Period/spotting question

[vmars]

1st day of your cycle is the 1st day you need to wear a pad/tampon.

[vmars]

The possible fertile window according to FF when not temping means nothing. When I started using FF my projected fertile window was an entire week off. You can't know if/when you are Oing without temping. If you monitor CM and take OPKs you can get a good idea but still can't confirm unless you temp.

[tarheels]

I spot and have a light flow, too, and was worried about it when I first started charting. But I call it on the first day there's actual flow that amounts to something. And in TMI-land, wearing a panty liner on spotting days is very helpful in this - you can see how little or much there is and what color it is (old or new blood).

[Cricket0619]

I spot for 2 to 3 days and I count the day I see red as day 1.

[IndiaInk]

I've had this same question for a while, because I get quite heavy brown spotting for 2 days before I get red flow. I did tons of googling and decided that the consensus seems to be that it's spotting while it's brown and then you call it CD 1 when you see red period blood. So, that's how I've decided to chart it.

[thoseareradishes]

I think the most important thing is to be consistent every month. When I first started charting, I would spot on and off for a few days, and I'd always be ready to call CD1, but then it would get heavier and I'd be like, there, ok, THAT's flow, and call that CD1. It took me a few cycles to get it.

[Jalapeñomel]

This has always confused me. Sometimes my spotting is bright red, sometimes it is brown. So there are times when I do count it and sometimes when I don't.

For example, today I get what I think was my period. Red blood, but it was just in the morning and only that one time. I have had nothing since then, and TMI alert, DH and I did the dead and still no more red. I have no clue if today is CD1 or not. I will have to adjust in the next day or two depending on what happens.

[vmars]

Mar 14, 2013 21:50:15 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

This has always confused me. Sometimes my spotting is bright red, sometimes it is brown. So there are times when I do count it and sometimes when I don't.

For example, today I get what I think was my period. Red blood, but it was just in the morning and only that one time. I have had nothing since then, and TMI alert, DH and I did the dead and still no more red. I have no clue if today is CD1 or not. I will have to adjust in the next day or two depending on what happens.

I always count it as spotting even if it's red. I only count it CD1 until I actually need a pad, kwim?

[thoseareradishes]

Mar 15, 2013 6:20:20 GMT -5 vmars said:

Mar 14, 2013 21:50:15 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

This has always confused me. Sometimes my spotting is bright red, sometimes it is brown. So there are times when I do count it and sometimes when I don't.

For example, today I get what I think was my period. Red blood, but it was just in the morning and only that one time. I have had nothing since then, and TMI alert, DH and I did the dead and still no more red. I have no clue if today is CD1 or not. I will have to adjust in the next day or two depending on what happens.

I always count it as spotting even if it's red. I only count it CD1 until I actually need a pad, kwim?

I agree.  My spotting is usually red, but I don't count CD1 until I need a pad.