Light brown staining after period

I understand that light brown spotting is generally okay and does not render a woman a Niddah (especially if it is not found on a bedika and is smaller than a gris, but rather on underwear).

The way my cycle works is that near the end of my period I spot light brown? Do I disregard that spotting and perform my hefseik tahara anyway, or do I wait until that light brown spotting has ended completely and then resume with my hefseik tahara? Is that light brown coloring considered, halachicly, part of my period?



Dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

It is common to experience staining for a few days after the main flow of the period has ended. Once the bleeding/staining from your period is no longer reddish you may attempt to perform a hefsek taharah and count the seven clean days.

Stains found on a hefsek, on bedikot, or on white underwear that are yellow or light brown (the color of coffee with milk) with no reddish hue are acceptable and do not invalidate the clean days. Stains of other shades can be brought to a rabbi for evaluation.

You can also change your underwear more frequently during the clean days to prevent stains from accumulating to the size of a gris (the size of a US dime or an Israeli shekel). This way you may disregard any stain on underwear as long as it is smaller than a gris. You can read our articles on stains for more details. (www.yoatzot.org/topic.php?id=15)

Please feel free to get back to us with any further questions.

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases.

If you have further questions or comments about this email, please click here to Ask the Yoetzet.

The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha is a public service of Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women. This project and others like it are made possible by contributions from people like you. If you have benefitted from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.


Related Articles

  Timing of Hefsek Taharah
  How to Do a Hefsek Taharah

Related Questions & Answers

  Light brown staining after period
  Morning hefsek
  Difficulty obtaining 'clean' hefsek
  Did hefsek on day four
  Asking about stained hefsek
  Hefsek with toilet paper
  Extra bedikah invalidated hefsek?
  Preparing early for hefsek
  Late hefsek on Thursday
  Looking at toilet paper as hefsek
  Discarded brown hefsek
  Irritation from hefsek
  Speck on hefsek
  Flow after hefsek
  Changing to white at hefsek
  Changes after baby
  Hefsek and dryness
  Forgot hefsek
  Delaying hefsek
  Early bedikah as hefsek
  < More...>

© 2008 Nishmat - The Jerusalem Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women Developed by AlmondWeb Designed by WDI