AF late due to natural progesterone cream ~ how can I get AF started asap / I can't be pregnant,...

[aprilshower]

Here is my chart: 

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/36398b 

Yesterday was 17 dpo for me.  After waking in the AM, I wiped bright red and was super happy that AF was finally coming.  (I am TTC but am wanting to move on to new cycle since I have BFN).  Sadly, the bleeding never progressed except for possibly wiping a *tiny* bit of light red later in the day (because I was really trying to find some red). 

My LP is never longer than 15 days.  I think this cycle is lengthened due to using natural progesterone cream...  I've had all BFN when testing including yesterday at 17dpo with a FRER with FMU.  So that means I'm not pregnant right?  I really don't feel pregnant.  I may have been having somewhat frequent urination - more Sunday than Monday though.  (probably due to npc?)  I'm not waking up more than usual at night to urinate. 

I last used NPC at 16dpo.  During the night after 16dpo/before 17dpo, I was feeling a lot of AF type of crampy feeling. 

I am urgent for AF to start due to my DH's travel schedule and how it may interfere with TTC if I don't hurry up and get AF today or Wed :( 

Any thoughts about what I can do to get AF to hurry up and start right now? 

Or am I pregnant and that wiping bright red was something else?

Thanks so much :)  Julie  <sorry for this weird format ~ don't know what happened...>

[lilacvioletiris]

This may be a TMI question, but since it was "bright red blood" could you have irritated a hemorrhoid?  Those can bleed bright red blood, but then not bleed for awhile and then come back again (after a significant bowel movement, etc).

[Jaimee]

April, are you bleeding today?  Or was that red spotting all you had?  If the latter, you may not have ovulated when you think you did.  I noticed that you stopped taking CF observations after FF gave you crosshairs.  It is possible that you had some errant high temps after OPK+ , but didn't actually O (since as I'm sure you know, OPK's do not guarantee O).  CD 16 may be an errant low temp or it could be your O day.  Do you recall any fertile CF around that time?  If you did in fact O then instead of CD 12 (which is quite early, though not impossible) then you would only be 13 DPO today and while most women get accurate results around 12-14 DPO, you might need another day or so for the hCG to build up.

Also, your temps are very high.  Your pre-O temps are in the range of most women's LP temps and your LP temps are in the fever range.  Are they always like that?  Or is this something new since starting the NPC?  Do you have any other symptoms of hyperthyroidism?

[aprilshower]

Thanks Jaimee and Lilac -

Updating to happily say that AF came today!  Normally not happy about that, but this time is good of course :)

I was also thinking that the wiping red looked like maybe ovulation or implantation spotting...  But, I do always ovulate on cd 12 - and now with AF I'm pretty sure all is well.

I know what you mean about the high temps.  Thanks for mentioning that.  I've noticed too.  They have gotten higher with taking npc.  Maybe npc boosts thyroid function?  I do have diagnosed hypothyroidism and take Naturethroid.  My dose has been reduced quite a bit as of a couple days ago, due to the high temps.  Possibly the high temps are preventing conception?  Does that happen?  What do you think my goal avg temp should be in follicular vs. luteal? 

Thanks so much!

[Jaimee]

Just keep in mind that ovulation spotting and implantation spotting are not at all common, despite how often those terms are thrown around on forums like these!  Ovulation spotting is one of those things that can happen to a woman random and then rarely if ever again.  But implantation spotting is much more often just hormonal spotting/light bleeding either due to pregnancy (around the time of expected AF) or non-pregnancy related fluctuations.

But I'm glad to hear that AF has officially found you so that you can start a new cycle.  As for your temps, I really have no experience or information to share about how high is too high for conception.  All I know is that usually follicular temps are in the high 96's to mid-97's and LP temps are generally in the high 97's to mid-98's.  Of course women fall outside either end of these norms and some have very, very slight temp shifts and can all be perfectly normal. 

But I also know that thyroid issues can interfere with TTC.  Keeping your temps in check is a way to keep your thyroid hormones in check.  But if you're supplementing with NPC on top of that it may be difficult to tell what is caused by your meds and what is caused by the cream.  What does your doctor have to say about taking both these things of was it his/her idea?  Are you attempting to alleviate your hypothyroid symptoms with the NPC and wean off your normal thyroid meds?  My understanding is that while NPC can help counteract estrogen dominance, the latter is not the same as hypothyroidism.  Please fill me in if I am incorrect!  Thanks!

[aprilshower]

Thanks Jaimee -

When I was TTC my #3, my cover line was 98.0 or a bit higher.  I think that sounds more in line with what it should be?  I am still taking just 1/4 grain more Naturethroid now than I was at that time, so maybe I need to go down a bit more...  My recent decrease was just a couple days ago, so it may take a little while for that to show up. 

I'm taking NPC because I seem to have low progesterone post-ovulation and probably lost pregnancies due to that when I was TTC my #3.  I conceived my #3 the first cycle I used NPC. 

I'm pretty sure that my doc does not know much about NPC affecting thyroid.  It is just me that thinks it might, as it seems to have done so.  I am not trying to wean off Naturethroid, as I know I just can't/shouldn't.

Thanks so much :)

[Jaimee]

Interesting!  Well, the pre-AF spotting is often a sign of low progesterone, but your LP is quite long that I don't think it should affect your chances at sustaining a pregnancy at this point.  I really have no advice as to how to adjust your dosage.  How do you feel with temps this high?  Can you tell?

[aprilshower]

Thanks Jaimee -

I really have no typical hyperthyroid symptoms, which may be kind of odd.  The only thing I have noticed with decreasing my Naturethroid is that my body feels cooler.  I am feeling like I need more covers at night and that our AC is too cold.  Even so, my cd 1 temp today was 98.4. 

[Jaimee]

It's not uncommon to have higher temps during AF.  But it's interesting that you can feel cooler... I would have thought so as I know I can feel it when I even have a mild fever- in the 99's.