5dt today. This weekend I started feeling some cramps resembling my period cramps. On Sunday I started spotting brownish mucus (sorry TMI) and it’s still ongoing. I am worried it is my period trying to break through all the cyclogest and injections and that it hasn’t worked :(.
I also was impatient today and tested with Alvita pregnancy tests. Not sure how reliable they are for this stage but I got something resembling a very faint line. My OTD is next Monday.
I researched online and there is mixed info regarding spotting and cramps. I would welcome any stories, positive and negative, you got to share.
Thank you xx
Written by
Casperjourney
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
hey 👋 so with all my transfers I had cramping like my period was arriving, did have some spotting with some of them too so you aren’t alone! That’s great news you might have a positive 🤞 it gets darker and sticks around! It’s such an awful waiting game isn’t it xxx
Thank you cutecolliedog! Fingers crossed, but it’s so stressful. Did your doctors explain anyhow the spotting? It just seems too odd and of course all I can think of is that my period is knocking on the door.
Thank you! I am trying to be rational about it and realize it is not in my control and I just need to be patient.. but as you can imagine it isn’t easy, especially with this spotting now :(.
I had bright red bleeding 8dpt which I told my husband was the start of my period, I took a test which was positive and after a very spotty first trimester I am now 21 weeks pregnant. Bleeding in the first trimester is common and isn’t necessarily your period. There isn’t much you can do apart from get your progesterone checked and wait unfortunately. Sending you loads of love - it’s a nerve wracking time!
Thank you Monkeywap for your comment. It is a very nerve wrecking process for sure, every step of the way .. and I feel like it won’t get any easier any time soon.
I am very happy for your pregnancy and that it’s going well. My clinic didn’t over to check progesterone, can my bleeding/spotting be related to low progesterone? I am on two cyclogests and lubion, can it be a higher dosage? Did your bleeding stop after just one day? My spotting has been continuous since it started this weekend.
it can be related to progesterone but it’s unlikely to be if you’re on a high dose. That spotting lasted 2 days but I had 3 more episodes of spotting at 7-8, 9 and 10-11 weeks so it definitely wasn’t over. I did have a small SCH but otherwise it was without cause. Very stressful! My doctor said not to worry (ha) unless it was ‘catastrophic’ whatever that means
Ha yep easy for them to say, but I’m glad it was all false alarms for you, phew, cannot even imagine the stress you went through.
I guess I might need to wait for my OTD (as I am sure if I call now, all they’d say is I need to wait, they even wrote on their instructions that some spotting might occur..) and then if it’s positive and still spotting ask them what , if anything, can be done.
Also if you want to test early get some first response, I had a pretty dark line at 9dpt and some of the other brands were still faint at that point. My first beta at 12pt was 900 so my hcg was high - just the tests that varied.
That’s a great advice, thank you, I have already seen some people mentioning it. A silly question, is First Response a brand or what’s a brand called? Two of my closest pharmacies don’t seem to have it.
It is a brand, they sell it on Amazon in the uk. I think clear blue also do an early detection one. They’re basically more sensitive than the standard tests but I’d be wary of too much testing - it can do your head in!
Thank you, will try to find one. Yes, too much testing results in an obsessions of the line progression, quite scary indeed. Thanks for all your advice.
I’ve just had very similar. Cramping after transfer, then nothing, then cramping from about day 7 which felt like my using period crampy grotty feeling and then at 9dp5dt almost black spotting. I was convinced it was my period breaking through. I went for blood test on day 10 as instructed and then POAS on day 12, stood waiting for that big stark white BFN, and it was positive!! 😱💖
My HCG came back at 79 and I’m now waiting for next blood results to see 🙏🏼 if it’s doubling as it’s supposed to.
Here’s my tests so you can see the difference between brands. All from the same urine yet differing lines, especially on the cheapie strip.
Can you get bloods done as that’s your definitive answer? But so far massive congratulations!!! 💖
Thank you Doodlebug, congratulations to you! I am very happy for you and keep my fingers crossed 🤞🏻your pregnancy is progressing well.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I can imagine it was very nerve wrecking for you at the time. Did they explain the spotting anyhow? How long did it last?
Wow, what a stark difference on those tests. Are they all from day 12dp5dt? I think I need to try to find those First Response ones as they are more sensitive.
My clinic do not offer bloods and their instructions say to way till OTD, which would be 14dp5dt which seems quite a long (unnecessary?..) wait. I didn’t challenge them at the time on the OTD as I didn’t know myself what‘s normal, but it seems quite a long one.
Still very early days but I’m trying to stay positive. Spotting will have been implantation bleed, but I didn’t expect it would be that late. The darkness is also explained by it being old blood that has oxidised.
I had brown spotting when I wiped in the morning on day 9, and then almost black on my liner late that afternoon. That was it. But I know others have it for a few days.
Yes all tests using the same urine at 6am (I waited till 7am to test) on day 12. I had been up twice early hours to wee so not sure if it was technically FMU.
I’m not sure if you can get the FRER as someone kindly gifted them to me - she ordered from US as UK were out of stock. The Boots early response ones are really good. I would have done one of those too but it’s a new sealed box so I didn’t open it as thought maybe 4 was enough 😂🙈
My clinic is in Spain, so I asked my GP to do bloods. You can request via NHS, but it does depend on the GP. You can pay for a private blood test I believe.
My POAS is 12 days so 14 isn’t too much longer, though I know the wait is so hard!!!
hi, with all my transfers I had period like cramping and spotting. Two miscarriages but number three who I had the strongest cramps and worst spotting (including bleeding) is now a healthy two year old 😊
For me what you are describing was a good sign, so try and relax and not worry too much
Hi Jen, thank you for your reassuring comment. Hope is so important but don’t want to get my expectations too high, so trying to balance.
I am very happy you had a success after your losses, that’s amazing! Did doctors explain your spotting anyhow or was there any underlying condition that might have affected it? How long did your spotting last, if I may ask?
Hi, yes they checked me over (including scans) and said it was probably a very sensitive cervix from the progesterone etc. they also said the brown spotting could have been from a bleed a few weeks before, maybe even before transfer or during transfer so not to worry. I then had fresh bleeds at around 7, and 9 weeks. Thought to be what the doctor described as blood blisters (i forget the medical term), but all completely harmless. Although I was scared at the time! I didn’t feel relaxed! But all was fine and the spotting always stopped after a day or so, although it felt like a lifetime.
Thank you Jen, we all seem to be very different. I am still spotting but no point to go mad worrying as I cannot change the outcome, just need to be patient and wait.
I’m currently 10dp5dt , i had brown spotting 7dpt but stopped next day. The Dr upped my progesterone. The waiting is torturous. Finger crossed to all of us
Mine is a fresh transfer day 5 blastocyst. I am on 2 cyclogest daily and the Dr added Duphaston 2x daily, The spotting stopped the next day even before I started Duphaston. My OTD is on the 15th , few days to go. I haven’t caved in to test, tempted to but I will hold on. Fingers crossed to all of us
congratulations to you too, my clinic did beta hcg , not sure whether it’s quantitative. I had bouts of cramps today and mild brown spotting. No any symptoms other than sore boobs. Fingers crossed to all of us
Thank you Deezah, I guess we should be celebrating this little milestone on our not an easy journey. How did you HCG results go? From what I learnt, number itself doesn’t mean much, it’s about progression. So if you can ask them to do another one in 48 hrs.
Everyone is trying to reassure me that spotting is totally normal, unless it becomes a heavy bleed. I hope yours settle soon. Are you on progesterone and what’s your dose? That could be an issue and you might want to look into increasing it too.
Re cramps, I have been feeling them pretty much every day, sometimes more / sometimes less intense.
would love to know how this ended for you l. 8dp5dt here and brown blood when I wiped just now. Have had heavy pulling and AF pains on and off for the last two days. Also had the worst headache last night. Really scared I’m out. This is my fourth transfer. 2 x chemicals and 1 x bfn. Looking for some hope!
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
but no point to go mad worrying as I cannot change the outcome, just need to be patient and wait. 
8dp5dt spotting 🙁🙁
spotting after 7 day 3dpt
Brown Spotting 
Red spotting 8dp5dt and 9dp5dt
Potential Spotting/Implantation Bleeding 
