TTC no. 4 - unsure of cycle: Anyone else have a start day and then a few days later a 'real' start?

[DontGrumbleGiveAWhistle]

I admit it must seem as if the other 3 were complete flukes but my cycle has changed a little over the years and am now wondering if I'll be able to tell when is the best time to dtd.

I used to have a very light day, then nothing and one the third day my period would start.
28 days between light start date to light start date
28 days between heavy start date to heavy start date

I regarded myself as possibly fertile 11 days after light start to about 17 days.

However my last few periods have been light start on day 1 and nothing until day 7.
When is my possible fertile time??

Any advise appreciated

I also have a light start with quite a while (and a variable while) before the real thing kicks in. All the advice I've been given - doctor, forums, general reading around - says that you should ignore the light start and only count dates from the proper flow, so CD1 is when it really kicks off (with, in my case, cramps, emotional outbursts etc etc).
I don't have any clue on why your cycle has shifted, and 7 days does seem a pretty long gap between spotting and proper menstruation. Maybe just go chat to your doc about it to put your mind at rest? Bodies are quirky things, I'm discovering in this TTC debacle!
Hope that helps?!

Yes - that does help - it's good to know that I'm not alone!

I'm 36 btw so while not old I am 'older' than I was IYKWIM and I was wondering if that had anything to do with it. The shift has only started in the last couple of cycles.

When you say quite a while do you mind me asking what the variant is?

Hello dontgrumble sorry, I lost this thread. This comment just came up on another thread, maybe of interest to you? It's in response to someone who also gets odd spotting, long gaps between spotting and AF etc:

"... I am also one who spots a lot and (it might be coincidence) I've been taking Vit B, Vit D and Folic Acid for the past couple of months, and it seems to have reduced it. I hope yours is implantation spotting this month!"

Hope that helps. In answer to your question, I usually have about two to three days spotting, then 24 hours gap then AF, but it shifts around a bit. I son't think I've ever had more than 3 days warm up though.