If you are trying to conceive, and notice your body is bleeding, or “spotting” mid-cycle, it may confuse you or have you concerned. Most of the time, this mid-cycle spotting is something that can be easily remedied with the advice and help of your physician.
Ovulation
When the levels of estrogen temporarily decrease during ovulation, some spotting can occur. It happens because the uterine lining is thinning out somewhat at that time. This is a common occurrence for many premenopausal women. It usually happens ten to sixteen days after a woman’s menstrual period, depending on the day her cycle begins. Spotting or very light bleeding can occur when the surface of the follicle of the ovary becomes weaker due to hormonal changes. Where the egg passes through and ruptures the surface, bleeding can occur. Also, in terms of the ovaries contributing to mid-cycle spotting, polycystic ovary syndrome, an imbalance of hormones, can cause abnormal light bleeding between your cycles.
Birth Control Pills
Different medications can cause between-the-cycle spotting. Birth control pills can cause this if you have recently begun taking them, if you miss a dose, or if you do not take them at the same time each day. If you are using a method of birth control that has little estrogen, the uterine lining may shed sporadically, thus causing spotting. If you take a birth control pill that is low in estrogen, perhaps you can switch to one that keeps the uterine lining more stable, or take an estrogen supplement. You can also wait it out, because spotting when starting the pill usually lasts only a few months.
IUD
If you are using an intrauterine device, or IUD, with a hormone, you can increase you chance of spotting or heavier menstrual cycles (Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding – Spotting and More). In terms of spotting, the IUD, once inserted, causes spotting because it has levonorgestrel, which is a hormone like progesterone that can contribute to this occurrence.
Infection
There are sexually transmitted infections that carry many symptoms, and spotting is one of them. If you feel like the spotting is not coming from birth control pills, an IUD, or ovulations, then you should visit your doctor to determine if it is from an infection. Usually, spotting caused by an infection has other symptoms, such as itching, burning, pain, or heaviness.
If you are pregnant and are spotting, or could be pregnant and spotting, a visit to the obstetrician is needed to determine if everything is fine. In some cases spotting during pregnancy could be from miscarriage. However, it is not common to only spot with miscarriage, because pain and heavy bleeding usually accompany this condition. If this is not the case, there may be other reasons, such as fibroids, polyps, cervical issues, or even stress that can also contribute to this issue.
“Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding – Spotting and More.” WebMD. Healthwise, Inc., 2014. Web. 14 Jan. 2016. http://www.webmd.com/women/tc/abnormal-vaginal-bleeding-topic-overview.