Written by A few women suffer from bleeding disorders that can lead to serious bleeding during ovulation. It’s typical to have a small amount of bleeding within the ovary as the egg is released. In the majority of women, this is normal and expected and has no physical symptoms at all. If a woman’s blood does not clot normally, however, she can have more serious bleeding when the egg is released.
There are a couple of thoughts on what causes ovulation spotting. Some people believe that the light spotting is a result of the egg rupturing through the follicle during ovulation. It is thought that as the egg bursts from the follicle that a little bleeding may occur. This is why some women may notice brown spotting, which is generally an indicator of older blood, around the time they ovulate. The blood may turn brown as it exits the body.
The other possible explanation for ovulation spotting is that the spotting is a result of a woman’s changing hormones during ovulation. As a woman’s body prepares to ovulate, follicles will start to grow and mature. As they mature they produce more estrogen. This increase in estrogen triggers a surge in LH, another hormone involved in ovulation. When LH surges it signals the mature egg to burst from the follicle. Estrogen rises sharply right before a woman ovulates and it is thought that the increase in estrogen levels may cause light spotting to occur.
Ovulation Spotting is defined as a very light bleeding that may accompany ovulation – though it is rather uncommon fertility indicator and can be easily missed (even if it occurs). Unless you are fertility charting and observing daily changes in cervical mucus, you may not even be aware of this secondary fertility sign.
The source of “ovulation spotting” is traced to the rupture of the ovarian follicle when the egg is released. When you ovulate, luteinizing hormone causes the surface of the ovarian follicle to weaken and disintegrate. This leads to the formation of a hole, or stigma, through which the egg will ultimately “escape” into one of the fallopian tubes. At this “midcycle moment”, a residual trace of blood may accompany ovulation when the stigma ruptures.
The trace amount of blood that may appear due to the rupture of the follicle will not be red (like menstrual blood), but will rather exhibit a brownish or pinkish color. For example, you may see just a faint streak of pinkish blood intermingled with cervical fluids during your daily CM check.
During this “fertile phase” of your cycle, cervical mucus will likely be transparent and stretchy, like egg white. If you do happen to discover a small amount of blood at this time, note this light bleeding on your fertility chart as a possible indicator of ovulation. If this is indeed O-spotting, you should see your bbt temperature rising shortly thereafter. This bleeding should not last long, and if it persists for more than a few days, contact your doctor.
