15 May Period Is Spotting, Why?
If your period is spotting, you may be wondering what the heck is going on. And it totally depends on where you are at in your cycle! So, let’s start with some basics so you understand the language with female cycles. Whoo hoo!
- From day one of bleeding to ovulation, this is considered the follicular phase.
- From ovulation to day BEFORE next bleed, this is considered the luteal phase.
- Some people may say ovulation is it’s own phase, which is okay too! In this case, the luteal phase begins after ovulation occurs.
- Bleed/period = actual bleeding
- Cycle = The whole month’s ebbs and flows with hormones
Okay, you should be all set! Now, let’s dive into why your period is spotting!
Follicular Phase Spotting
If you are spotting during your follicular phase, this can certain issues, such as endometriosis, polyps/fibroids, and being on birth control. Make sure that you have a trusted healthcare provider with gynecology, so you can rule all of these factors out. Follicular phase spotting isn’t as common as luteal phase spotting. I would encourage you to track your cycles using an app or a diary, so you can know where you are at in your cycle.
Ovulation Spotting
Spotting during ovulation, this can be caused by the increase of LH (luteinizing hormone) and ovulation. In some women, these hormone surges can trigger the uterine lining to shed a bit, which helllooo ovulation spotting!
Luteal Phase Spotting
Luteal phase spotting is the most common. If you have spotting a week before your period and you’ve had unprotected sex, this may be implantation bleeding! Personally, I had this when I was pregnant with my daughter and I could’ve sworn that I was starting my period early. It ended up stopping and I never got my period. Enter in -> my daughter! 🙂
Luteal phase spotting can signal there is low progesterone, which will need to be more deeply understand when working with your functional medicine provider. There are many reasons ovulation and low progesterone could be occurring! Undernourishment and stress are some of the most common reasons we see in our practice. We confirm this via lab testing + we’ll help you come up with some solid dietary and lifestyle changes that improve this so much.
Period Is Spotting – Are You Feeling Empowered Now?!
Are you feeling more empowered about why your period is spotting? I hope you are! If you need help in your lifestyle to improve diet and other lifestyle aspects (stress, sleep, environment, movement, etc), make sure to schedule a free intro call with our team. We’d love to help you figure your periods out once + for all. And the best part? These healthy changes will impact EVERY other part of your health, not just your menstrual cycle! WIN! This call will help us learn more about you and ensure that we can help move the needle forward with what you have going on.
P.S. Don’t forget that your sex hormones are FOLLOWERS, not leaders. They are often following what the rest of the body is saying. That’s why we’ll look at adrenals, blood sugar, gut health, environmental toxins, etc before hopping into direct support of hormones. That’s the beauty of functional medicine. Seeing the body as a whole versus broken down into different systems.
PSSSTTT, our systems aren’t operating separately, so we need to ensure our healthcare is operated separately.
