Mid-Cycle bleeding 9mos PP

[lightheartedmom]

I'm not sure this is the right place to post so mods, if it needs to be moved go ahead.

Cliff notes: I have 3 kids and have also had 2 (possibly a third really early) MC's - between babies 2 and 3. I had recurrent ovarian cysts following the first miscarriage (at 12 weeks) in 2010. Haven't had a noticeable problem with cysts since then.
My cycles have ALWAYS been long, about 35 days. Typically my period is a 6-7 day affair with heavy bleeding early on and bad cramping. Also really horrible PMS in the weeks leading up. Those markers only strengthened following each child (as in, more severe PMS, heavier periods and cramping, etc).
My baby (#3) is 9 months old. AF returned with some regularity (38-42 days) at about 5 mos PP. I typically have all the symptoms of ovulation (ewcm, one-sided pinching/twinges, etc) around CD22. Baby is still nearly EBF, with only a very little bit of solids.
So that's that.

I had a normal period at the end of December, 22 days later, mid January, I started to experience what I thought was another period. I spotted bright red for 3-4days. More than I would expect for ovulation spotting, but not quite enough to count as a normal period. I took a pregnancy test, it was negative. I just chalked it up to some funky ovulation bleeding. Exactly 14 days from the start of that spotting, I started bleeding again - like a period. Except this period was the lightest I have EVER experienced. It lasted 5 days and 4 of those days it was pretty much just spotting. Again, negative pregnancy test (we are not TTC and would prefer to avoid for now, just ftr).

Moving right along, CD22 of the new cycle was yesterday. I started the morning with ewcm, by afternoon I saw a streak or two of blood in it, by evening I was spotting a significant amount of dark red blood. Today, I am bleeding and cramping like a period.

And naturally my midwife's office is closed today so, here I am. I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for the last 7 1/2 years straight and nothing like this has ever happened. Aside from the annoyance of bleeding every two weeks for almost two months, I am concerned that this might be a symptom of something else...like PCOS.

[BaileyB]

Do you have any spotting in the days before your period fully starts? I had some mid cycle bleeding, full bleeding and not spotting, before getting pregnant with this baby and I think I read that if you have low progesterone it can cause mid cycle bleeding. I also had an early m/c which lead me to believe it was a progesterone issue for me. Another sign of low progesterone is spotting leading up to your period. All this could be from baby nursing a lot, that can cause low progesterone. If you have a really good milk supply you can try Vitex Angus Castes (Chaste Tree or Chaste Berry it is called, too) I took it when I started getting fed up with the midcycle bleeding and it stopped it completely within 24 hours. I took it in tincture form at the recommended dose on the bottle. I used Herb Pharm Brand. There are a lot of threads about Vitex on MDC and the info about when to start and how to take it is a little mixed but I started it on maybe day 2 of heavy midcycle bleeding and it stopped it completely. I continued to take it everyday and I think it caused a reboot of my cycle because I didn't have a period for 40 some days or more but when my cycle came back it was lighter and had no midcycle bleeding.

Sorry, that was probably way more than you wanted to know!

Oh, also, I read somewhere that if you do have PCOS that taking Vitex can shrink any cysts but I don't have any personal info on that. Obviously seeing your midwife would be a good idea for this issue also. Good luck!!!!