Cramping and spotting 1 week before period

I think we can all agree that unexplained bleeding of any kind is no fun. We might also agree that unexplained bleeding is particularly un-fun when it’s coming from your vagina and it’s, uh, not supposed to be doing that yet! Yep, that’s a thing that happens, and if you notice some light bleeding a little earlier than expected, you’re probably spotting before your period. Lucky you!

Okay, but, uh, why? And what does it mean? Look, in a perfect world, you'd always know exactly when your period is coming and would never bleed on your favorite new pair of panties or experience any bleeding outside the confines of your scheduled menstrual cycle. But this is in no way a perfect world, and so impromptu, confusing, non-period bleeding is a part of life. For some menstruating people, spotting before a period can even be a normal part of their regular cycle, explains board-certified OB/GYN Amy Novatt, MD, a member of Dame's Clinical Board of medical advisors.

That said, bleeding means different things depending on who you are and when it happens. For some people, spotting before a period may be totally normal, for others it might be a random fluke, and for some it may be a sign of some sort of health condition. Confusing, we know! To help you get to the bottom of your own pre-menstrual bleeding, we tapped the experts for some insight. Here’s everything you need to know about spotting before your period, including what it is, why it happens, and when it’s worth bringing up with your doctor.

What counts as spotting

Spotting, or staining (doctors use the terms interchangeably), is a small amount of vaginal bleeding one to three days before a period, according to Dr. Rebecca Brightman, an OB/GYN in New York City. Think: enough blood to leave a mark on light-colored panties, but not enough to necessitate a tampon.

"Many women will have spotting for two to three days before their periods," says OB/GYN Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University Medical School. "It is usually fairly light, and may be brownish, not reddish. It is usually not associated with cramping."

Dr. Brightman says she considers spotting three or fewer days before a period to be normal. But if you notice spotting four or more days before a period, you should talk with your gynecologist. The most important thing is to track what's normal for you.

"Spotting prior to your period is not necessarily a cause for alarm," says Dr. Novatt. If you start noticing pre-period spotting for more than two cycles, however, Dr. Novatt suggests bringing it up with your doc. She also recommends keeping track of your cycle and making note of when you experience spotting vs. regular flow, and for how long.

Women who take a daily birth control pill may also notice spotting if they skip a pill, or even just take it a few hours later in the day than they normally do. Dr. Brightman says the spotting usually resolves quickly once you take the missed pill. Women with IUDs — both hormonal and non-hormonal — also tend to spot before a period.

Why you spot

Your period starts when hormone levels drop, signaling a lack of pregnancy and telling your body to shed the uterine lining that would've held onto a fertilized egg. "The uterine lining typically sloughs off in a very uniform fashion, but as it starts to break down, it can bleed a little bit," says Dr. Brightman.

Basically, before the uterine lining sheds and comes out (your period), the process of it starting to break down can cause slight bleeding from your uterus. This also explains why blood from spotting may look a bit lighter than your heavier, darker period blood. And it explains why this would be normal two or so days before a period (when the lining is breaking down), and not so normal five days before.

If spotting isn't a usual part of your regular cycle, there are a variety of factors that may be behind some surprise pre-menstrual bleeding. According to Dr. Minkin, spotting before your period may be a sign that your body didn't produce as much progesterone as it usually does during ovulation. If this happens regularly, doctors might prescribe birth control pills or progesterone supplements, Dr. Minkin adds.

"I have also heard women say they have spotting for a cycle when they are under lots of stress, traveling, [or even] spending intimate time with other women and starting to spot when another woman nearby is menstruating," says Dr. Novatt.

What it could mean

Dr. Brightman says a few more serious health problems can present as spotting, which is why it's so important to take note of any changes in spotting patterns (like if you start spotting and never have before, or if you start spotting five days before your period).

"Some women—obese women, diabetic women, and hypertensive women—are at risk of having an overgrowth of their uterine lining, and that can present as spotting," Dr. Brightman says. "Certain types of overgrowth we call hyperplasia, and those put them at risk of getting uterine cancer."

Spotting can also be a sign of a polyp in the cervix. "These polyps are almost always benign," says Dr. Brightman. "But sometimes they're not, and that's why we remove them in women who are spotting."

And in the rarest of cases, spotting before a period can be a symptom of cervical cancer. But Brightman emphasizes how rare this is, and says if cervical cancer causes any bleeding, it's typically after sex—not before a period.

Generally speaking, though, some isolated pre-period spotting probably isn't any huge cause for concern. Just listen to your body and keep track of any new patterns or sudden changes. "If it only happens once and then resolves, don't worry about it, and you don't need to check in with your provider," says Dr. Minkin. "But if it happens regularly, let your provider know."

Hannah writes about health, sex, and relationships for Cosmopolitan, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Her work can also be found in the Cut, Jezebel, and Texas Monthly.

Associate Sex & Relationships Editor

Kayla Kibbe (she/her) is the Associate Sex and Relationships Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers all things sex, love, dating, and relationships • She lives in Astoria, Queens and probably won’t stop talking about how great it is if you bring it up • Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. 

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