I could really use some good advice!!

[physmom]

Alright, here's the situation. I've been having nausea since the beginning of summer (unfortunately, I can't remember exactly when it started). DH and I also had unprotected sex in the middle of June, which is about the time I normally ovulate.

BUT I got my period right on time on the 26th of June. Then again on the 24th of July. After the 24th I haven't had any sex because DH is out of town so if I am pregnant, I would've gotten pregnant before the 24th of July. What's different about these last two periods is that normally I get a lot of cramps to the point where I always have to take ibuprofen. Both times I barely had any cramps so I didn't take anything and they were slightly shorter but still definitely not spotting.


The reason we suspect pregnancy at all is because the nausea is just getting worse. I can't wear anything tight at all around my belly and despite me exercising like crazy this summer my stomach is not getting smaller! I've also had some food/smell aversions and could hardly even eat much lunch/dinner yesterday.

What concerns me, though, is that I went for a run yesterday (I was doing a sprint workout) and after the run there was spotting in my underwear but nothing when I wiped. We are currently abroad for the summer so we only have insurance in case of emergency until we get back to the states (aug. 31). I do have an ob/gyn here that I've know for a long time. I called to try and make an appointment (we'd have to pay out of pocket) but they can't get me in until the 12th. I don't know if I even want to go in because it might end up being really expensive and it would be free if we wait until we get back to the US.

I've tried taking 2 pregnancy tests so far. The first was clearly negative. I took one this morning and it was supposed to show a plus if you are pregnant. Well, I got the minus but some dots on the line where the plus should be (but not line at all). So DH wants me to buy a different one and try again tomorrow morning. But it doesn't make sense. If I am pregnant I should be around 6 weeks pregnant and then I should certainly see something, right?

Now, I've had problems with cyst before and have actually had my right ovary removed due to a tumor. So that's something else that it could be. Like maybe a small cyst popped when I was running? But I certainly don't feel the same way as I did before when I had that problem and I'm still having nausea even after that run.

To make this all even worse and more confusing. I had a wonderful ob/gyn in the states who delivered DD but she just moved at the beginning of this summer! Otherwise I know she'd probably talk to me on the phone about this. However, I don't have any of her contact info now and I don't even know if she is still working (she recently had a daughter).

Ok, so my questions are... do you think this is something serious enough to see a doctor here and pay out of pocket (i.e. going on the 12th vs. waiting until sept 1st)? Or could I wait until the end of the month and try and find a new ob/gyn in the states(obviously, I would make the appointment now to make sure I have one right away). Also, do these sound like pregnancy symptoms? Has anybody had a "period" while pregnant? Did it seem any different than a normal period? I had implantation bleeding and it certainly wasn't like this. One final thing... I've been really using my time here to workout because back home it's almost impossible but if I have bleeding after a run should I take it easy?

Sorry for the long post. But I'm just really unsure what to do next!!! For the time being, I'm taking prenatals etc and didn't even have my morning coffee today just to be on the safe side.

[ZoeJane'sMommy]

OK this is just my opinion and take it how you want. First off if you concieved middle of June you could be pregnant but I would assume you should get a positive by now. If you normally do not exercise and you are excersing really hard now and you ARE pregnant stop. If your body is used to the exercise they say it won't hurt the baby but if you don't exercise then start doing it really hard without gradually very slowly working up to it it could cause problems. Bleeding during pregnancy is very common and some women have periods throughout the whole pregnancy. You are having prego symptoms but unfortunately they are also the same as many women symptoms. My sister in law just had a huge cyst. She just new she was pregnant then it burst. She bleed like a period and for about aweek or two she was bloated one day she looked pregnant and the next it would go down a little but she wore sweet pants for two weeks. Now she is fine. But it had all the pregnancy signs, like nasea, tiredness, slight spotting sometimes, intensified smell. This is a tough one I would go buy a good pink dye test take it now because if your pregnant since the middle of june then it will be positive(unless you keep getting false negatives which is not likely) and I would see a doctor next week, but if symptoms go away I may wait.

I hope this helps. Keep me updated.

[physmom]

Thanks for the response!

I could've gotten pregnant in July also. Basically it would put me somewhere between 5-9 weeks pregnant the way I figured it. Although, in July we always used protection so it just seems less likely...

I've been working out pretty often since the end of May but yesterday I was doing sprint vs. normally just jogging. I actually googled it and it looks like it is fairly normal for women to spot sometimes close to when they'd be ovulating if they exercise quite a bit. So if I'm not pregnant, this would be around the time that I should be ovulating. Then again, that doesn't explain the nausea unless that really is just do the the exercise? But there's also the difficulties I've had loosing my belly weight? Sigh...

I hear you on your SIL. I'm REALLY scared that it's a cyst again. I already am down one ovary, and we'd like to have at least another kid! We actually had my former OB/Gyn test me shortly before she moved and I had a clean bill of health (I think that was early May if I recall exactly) so the cyst would have developed over the summer. Just to be on the safe side, I'm going to watch the amount of red meat/dairy/eggs/chocolate/caffeine I have because I know that those things make it worse.

In the meantime, I'm going to buy another pregnancy test today on my way home from work and try again tomorrow morning. I don't really think I'll get a positive but if I do . If not, I think I might try a SLOW jog tomorrow because I don't want to actually start gaining weight again after being so good about exercising all summer long. For now I'll keep the appointment with the doctor, unless something changes drastically over the next week.

Oh, and in case anybody is wondering about the dots on the pregnancy test. I googled it and it doesn't look like they mean anything. It might just have been a faulty test.

[forthekids123]

Not sure what country you are in, but I paid out of pocket once for a ultrasound for a cyst, and it was $1000 for the ultrasound, and $350 for the doctor visit. I was shocked.

[karmab]

the plus sign/blue dye tests are notoriously awful.

i had mild nausea for months once after being in europe, and when i got home i had a g.i. workup. it turned out i had a c.diff intestinal infection, probably from the type of fertilizers they use on produce that we aren't used to. it doesnt sound like pg or a cyst to me, girl. good luck.

[physmom]

We're in Germany... I've had private insurance in Germany before when we used to live here and the doctor's visit usually run around 100 EUR with the an ultrasound for a check up on a cyst (with private insurance you get the bill directly and then the insurance refunds you). However, I'm not sure at all how much it would cost to do a number of tests on me...

I've actually lived here about 5-6 years previously (we actually just moved back to the states recently) so I doubt it's an adjust to the food here since it seems like this would've come out before?

At this point, I'm starting to lean more towards waiting, though, because I'm worried about the money and if it's not something else I might have to get a bunch of tests done... sigh, it would be so much nicer if I was just pregnant!

[karmab]

it doesnt have to be an adjustment to the food. anyone at anytime can get an intestinal infection like c.diff, a parasite like giardia, or whatever. it happens here at home too. nausea, food aversion, abdominal bloating- those are your primary signs (vs. primary signs for pregancy- a lack of af, a positive preg test, dizziness, tender breasts etc) the signs you are having could very easily be g.i. signs.

[dakotablue]

I just wanted to add that some women don't build up enough HCG in their urine. My Mom didn't get a positive test until she was around 4 months with each of us (older tests but still everyone else was getting them at 6 weeks) I would be curious just because the dots showed up with DS (I did two line test) the second line was only half a line, which is a positive. Also, just for the peace of mind that it was a faulty test.

That being said. I've had cysts with all the pregnancy symptoms. especially the nausea. I would think that unless you start to feel pain, like real pain, it would be ok to wait until the 1st, but get in there on the first.

[physmom]

Hmm... ok, so today I'm leaning more towards it being a pregnancy. I think I'm crazy because my thoughts change every day. I didn't have a chance to pick up a pregnancy test last night so I bought one today and will test tomorrow morning again. Probably better to give it a few days anyways.

But, I've definitely noticed an increase in discharge (I guess that could be ovulation too but it seemed more than normal). I tried a very, very slow jog today and has some very,very light spotting (as in just the size of a pinhead in a few places). So now I'm not sure if I should continue jogging or not? Thoughts?

I think I will wait until the 1st. If I eat smaller meals and make sure nothing constrictions my stomach at all than the nausea is controllable. Besides, I should have a period before the end of this month so maybe that will give me a better idea what is going on. Now I just need to find a new OB/Gyn...

[bolobear]

Never been pregnant before but I tried to imagine if I was in your situation. A part of me says "it's worth the money to find out." And the other one says, "well, what if I just lived like I was pregnant until I get back to the states." I guess eventually a hpt has to be positive and you'd have other signs.

Good luck.

[physmom]

Update

Just in case anybody was curious. It turns out I'm not pregnant but the good thing is is that everything checked out OK too (so no cyst either , which was by and far my biggest fear!).

The doctor thinks that is has to do with my hormones from still nursing and than me stepping up the exercise. Basically, we're thinking of talking to a nutritionist now to see if there is something that I can do about it.