Confusing Symptoms (Is it possible?)

[kellyami]

Not TTC, but wouldn't mind if it happens. I have been on BC for 2 years now and have had no issues until June. My last period was on May 27 (give or take one day) and lasted until June 2. Boyfriend and I had sex without a condom on June 3rd.

June 4th I had light cramps and clear goo (early ovulation?). From June 5th-June 15th I had light cramps and brown/light pink spotting. I don't know much about TTC so I don't know if this would be at all signs of possible implantation, or if that is too early for symptoms.

June 15-19 I had a light "period". Tested for pregnancy on July 9th and it was negative. July 12-14 (now) I have had very dark, clotted bleeding, but it is light for my normal period.

I asked my doctor about my unusual bleeding and he just dismissed it. Does this sound like possible pregnancy signs or just very off periods? For 2 years I have always had severe cramping two days before my period, then a 7 day bleeding cycle, and then nothing. Repeat 21 days later.

Input?

(As a quick note: If this sounds stupid to you, please don't reply. I really don't know much about ovulation or implantation bleeding, and my doctor has not been helpful with my questions. He did suggest I may have had an early pregnancy miscarriage the first two weeks I had the spotting though)

[Brisen]

I'm not an expert either, but I would lean toward early miscarriage.  

I hope you get it figured out; it's difficult not knowing what is going on.

[RenoKirbyButtrs]

Did your last period begin on May 27 or end on May 27? If it was a seven-day period and ended on the 27th, then June 4 would have been cycle day 17, otherwise it would be cycle day 10, either of which could be in the window of possible ovulation days. Though the "clear goo" can happen for a couple of days before ovulation, so it might be that day or a day or two after. If spotting was the 15th...hmm. It's tempting to speculate, but the truth is I'm no expert either. I think early miscarriage is possible but I don't know if it's the likeliest explanation.

Have you been on BC pills throughout these symptoms? I ask because I was on the pill for 4-5 years and would sometimes get bleeding a bit like what you're describing. Often it happened when I goofed up my pills, like if I missed a day or two and had to start a new pack. Has anything like that happened?

I hope you get some more definitive answers soon, it is very frustrating to not know. 

[Jaimee]

Welcome to MDC!! 

Are you on the pill now?  Did you miss some pills or take them at drastically different times of day? 

Let's break this down a bit...

CD 1 May 27th

CD 8 unprotected sex (but you're on the BCP?)

CD 9 EW CF and cramping

CD 10-20 light cramps and brown/pink spotting

CD 20-24 light period

CD 28 expected AF

CD 44 HPT-

CD 47-49 dark, clotted bleeding, light flow

This is definitely confusing if you're on the pill and taking them correctly.   Occasionally you can get hormonal breakthrough bleeding on the pill, which would happen around mid-cycle and could cause an abnormal period for that cycle.  Usually this happens if you need to switch pill types b/c the hormone levels are not working for your body. 

If you're not on the pill now or you took them incorrectly then I would say that your body was gearing up to ovulate around CD 9 with the eggwhite CF and it could have happened a few days later.  Though spotting for TEN days is not common anyway you look at it- ovulation spotting, breakthrough spotting, implantation spotting...  Then you got what appeared to be AF at the end of the ten days, but it was 8 days too early.

Okay so let's say you ovulated a good 5 days after DTD (which is generally the lifespan of sperm in fertile CF) that would put O on CD 14 (as might be expected when you're regulated by the pill).  That would make you 6 days past O (DPO) when you got the light period, which is possible for implantation spotting.  That would make you 20 DPO when you tested, which should give you an accurate result unless the pregnancy was not viable and your hCG levels were already decreasing below the sensitivity of the test.  Considering that you started bleeding just a few days later, that is possible.  What we will never be able to know is if you would have gotten a positive test if you had tested earlier, confirming an early miscarriage.  If you were pregnant you were about 4 weeks when you m/c.

Alternatively if we consider your light bleeding to be AF then...

CD 1 June 15th

CD 24 HPT-

CD 27 dark, clotted bleeding, light flow

This could line up with your next cycle as it is 27 days long.  I am more inclined to guess that your hormones are unbalanced, causing random bleeding and cramping than I would be to guess you had an early m/c.  But we can't know!  What I will say is that if you want to be protected by the pill it sounds like you'll need to switch brands or be more careful with how you take them.  If you'd like to get off the pill and work toward TTC then I would highly recommend reading a book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility.  It's packed full of amazing information about the female body and our cycles.  I learned so much when I read it and wondered why it wasn't "required" reading for every woman!    It will teach you how to chart, which will allow you to know when you're fertile, when you ovulate, how long your luteal phase is, when to expect AF, if you're pregnant, and if there is anything of concern about your cycle.  If you decide you'd like to try charting, you can log your data at a free site like www.fertilityfriend.com so that you can share you charts on forums like this so we can give you advice, tips, and help you decipher anything that's confusing.  It's such a powerful and empowering tool whether you just want to learn more about your body, address health issues, avoid pregnancy, or achieve pregnancy.

Good luck!

[kellyami]

So sorry for replying so late! 

Thank you for the replies.

My period begun May 27th. I was on BC pills for 2 years straight, same time every single day, never missed a single pill. That's why I just don't understand why I would suddenly have breakthrough ovulation, or random hormone fluctuation, or any of that. Since being on BC, I could nearly time my period by the minute of the day it would start!

It sucks never knowing for certain what happened, but I've decided not to take BC anymore. Instead we will just use a condom and take other natural birth control methods into consideration, such as making a BBT chart.

Thanks for the replies.