Spotting or AF? How do you know? (sorry if tmi)

I was on BC for so many years that I hardly remember my cycles from pre-BC. Since going off BC a few months ago, I've had some (expected) irregularities with spotting and what not. Here is where I am confused: I have been spotting, sometimes heavy-ish spotting, the days before AF so how do I know when the first day of my menstrual period actually is?! For example, this month I had some light spotting a couple days then thought I had AF because it got a little more consistent and noticeable and would use a tampon but it wasn't for another couple days later that I got my usual cramps and heavy flow (sorry if this is TMI) which I assume would happen at the beginning of AF not in the middle or at the end. I want to be able to definitively know the date of my LMP to better track for TTC and also for when I conceive one day to calc due date more accurately - so this spotting confusion will make that difficult

Do any of you ladies have AF that starts lighter then gets heavier and crampy a couple days in?

Thanks for reading such a wordy post about AF haha

Spotting or AF? How do you know? (sorry if tmi)

I was like this. I would spot for about 2 days. It would be light with just a little on my underwear/pantyliner and TP. I would count AF start when I had to change to a pad/tampon and when a lot was on my TP (sorry TMI). I never counted the days that I spotted. When it got heavy, that is when it started. And then I would get cramps like day 2 or 3. The cramps don't matter when you are trying to track AF though.

Spotting or AF? How do you know? (sorry if tmi)

My RE counts CD 1 as the first day of full flow where you need a tampon or pad. If its before 4pm, count that day is CD 1. If its after 4pm, you would count the next day as CD 1

Re: Spotting or AF? How do you know? (sorry if tmi)