Hi all,
We've been trying to conceive for over a year...my periods are a little longer than most, cycle is usually 33-36 days. For the past year, ever since we've been trying, I've been having brown discharge about a week after my period ends or mid-cycle, sometimes stretchy and black.
This month I finished my period on day 6 and on day 8 I started with watery brown discharge with has continued through today (day 20), and this morning I had a large black clot. My husband and I had intercouse 2 days ago. No pain in the pelvic area at all, in fact I don't even feel like I'm about to ovulate (though my monitor says I am at "high"). I had a normal OB/GYN exam 5 months ago. Obviously, I'm concerned. Any ideas? I know I'm not pregnant, or if I am it's only been 2 days. I know this could be "old" blood but for 12 days with a black clot? Oh and I'm 34 years old with no history of cancer, etc...and I've never been on birth control.
Just wondering if this could be serious (like cancer) or part of my infertility issues. I'm living in another state for the summer so I don't have my regular docs here, though looking for an ob/gyn to get it checked out.
I have been checking around different boards and a few people said this means one isn't ovulating, though another person said it mean you are.
Someone suggested it had to do with progesterone issues.
Any advice, similar stories, etc., would put my mind at ease.
Thanks.

Hi, I'm not really sure what could be causing the discharge and clotting, but I don't think it necessarily means you are infertile. It would be a good idea to get it checked out by a dr. I hope you find out what is going on so you can have some piece of mind. :) Please keep us posted.

Holly

Hi, sorry I don't have any answers to offer you, or even suggestions, but hopefully someone here may be able to help. I'd go see the doc and see what they have to say. I know it's easy to fear the worst when unusual things like this start happening, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about and will sort itself out.
Take care,
Lizzie

Vraiment, cherie, my wish right now is that you find an answer to our question becuase I simmply do not know. I hope you see the obgyn soon, and please do keep us posted.

***BABY DUST***

I also experience a range of strange spotting issues since I've gone of BCP when I started TTC. It really freaked me out at first, but my doctors didn't seem too concerned, (although you should go see a doctor to see what they think). So i've looked into it myself and pieced some things together. Spotting is usually brown/black because there is less of it, so what you see is older. I have had red clotty spotting around the time of ovulation. It sounds like you are about that time in your cycle, so it might be from that, and it might be more clotty because its around ovulation. (BTW - Browish EWCM before O is different and a good sign of fertility/ impending O) I also spot (brown black) for about a week before AF, which I thought could indicate low progesterone. Spotting for more than 4 days before AF is a symptom of low progesterone. I've had mine tested several times, and its always been high enough that it shows I have ovulated, but always as low as it could be and still be in the normal range. Then, I have also had a lot of cramping throughout my cycle. Have you had any cramping with the discharge?

Putting this all together, with some other issues, I've been concerned I may have endo. And now as my smyptoms build (I've had 2 m/c in a row, and now rectal bleeding w/ AF), my RE thinks it is likely I have endo. Looking into that, I found out that one of its symptoms is mid cycle bleeding, and also lower progesterone levels. HA! So I think I've pieced together what it may mean, at least in my case.

But I really would also like to know more about other women's symptoms from endo are, and what their drs think spotting means. I don't know much about endo, and its hard to really understand it until you learn from people who have experienced it. It seems that in womens reproductive health, what you read is often a one paragraph (vague) explanation, and there is so much more to it.

Anyway, I hope that may shed some light, and that you can continue to find answers to this question - and maybe we can help each other figure out all these female reproductive curve balls.

I have question about discharges.... I have a lot of it ALL THE TIME. TMI warning.... it is clear or white, no scent, and thick, sometimes watery texture. But it's every single day. Is this something to ask about my doctor?