I need some help :(

[Momtotherue]

Okay, so because my 1 year old is still nursing frequently at night I really can't chart except to check CM and cervical height. Before I had her I was diagnosed with PCOS. I am still nursing, but have had 4 months of regular AF anywhere from 22 to 28 day cycles. I have had some spotting now and then, especially the first couple months AF came back. Last AF was Nov 2 and I was expecting it Wednesday the 30th. I did have some spotting I almost missed because it was just enough to tinge the creamy cm pink/red on the toilet paper and this happened on the 28 and 29. From Wednesday the 30th until today the 2nd I've had clear/white cm. I keep feeling like AF is coming, with heavy bloating and cramps. I have flow of CM that feels like the start of AF but it's just CM. I have been REALLY hormonal, wanting to cry, and my boobs have been really sensitive off and on the past couple of days. There are moments when I'm nursing dd where I want to claw my skin off and unlatch her and run away because it is so uncomfortable. I'm even having fantasies of weaning, even though I am a LC and believe in CLW! All HPTs have been negative so far. I am going on Monday for a blood test, but do you think there is a chance I could be preg or does it sound like a messed up leutile phase from my hormones being off?

[Jaimee]

Well, I'd say one of two things is going on here. 

First, and the more likely of the two, is that you're experiencing breakthrough bleeding with a long cycle or spotting just prior to AF (though the latter is less likely if the spotting has now stopped and no AF in sight).  Since you have a history of PCOS or at least PCOS symptoms, it does not surprise me that you would have irregular cycles with random spotting.  Plus you are breastfeeding and have only had AF back for 4 months.  About 2/3 of women will ovulate prior to their first ppAF, but only half of those (so 1/3 of women total) will have a long enough luteal phase to sustain a pregnancy.  It can take months to fully regulate.  After my first child it took 16 months of periods before my cycle became consistently fertile again.  So your PCOS or the breastfeeding or both could be affecting your cycle length and LP length and causing spotting.  Without temping you can't know for sure that you are ovulating to know whether the bleeding you've been experiencing is true menstruation or just breakthrough bleeding.  And you don't know how long your LP is to know whether your body is capable of sustaining a pregnancy at this point.

Second, you are pregnant and experienced spotting around the time of AF due to hormonal fluctuations.  While I acknowledge there is a slim chance that you had implantation spotting, really this is not very common, and it is more likely that hormones are the cause.  If this is spotting around the time of expected AF it is pretty likely that you would get accurate results on an HPT.  However, if your LP is pretty short (let's say 10 days) then you might have to wait 2-4 days past the beginning of the spotting to accurate results.  That would be right about now, right?  What tests have you used?  Some are more sensitive than others.  If it was the elusive implantation spotting, then you might assume it was happening around 8-10 DPO and you might have to wait 2-6 days past the beginning of the spotting to get accurate results.  And then some embryos simply produce lower levels of hCG at the beginning, slightly later implantation means slightly later BFP's, and some women simply take longer to metabolize hCG into their urine.  Did it take longer to get a BFP with your first by any chance?

Your other symptoms certainly could be pregnancy symptoms.  I was still nursing both times I got pregnant after my first and nursing was excruciating.  But unfortunately many of the hormones involved with pregnancy are also involved with ovulation and menstruation so they can cause similar symptoms.  I look forward to hearing the results of your blood test!

You'll know soon and if it turns out that you're not pregnant, I want to say that despite frequent night waking/nursing with both my kids, I always managed to get a biphasic pattern by focusing on consistent temping TIME and not worrying about blocks of sleep.  My temps are definitely more erratic, but the pattern is still there and most importantly I can discern when I O'd and how long my LP is.  So I really do recommend temping if you're not already pregnant, that is!

Good luck!

[Momtotherue]

I used FirstResponse and tested this morning and it was negative. When I was pregnant with DD I had a urine test at the doctors office the day after AF was due and it was negative. I didn't start feeling symptoms like frequent urination and exhaustion until about a week later and it dawned on me to take a hpt the next week, so I was 6wks pregnant when I got a positive with a first response test. Low HGC levels do run in my family though, as my mom had a blood test at 4mo pregnant and was told it was borderline and they weren't sure if she was pregnant.
If I'm not pregnant I wish I'd just hurry up and bleed :( I feel terrible with lots of cramping and headaches and nausea. If I were to start charting, when should I start? When AF comes?

Thank you so much for the insight!

[Momtotherue]

Oh, and btw, your due date is my dd's birthday :D

[Jaimee]

Well, with that information, then I think you could very well be on your way to a BFP!  Be sure to ask for a quant hCG and not a qual at your appointment.  If you number is above 5 then it is very likely that you are pregnant even if your doctor's cutoff is higher, which is not uncommon. 

If AF does show, start temping the next day and count the first day of full red flow as CD 1.  If it appears that you just experienced breakthrough bleeding (b/c you're not pregnant and AF still hasn't shown up) then just start temping now and wait for that next patch of fertile CF to really watch out for a temp spike.  In this case, CD 1 remains the first day of your last period-like bleed.