Spotting is light bleeding outside your usual period, often just a few drops of pink or brown. It can happen just before or after a period, or in between. An occasional episode often isn’t serious, but bleeding between periods that keeps happening is worth getting checked.
Common causes of spotting before a period
- Hormonal changes. Shifting hormone levels around your cycle can cause light bleeding.
- Hormonal contraception. This is the most common cause of breakthrough bleeding, especially after missing a pill or switching method.
- An IUD. These can cause occasional spotting.
- Implantation. Light bleeding about 10 to 14 days after ovulation can be an early sign of pregnancy.
- Perimenopause. Changing hormones can make bleeding less predictable in the years before menopause.
- Fibroids or polyps. These non-cancerous growths in the uterus or cervix can cause bleeding between periods.
- Infection or inflammation. Infections, including sexually transmitted ones, can inflame the cervix or uterus and cause spotting.
Not sure whether it’s implantation or your period? Use the implantation bleeding vs period checker.
Spotting or the start of your period?
| Spotting | Period | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | A few drops, perhaps only when you wipe or on a liner | Builds into a flow that needs a pad, tampon or cup |
| Colour | Often pink or brown | Often starts brown or pink, then turns red |
| Length | Often short-lived | Usually 2 to 7 days |
Light spotting often leads straight into a period, so it can be hard to tell at first. To work out your cycle length, count day 1 as the first day of proper bleeding, not the day of the spotting.
Spotting and pregnancy
Implantation bleeding usually happens about 10 to 14 days after ovulation, and Cleveland Clinic says it affects about 1 in 4 pregnant women. It should stop on its own after about two days. A test taken while you’re spotting may be negative because it’s too early, so wait until the spotting has stopped and your period is clearly late.
Any bleeding when you know you’re pregnant should be checked by a clinician.
When to see a doctor
Speak to a doctor if:
- Spotting keeps happening, or is new for you
- You bleed after sex
- You’re bleeding after menopause
- You’re also having pain, unusual discharge or a fever
- You feel unusually tired, weak or short of breath, which can be signs of anaemia
Get urgent help if you could be pregnant and have spotting with sudden, intense tummy pain, or feel very dizzy or faint. These can be signs of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, so call emergency services.
What to tell your doctor
The NHS advises getting bleeding between periods, after sex or after menopause checked by a doctor. It helps to be ready with:
- When the spotting happens in your cycle, and how long it lasts
- How much there is, and what colour it is
- Whether it follows sex, or a missed pill
- Any recent change in your contraception
- Any pain, discharge or other new symptoms
Tracking helps
Noting when spotting happens makes it much easier for a doctor to find the cause. You can mark spotting days in the period tracker, and print a summary to take to your appointment.