Is This Implantation Bleeding??

[sammymama]

Hi Mamas,

Seeking advice...

I have one DD, nearly 2, who's still breastfeeding.  I've had my cycle back for about a year and it has been all over the place and then some.  That said, I've noticed that when I keep my diet and exercise suuuper regular, I tend to get a bit more consistency.  So I've been keeping that up, and this past month got my period around the 10th (for about the 3rd month in a row), and bled until about the 17th.  On the 26th DH and I got a little "carried away" and forgot to use a condom when we DTD (seriously, we never do this!!!!).  Then, the day before yesterday I started to spot, super light pink-y/brown and a little gel-y, barely enough to warrant one tiny pad for the whole day.  Yesterday morning I felt brief, light cramps and nothing since.  I usually take note of my CM and this month remembered it being EW a few days before we DTD.  Other than that I haven't attempted to chart whatsoever - although I did check my cycle calendars from a few years ago when we were TTC and back then I consistently O'd around day 15-16 (which this month would've been the day we DTD).  Last, I've only had 2 cycles in 1 month once before, back in December, and even then they were 22 days apart, and I fully bled for the 2nd cycle (unlike now).

I didn't have implantation bleeding with my DD and I know that most people experience it at least 6 days after ovulation - and obviously this is much sooner.  So do you think something new and whacky is going on with my cycle, or could I possibly be preggers???  (and, btw, we would so welcome this.)  :)

Thank you in advance for your input!!!!
Sammy

[Jaimee]

Hi sammymama!  So...

CD 1 6/10

CD 14ish fertile CF

CD 16 DTD

CD 19 spotting

CD 20 cramping

CD 22 today (7/2)

CD 30 expected AF

Okay, well, let's say you did O around CD 16, that would put you at 3 DPO for the spotting.  That would not be implantation spotting.  The egg only lasts for 12-24 hours so to catch the egg on CD 16 you could have O'd on CD 15 at the earliest.  Even then your spotting is only at 4 DPO.  So I would say it is unlikely that you are experiencing spotting from implantation.  It is more likely that you're getting ovulation spotting or hormonal fluctuations.  You could absolutely have O'd later than you think- around CD 18 or 19.  The sperm from CD 16 would very likely still be around at that point.  So that's a possibility as well.

If you O'd on CD 15-16 you would be 6-7 DPO and if you O'd around CD 18-19 you would be 3-4 DPO at this point.  I would recommend waiting to test for another week putting you around 10-13 DPO when a lot of women get accurate results.   Good luck and keep us posted!

[APToddlerMama]

I had implantation spotting at 4dpo that lasted for 5 or 6 days.  I have heard of it happening that early a few times, but I don't think it is very common. 

[Jaimee]

I would say in those cases of "early" implantation bleeding that O was not actually on the day of the exact temp spike.  Since there is a window of possible ovulation around the temp spike it's more likely that the egg was actually released a day or two earlier than the rise in temp when bleeding occurs around 4 or 5 DPO.

Since the OP doesn't temp we don't know when the temp spike was and have to guess at the O day based on CF observations, bleeding and cramping.  But it's all a moot point for the OP because if O occurred any earlier than CD 15 then DTD on CD 16 would not result in a possible pregnancy and therefore the bleeding could not at all be implantation.  Unless, of course, there was another day you DTD unprotected that you didn't mention?

[APToddlerMama]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I would say in those cases of "early" implantation bleeding that O was not actually on the day of the exact temp spike.  Since there is a window of possible ovulation around the temp spike it's more likely that the egg was actually released a day or two earlier than the rise in temp when bleeding occurs around 4 or 5 DPO.

Since the OP doesn't temp we don't know when the temp spike was and have to guess at the O day based on CF observations, bleeding and cramping.  But it's all a moot point for the OP because if O occurred any earlier than CD 15 then DTD on CD 16 would not result in a possible pregnancy and therefore the bleeding could not at all be implantation.  Unless, of course, there was another day you DTD unprotected that you didn't mention?

For me, I am absolutely certain that I started implantation bleeding at 4DPO (or earlier).  We only DTD once that entire month...  Otherwise I would have thought my dates were off but I am certain because DH was traveling the rest of the month for work so it was a one shot thing. 

[Jaimee]

Well, I certainly do not profess to know for certain what happened in your body!  Or the OP's!     But I'm just saying that you don't conceive the day you DTD, you conceive the day you O.  So you could DTD and several days later O or you could O and DTD the next day in order to conceive.  So I'm assuming what happened with you, APToddlerMama, is that you DTD and 4 days later had spotting?  So you could have O'd the day or so around when you spotted and had ovulation spotting instead of implantation spotting.  Four days different would just be the margin of error on an dating u/s.  Alternatively you could have O'd before you DTD putting the spotting at more like 5 DPO.  Either way, I'm certainly no reproductive expert to know whether it is even humanly possible to have implantation prior to 6 days.  And I imagine there could always be an exception to every biological rule! 

But to the OP, I stand by saying that it is unlikely to not only experience implantation spotting (which isn't that common) AND be a biological exception!  But this debate doesn't really decrease your chances of being pregnant so I very much look forward to hearing what happens in about a week!!  Keep us posted! 

[APToddlerMama]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Well, I certainly do not profess to know for certain what happened in your body!  Or the OP's!     But I'm just saying that you don't conceive the day you DTD, you conceive the day you O.  So you could DTD and several days later O or you could O and DTD the next day in order to conceive.  So I'm assuming what happened with you, APToddlerMama, is that you DTD and 4 days later had spotting?  So you could have O'd the day or so around when you spotted and had ovulation spotting instead of implantation spotting.  Four days different would just be the margin of error on an dating u/s.  Alternatively you could have O'd before you DTD putting the spotting at more like 5 DPO.  Either way, I'm certainly no reproductive expert to know whether it is even humanly possible to have implantation prior to 6 days.  And I imagine there could always be an exception to every biological rule! 

But to the OP, I stand by saying that it is unlikely to not only experience implantation spotting (which isn't that common) AND be a biological exception!  But this debate doesn't really decrease your chances of being pregnant so I very much look forward to hearing what happens in about a week!!  Keep us posted! 

I'm not trying to debate...just saying I'm certain the spotting started at 4 DPO...maybe three even or two (unlikely).  I was also doing OPKs and temping and I actually am fairly certain I o'd the day after or two days after DTD. Also had a BFP 9 days after DTD so that helps narrow my dates a little too.   I will never know for sure if it was 4dpo or a day off...all I know is I have never had ovulation spotting and certainly not period like for six days, but it was way too early/late to be anything other than implantation.  OP--I hope you get the outcome you're hoping for :).