[HeatherB]

I'm so confused.

I don't temp but track other signs, and have been trying OPKs. On CD12, I had what looked to be EWCM, but that's early for me to O. I marked it down, but wasn't sure if that was just residual from BDing (though it seemed to pass the EWCM tests). Then, I had my first +OPK ever on CD17, and while I didn't have the obvious EWCM, checking internally I did find nice, stretchy CM.

My LP since getting PPAF has been around 14-17 days. Granted, it has been shortening sometimes by a day or two per cycle, but FF still projects a full 34 day cycle. So I have had a variety of symptoms that seemed to coincide with possibly being pg, but I was shocked to find today that I was spotting. I thought maybe it was some sort of implantation bleeding, but it's continued. Not full on AF yet, but it sure seems like she's trying.

Still, we're 7 days ahead of when AF is due! What could cause such a dramatic shortening of LP? Could the C25K training I've started make a difference like that? Or is the OPK wrong and I really O'd 5 days ahead of it?

Or is this not really AF and there's still a chance at BFP?

Now I find myself wishing for an AF test strip!

Is this really it, or what?!

 

[BelovedK]

Is it heavy and like a normal af? I would take a HPT just in case (but then again, I love POAS)

My LP varies

I know it is not supposed to, but mine does as confirmed by temps so I sometimes have a really short one. It seems that the earlier I O the longer my LP, when I O later af comes early.

 

[rcr]

Mine is almost always 12-13 days. One month that I was traveling a lot (two work trips across the country), I got AF on day 9. I think it was due to the stress of traveling (even though traveling really does not feel too stressful to me because I do it all the time). My LP bounced back to 12-13 days in the next cycle.

I wouldn't worry about one short LP.

 

[HeatherB]

No, it hasn't gotten as heavy as a regular AF. It's so weird! The timing, the substance, all of it. There's been some bright red, but not heavy. And now it's mostly brownish. (You knew this would all be TMI, right?

) I usually use the Keeper, but opted for a cloth pad last night so I could observe better. Nothing on the pad! And not all that much to wipe when I got up.

So, yeah, there's some tiny glimmer of hope still that maybe it's not *really* AF - but it's certainly the strangest thing I've had happen in my cycle in a LONG time!

I did start C25K the week that I O'd (started Monday, +OPK Friday, probably O'd Saturday), and then started prenatal vites (Rainbow Light one-a-day) that weekend. I don't remember the vitamins every day, and do double up on them because a specialist told me ages ago that my body won't synthesize nutrients as well as it should. (He recommended always taking the super most potent vitamins, and two of them.) I don't know if either of those things could do it? I've also gone back to being more careful about diet, but nothing dramatic. In fact, haven't been all that great about it, really.

I just wish I knew for sure what was going on, one way or another. And I'm bummed, even though we weren't really TTC. Sigh.

ETA: Now it looks like she's really here. Ugh. Oh, well. I'm just still confused as to WHY she'd show up so early - and so uninvited!

 

[Frisbee]

I'm no doctor or nutritionist, so take this with a grain of salt, but you might want to be careful about doubling up the vitamins, especially if there is a chance you might be pregnant. Some vitamins can be harmful in high doses. You might want to get some advice on vitamin intake specific to TTC.

 

[rachwms]

The exact same thing has started to happen to me today. I am at least a week early.....same everything else. BUT.....it really feels like AF, cramps bloating, the whole bit so I think it is AF.

 

[stellamia]

Is it possible that you weren't O'ing when you thought you were and your LP hasn't actually been as long as you thought? For instance, if you hadn't been using OPK's this month, would you have marked O as CD 12? But since you took OPK's you realized that you O'd on CD 17. Could this be normal for your cycle but you weren't aware of it until now? I know that still doesn't explain such a short LP, but it would mean that your LP has possibly been shorter than you thought.

I would keep using the OPK's and see what your next cycle is like. My first PP cycle had a 6 day LP (AF coming full force on the 7th day) the first month so I started on natural progesterone cream and it extended to 9 days then the third cycle I got my BFP so I'm guessing my LP would have been 10+ days!

It can be so frustrating and difficult to figure out your cycle PP! I really hope it all evens out and you get your BFP!

 

[HeatherB]

Frisbee, I'm definitely going to be asking my midwife about that. Thanks!

rachwms, glad I'm not the only one! It's kinda nuts, isn't it?

stellamia, it certainly is possible, but still really strange. I haven't had ANY opks anything close to positive, until the one on the cd17. I typically see EWCM around cd17/18, so that made sense, but I was definitely surprised to see a really dark OPK. But, on cd12, I did see what looked like EWCM. It was, though, just a couple of days after BDing, but still seemed to pass all of the EWCM tests and was pretty much what I'm used to.

So I'm really confused! If I did O on cd12, then my LP isn't that short. But, then why did I have a positive OPK at cd17?!

I am trying to find my BBT thermometer so I can temp and have a better idea of what's going on.

 

[rachwms]

OPKs are always weird for me. I have once gotten a + two days before AF came. I never ever trust them.

 

[lovestolearn]

I don't know how old you are, but if you are over 30, it's possible you may be experiencing some estrogen dominance, which would account for the EWCM and the funny spotting, etc. I've had similar bleeding and once I started on Progesterone cream after O, it has settled down.

 

[HeatherB]

I just turned 29. I will need to look into estrogen dominance as I've heard it mentioned in other circles, as well, but now I can't place what I know about it.

 

[Tara2]

Heather- just a side note, but I also just started the C25k program. For me it's the second time... Started last July, moved to Thailand in the middle, ran spotty there for 3 months but never finished the program. Returned to US and sat on my butt for 3 months. Just started it over last week! So if you want a running buddy just let me know. I was just bumming cause havent' found a c25k group online (was in one last summer but it stopped going... kinda like me!).