Sometimes I think my infertility stems from me not knowing when cd1 is

[elf]

last month was the first time in a long time that CD1 started with flow red flow. but then after 24 hours, I had 4 days of black spotting and then started another 4 days of red flow.

today i just started what i call the "hot fudge". cd1---black spotting now.

I have been taking femara but i wonder if the reason it isn't working is b/c no one knows when my correct cd 1 is.

anyone else in that boat and what do you do?

[soso-lynn]

You should never count spotting as CD1, ever. CD1 is when you have a constant red flow. If it is after 6pm, count the next day as CD1.

Many people get excited to try another cycle when they get spotting but starting your femara too early can really mess up your cycle. Your progesterone drops several days before you get your period and the spotting that comes before a heavy flow is just from the drop in progesterone, not the actual start of a new cycle.

If you are really worried about it and the spotting/bleeding pattern is hard to decipher, you can always request an ultrasound before starting the meds to check everything out but you should be fine if you wait for real bleeding.

[Rainy229]

I totally know what you mean! Since I've been on metformin and synthroid (PCOS and sub-clincial hypothyroid), I spot for what seems like weeks before a VERY short, LIGHT "cycle." It's aggravating! When I was JUST seeing a doctor of traditional chinese medicine, I was cycling regularly, and they were predictable - as in, once they started, they did their "usual" thing, none of this drizzle, pour, dry up, drizzle, sprinkle, flood, gone crud!

So, elf, I guess we're in the same boat... This is only my second cycle that it's done that, at least in a while (it used to do that all the time), so I'm just going to wait it out, continue BBT and CM/Cervical position monitoring, and see what happens... and try not to

Some days I wish there were a magic pill.... :::sigh::::

--Rainy

[Kristin0105]

Your pattern does seem confusing and I can see why you are confused. I would recommend going to see a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor they can help you get your cycle more regular even with the use of the other drugs. It sounds like your system is experiencing an imbalance and needs to be corrected.