Late Period Spotting

A missed or late period is usually considered as the first sign of pregnancy by most women of childbearing age or who are trying to conceive. While for women who are not trying to conceive or are not ready to take on the responsibilities of motherhood, it can be a sign of worry or panic. However, unlike this common belief that missing a period means a woman is pregnant, there are various other factors besides pregnancy that can lead to a late or missed period. Basically, period or menstrual cycle is caused by the uterus shedding the lining it builds every month in which a fertilized egg can implant itself after which a woman is considered to be pregnant. If there's no fertilization, the egg and uterine wall get shed, leading to bleeding and clots that a woman experiences at least once a month. Whereas if the egg gets fertilized by a sperm, it implants itself in to the uterine wall, the uterus does not shed lining and there will be no monthly period. Hence, if a woman is pregnant she will instantly start missing her periods. But this is not always the case, as sometimes a woman can have late a period, which is much lighter than the normal spotting that one experiences even after getting pregnant. However, as I said before pregnancy can't be only the reason for late period or delayed period spotting. There are various other reasons as well that may result in such a condition.

Implantation Bleeding
Often mistaken for period, implantation bleeding is considered to be one of the most common cause for late period spotting which occurs when the fertilized egg or embryo implants itself in the uterus. The bleeding is usually lighter than the normal period bleeding and occurs nearly at the same time or a few days after your expected period would occur. The spotting appears light pink or brown in color and normally lasts just for a couple of days.

Birth Control Pill
Irregular period spotting or bleeding is common if a woman begins her first cycle of birth control pills or if pills are either missed or taken late. However, the bleeding usually subsides by the end of the third cycle of birth control pills but it is a bit heavier than spotting.

Stress
Another reason for late period brown spotting is stress. Basically if a woman is under stress, the adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol that directly affects the production and functioning of reproductive hormones like estrogen, progesterone and DHEA in the body. Hence, stress can delay your menstrual cycle and can also cause spotting in some cases.

Other Causes
Poor diet, strenuous exercise, sudden weight gain, emotional trauma, illness, smoking, medications, caffeine, alcohol, uterine abnormalities like fibroids, cysts, polyps, endometriosis, etc., are some other probable causes that may affect your regular menstrual cycle and lead to late period spotting.

Although late period spotting in most cases is not a sign to panic or to get worried about, if you are sexually active and trying to conceive, it is better to clear your doubts by performing a home pregnancy test. Besides this, by making some healthy changes in your lifestyle like quitting drinking and smoking, doing yoga or meditation and eating a healthy and balanced diet you can surely overcome this problem. However, if the problem persists for more than one menstrual cycle, it is recommended to consult a doctor to elucidate the case.