Light periods after stopping pill

@Maisy24 don't worry it'd also get noticed if I wasn't drinking much either 😂!!!
Tbh I think DH is so laid back he's oblivious to pretty much anything I'm trying to do and he just goes with the flow... He's defo not complaining 😂!!! This is probably why we matched so well in the first place (we level each other out lol).
I'm so glad I've got someone in the same boat as me too!!! Everybody asks me "are you trying" and I'm so confused about what to answer because obviously I want a baby but there isn't any particular rush for us it's just more the fact that it hasn't happened yet and I'm think "well why hasn't it happened?".
I'm glad yous are on the same page though and he at least knows what a smiley is lol 😂❤️

@Hope365 I know it's so hard to keep up; I don't think this Mumsnet app is easy to use! Yeah I know what you mean, I'm 11dpo on Friday before I go so I'm tempted to do a test if I don't feel like I'm going to come on by then or have any symptoms!

It will definitely go noticed if I don't drink a lot, I'm always the party animal 🤣 and no one knows we are trying as I didn't want all the questions.

@JennaRMD we're the exact same, if I knew I could conceive I'd probably wait a year or so as I want some more holidays just me and DH and also don't even think I'm ready 🤣 I just worry now because it's not happened. Your DH has the best attitude! I need some of his attitude.

I also used to pretend that I was just in the mood over ovulation, but it's was very obvious because previous to ttc id never initiate anything 🤣 so he was well onto me. Were at the point now where he just says "did you get a smiley" and he knows what to do!
Xxxxxx

No idea why there is a bottle emoji in that message! 😂 it was supposed to be a smiley x

Oo hard to keep up with all the messages (but loving having a group to share with)!

@Maisy24 I totally get your worries about your weekend away - I always get a bit anxious when social events happen to fall during the TWW. But @JennaRMD is right that we still need to live life and enjoy ourselves... Do your friends know that you are TTC? And are they the kind of friends who would expect you to drink loads or could you get away with just not drinking that much and it going unnoticed? I tend to have a drink or two but 'discreetly' not drink very much (like drinking really slowly to keep the same drink for a long time)!

@JennaRMD that OPK looks positive to me too, though I'm no expert as I usually get the digital ones which tell me if it's positive or not. I find they work pretty well, but they are more expensive... Hang on in there - you haven't been trying for long and it can take time even for perfectly healthy fertile couples, so hopefully it will happen for you soon!

@ForeverHopeful67 if you're worried you're not ovulating (based on OPKs) you should definitely ask your GP for a day 21 (or whenever you are 7DPO) progesterone test, whilst you wait for your referral. I'm surprised they haven't done this already as it was part of the mandatory testing at my GP in order to get the referral! (Funny how all doctors are completely different...) Would save you time down the line as I imagine it's the first test the fertility clinic would do once you get referred xxx

@Maisy24 I came off the pill at 27 (5 months before I was 28) and thought for sure I'd be pregnant by Xmas. I suppose it's not Xmas yet so will just have to try again this month and see what happens in the new year. As I said before it's not that we are desperate right this second for children but I hate the idea of trying for 3-4 years and becoming that way. I'm quite glad I came off a little earlier tho as it clearly isn't as easy as it's made out to be. My DH is very chilled and laid back (complete opposite from me lol) and nothing is a rush for him it's always "it'll happen when it happens" wish I was more like that. I try not to even tell him when I'm ovulating and just try to pretend I'm feeling extra excited every 2nd week of the month 😂 (no idea how he hasn't clicked yet) just don't want to put pressure on him as well, that's the last thing we need 🤦.
As for your weekend away, you still have to live and enjoy life, if you want to drink then have a few and enjoy yourself, don't have to go overboard but try to have a good time with your friends. That would be my advice anyway, sometimes that's all you need x

@JennaRMD 6 months is no time at all. Try and stay positive, it will happen it's just a case of timing!

You are not alone on the DTD problem, conception sex is the absolute worst, I hate the scheduling of it! We were also never like that, and the reason I didn't track anything for 6 months because I wanted it to just happen without trying. I know what you mean about feeling like you've missed your chance if you don't do it.

My DH doesn't have the highest drive so there's no way we could do every other day, if he could then I'd do that as it saves tracking anything and you know you'd always have done it around ovulation.

I'm 31 in December and my husband will be 33 in December, you are definitely still young, but as you say it does feel like times flying by! I was 29 when I came off my pill.

Fingers crossed we get out BFP this month , I'm 3 dpo currently

@ForeverHopeful67 I bought a temp kit for this month but I think I'm going to try and take a step back this month and try not to obsess about every little thing and just have lots of sex 😂. I'm still going to track my ovulation but that's just because I can't help myself when I know I still have tests lying around. They are just from Amazon but I've read that it's only positive if the linea are pretty much identical and even of one is slightly lighter it's classed as a negative (unlike a pregnancy test). This is the first time I've had one like this (last month) so don't know if that's me just starting to ovulate properly now and maybe last month we were just unlucky.
What app do you use to tell you if they are positive or not?

@Maisy24 no I haven't had the specific day blood tests yet just a general blood tests I guess to check everything looked ok! eeeek will keep everything crossed for you and support as much as possible during the TWW  fingers crossed this is your month!

@Hope365 what a lovely early Christmas present for you! Can't wait to hear all about it!

@JennaRMD
That definitely looks like a positive OPK to me! Do you temp as well or not? I find the type of ovulation tests you buy can completely vary what a positive result looks like! I used to always buy the cheap eBay ones but could never decide if they were positive or not so now I spend a bit more and use an app to tell me if it's positive - takes the guess work out haha xx

@Maisy24 not overly long tbh, been off the pill for just under 6 months and properly TTC for the last 2 months (i.e. Ovulation tests etc). I feel this whole tracking thing is making DTD like a bloody organised event and we have never ever been like that. We are a very spontaneous couple and I feel like it's starting to put a dampener on us just "being together". Our lives are so busy between work and training etc and sometimes it's difficult to even find the time to enjoy each other, now when we do I feel like we have missed a chance or failed whenever we don't conceive and I never wanted it to be like that. I know it is still earlyish for us but just worry that it will never happen (kind of thought it would have happened naturally quite quickly, hence why we have started trying so early on) sigh. Last month we done everything right and still nothing. I wish I could just stop thinking about it but now I know how my body is working and when, I find it hard to be as spontaneous as we were previously 😣. Are you and your OH of similar age or? I feel like I am running out of time but my doctor assures me 27&28 is still young lol.

@JennaRMD thanks so much! That definitely looks positive to me. As long as you are dtd at least once in the 4 days prior to it then you are in with a chance. However it is a chance, the statistics say there's a 25% chance on a normal cycle for a completely fertile and healthy couple. Don't be disheartened and keep trying, I'm on cycle 15 and since January I've dtd around ovulation every time and still nothing! It's a game of chance!

How long have you been ttc?

So glad that everyone is heading in the right direction with appointments and tests etc! I'm still trying to not think about it all too much but of course you know it isn't as easy as that 😅.
@Maisy24 wishing you the best of luck this month, fingers crossed for you!

I wondered if any of you ladies could offer a second opinion on the below OPK test that I took last month. I was certain that it was positive as both lines look the same to me (and I know if one is lighter then it is a negative) but DTD either side of it and still didn't conceive this month. Am I reading it wrong?

@Hope365 thank you! Yeah I've been taking vitamin E, coq10 and been going gym so hoping it's all helped! I'm sure we are ttc twins! I also ovulated this time on cd20 so provable a 33-34 day cycle for me!

Annoyingly I'm going away with friends for a long weekend next Friday which will be 11dpo, it's such bad timing as I don't know if to drink or not! What would you do?

@Maisy24 massive good luck for the TWW! You mentioned in a post you were trying vitamin E - is this your first cycle trying it? Fingers crossed it works some magic for you! Keep us posted on how you get on xxx
I'm on CD13 and waiting to ovulate - doesn't usually happen for me until CD19/20 so still a little while to go...

@Hope365 that's amazing!!! So happy your appointment has been moved forward! Now you can get a plan together before Xmas 😃 keep us all posted on the appointment.

@ForeverHopeful67 they should definitely do a day 3-5 test and a day 21 test for progesterone, this will tell you if you've ovulated.

I'm 3dpo today. Send me lots of luck ladies we've really done everything we can this month! Xxxxx

@ForeverHopeful67 I've been off the pill since May 2018 and TTC since September 2018. I actually got a call from the clinic yesterday - there was a cancellation so my appointment has been brought forward to 10th December!! So so happy about this! It's the first time I will be seeing a hormone specialist - really hoping I will finally get some answers about my thin lining and non-existent periods... and hopefully a treatment plan too! 🤞 I will keep you all posted on what I find out.
You say your blood tests all came back fine but you know you're not ovulating based on OPKs - did they not do a day 21 progesterone test to confirm ovulation? Yes vitex does sound like it might be worth a go, think I might ask about it at my appointment!
Xxx

Hi @Hope365 how long have you been off the pill for? It's so frustrating when doctors say contraception isn't going to affect you and then it does to so many people!! Really hope you can get your appointment brought forward from Feb - goodluck!
I've had all my bloods and interns scans etc and all looks fine, although I know I'm definitely not ovulating after doing OPK's.
I was hesitant with taking the tablets too after everything but I just thought I've waited over a year now and still nothing so what have I got to lose! And they're only a vitamin that's sold at Holland and Barratt, which is a really low dose, 45mg or something I think! So could be worth a try for you 

@JennaRMD I agree sometimes the obsessing and worrying over everything can make things worse and I hear it's happened for a few people when they start " not trying " so fingers crossed for you xx

A few of my friends who were on injection etc said they took approx 1year to fall (either side of a year anyway for 2 of them) the other fell within 6 weeks 😂. I really just think for me, it's best to play it by ear until the 1year mark and hopefully it sorts itself out. If not I'll obviously look back into it but I really think the whole obsessing thing is probably not helping me atm. It's just difficult to feel ok when it's constantly in the back of your mind but we have time ❤️

Hi ladies, great to be able to talk with you all about this! Totally agree with the frustrations of having been so carefull all these years only to find it's bloody impossible to get pregnant once you come off the pills! It sounds like lots of you haven't been off for very long though, so fingers crossed it is just a case of waiting a little longer for your bodies to regulate. In my case it's been a long time and my periods are still just as light (and all brown like some of you mentioned), and the doctors at the fertility clinic have confirmed that I have thin lining... Apparently it can be a rare side effect of being on the pill for a long time - this really frustrates me as I always used to ask the doctors when I would renew my pill prescription whether they were sure it would have no adverse effects on my fertility, and they always dismissed the question and said no. But here i am... Anyway, onwards and upwards! I've got an endocrinologist appointment in Feb that I'm trying to get pushed forward, so hopefully I'll have some answers and treatment options soon...

@ForeverHopeful67 fingers crossed your referral comes through quickly! Have you had any of the basic blood tests done at your GP in the meantime? I've heard a lot about Vitex but was never sure about trying it as I'm not sure exactly what it does (bit paranoid about all the pills!) - sounds like could definitely be worth trying though, if you're getting a heavier period! What dose have you been taking?

@JennaRMD glad the doctor was reassuring, and you're totally right about all the stress not helping... It's so hard to just 'relax' though when it's something we want this bad!

@Maisy24 thank you for the amazing positive stories about your family, we need all the positive stories we can get!

Xxx

@ForeverHopeful67 she said that the lightness isn't anything to be overly concerned about and that I might just have really light periods. Due to the fact that I've been on birth control for most of my developmental stage, she said it's likely I have just missed the change. Although tbf, as much as I can't remember what my last natural period was like (at age 14) I know it was never red or heavy, always relatively light flow and a browny colour. So 14 years later it's possible my body has just changed slightly. She also said that if I'm having period pains, most of the time that is a sign that you've ovulated and I know I'm ovulating because I've had positive Ovulation tests in the past 2 months. She did offer to take bloods to ease my worrying but she said she didn't feel it was at all necessary at the minute especially with only been off for 6months. I felt better after speaking to a professional, still have the worry in the back of my mind but if nothing is changing or happening within the next 3-6 months, she said to go back and they will look into it further.
I feel like at 28 I'm a total geriatric or something 😂, she said to me "Jenna, you are 28, not 38 or 48, you have time". Tbh I think I am causing myself more stress than necessary and TTC is taking the fun out of us just "being together", think I might try chill for a couple months over Xmas and see what happens. Think the over thinking and anxiety is likely not helping the whole baby making situation lol!

@JennaRMD how did you get on with your phone appointment in the end? I hope you got some of the answers you wanted and not just fobbed off! I know what you mean about scrutinising toilet paper - we sound crazy!!haha

Also not sure if this helps anyone at all, but has anyone ever heard of Vitex / Agnus cactus? @Maisy24 @Mycrazylife85 I've seen a lot about them on this site for people who have abnormal periods especially after stopping contraception so thought I would give them a try. Been on them a few weeks and just as I thought my non existent period was coming to an end again on day two today I've had the heaviest period I've had since coming off contraception with actual red blood! ( haha) obviously may not work for everyone but just thought I would share my experience as I know what it feels like to be desperate to try anything and have answers!xx

@ForeverHopeful67 thank you!! I'm still currently waiting on the phone appointment from the doctor but I have a feeling she is going to tell me "not to worry" and it's "totally normal" etc. Also, I am the same, came "on" Saturday morning and was little more than a smear of dark brown. Last 2 days has been virtually non existent except when you scrutinise the toilet paper 😅 jesus what has become of my life lol!?

@Maisy24 @Mycrazylife85 it must be the pill surely? No way we can all have so much in common otherwise? I also spoke to the nurse a few months back who told me the same thing but in my eyes, if everything was all ok, surely I'd be pregnant by now? I find it all very confusing, like you I spent all my life worrying about not getting pregnant and thought we would fall quickly so that is why I waited until 27 to come off the pill. If I had known it would take longer I would have gave myself a head start after my wedding last year 😣. So tired of feeling lowsy and worrying at the end of every month, the guessing game is starting to get to me a little.

@Mycrazylife85 I definitely think it's the pill, I just wish I'd been told this before I went on it for bad period pains in my teens! Let us know how you get on with your results and fingers crossed everything is fine xxx

My doctor didn't seemed in the slightest bit concerned about the lightness of my flow or the few days before my period of 'old' tar like blood 🤨 I'll get my results 4th December

Same here. I went to the doctors yesterday after coming off the pill in January. The doctor said they won't intervene unless you have been trying for 12 months or have a known fertility issue. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 16 so they were happy to do bloods. I must admit I really don't think a doctor would do anything at all so soon after being off the pill. I waited 74 days before getting mine. My friend waited 6 months. My cycles are 40 days plus (currently day 48) 11 months on... its tiresome.

Hi all - these bloody pills! If only I knew aged 14 when I went on for heavy periods that it wouldn't be just a straight forward stop then get pregnant. Funny that I've spent those years obsessing over missed pills and accidental pregnancy, then when you actually want to conceive well that's a different story!
I was on microgynon for about 11 years, stopped it on 19th sept, finished withdrawal bleed as normal on 28th sept then big fat nothing since - negative OPKs, no symptoms of anything (even though I've been trying really hard to give myself non existent symptoms 😂).
Think I'll go to my GP in about a months time if nothings happened by then as that would be 3 months with no AF xx