Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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Spotting in clean days from fertility treatment

15 September, 2016
Question:

Hi. I am having difficulty counting sheva neki’im, as I keep finding spots of blood on bedika cloths and underpants. I am currently on day 15 of my cycle, and have been doing hefsek checks almost every other evening, then starting all over again after finding blood during the day. Is there a heter for doing fewer bedikot? Or advice how to possibly reduce the spotting? I’m also undergoing fertility treatments, so it could be the hormone treatments are causing the spotting. Also, it looks like I may not get to the mikve before my next period begins. I’d like to avoid this if at all possible, halachically.
Thanks so much.


Answer:

We are sorry to hear of your difficulty getting through the clean days.

For the duration of the fertility treatments, you may reduce bedikot to the hefsek taharah and one each on day one, on an intermediate day, and on day seven.  You may also omit the moch dachuk.

Spotting on undergarments does not necessarily invalidate the clean days. For example, if each individual stain is smaller in size than a k’gris (roughly, the area of the American dime or Israeli shekel), then it does not invalidate the clean days. So too, spots of a light brown shade with no reddish tint do not invalidate the clean days. You should bring other stains or questionable bedikah cloths for evaluation rather than assuming they invalidate the clean days. Be sure to mention your fertility treatments and your difficulty becoming tehorah.

While you are undergoing fertility treatments, you may wear a disposable white pantiliner during the clean days, which provides further grounds for treating stains leniently.

B’hatzlacha, and please feel free to write back with any follow up questions. You may also find it helpful to arrange a free consultation with a Yoetzet Halacha Fertility Counselor, details here.

This response was updated on 4 May, 2021.

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