If this isn't implantation bleeding, what the hell is it?!

[Shnook]

Right - with 1st baby, cycle was always exactly 27 days. Had few pink dots of spotting a few days before period due and that was that -pregnant -great!

TTC again now and periods are less consistent - every 26-29 days. Did ovulation test on day 8 and it was +ve although I was sceptical as period only ended 2 days before and although the lines matched they were quite pale. Did the deed though and next day OT was -ve.

Now on day 12, I have been bleeding all day. Started only when I wipe - first red, then watery red. have put a pad on tonight and thats got brown staining but again when I wipe, its watery red. Surely this is all too early too be an implantation bleed?? So what is it? Should I be concerned??

This morning its red blood. Like a period. Could it really be a period on day 12?!?

Hi shnook, my af is also 26-29 days but most recent went up to 30 once.

The bleeding could be ovulation some woman do get this and others don't. I had it when TTC ds for a few months (ds is coming up for 3!) now I don't get it at all apart from once at xmas.

Are u still bleeding this morning?

Hi babyrose. Yes still bleeding. Having to use a pad - it looks just like a period. Didnt realise you could bleed when ovulating - although I've just done a OT to check and it was -ve. I really want to believe its implantation bleeding but it just seems like too much blood....

Well, the bleeding got heavier throughout today so I took a pregnancy test just now and it was +ve so I can only assume this is a very early miscarriage (conception would've been just 5 days ago). Am going to go to GP in the morning

It's more likely that you conceived the previous month and had a period anyway as some women do. If you only got a positive OPK on day 8, you probably ovulated on day 9 or 10, so day 13 would surely be too early to get a positive.

Yes, it does all seem very early. But why would the OT have been +ve on day 8 if I was already pregnant?

Shnook Hopefully I've read your details correctly, please ignore if I have mistaken some of the details in your post (rather tired!!)

if there was an egg and it had been fertilised wouldn't have had chance to travel down the fallopian tube and implant yet. so it wouldn't be a miscarriage from a conception 5 days ago. Pretty much definitely not.

I also don't think it is ovulation bleeding, it's not that common and it would be tiny spotting not full flow if at all. Also your OPK have been showing -ve which is not consistent with the bleeding being ovulation.

Euro's proposal is not likely either as if you were pg from the month before, it would still be rare to have a period, and also that doesn't fit with getting a +ve on the OPK this month. It's a possible theory but not likely.

The OPK +ve at day 8 is also quite rare as luteal phases are generally 12-16 days with the average being 14. So 16 days is longer than most women's, but taking even the longest general length of 16 days that would still only put your cycle this month at 24 days long (8 days up to ovulation plus 16 days in the post-ov luteal phase) which would still be short for your cycle as you've described.

I do think you should definitely go to the doctor to discuss this mid-cycle bleeding. Any changes in bleeding should be noted/monitored. but I really don't think you have been pregnant from what you say, as there are a lot of elements that don't add up. Certainly it would be almost impossible to be experiencing a miscarriage involving significant bleeding only 5 days after possible ovulation and still only 13 days into a cycle.

Hope the doctor can give you some reassurance/answers.

I agree with you Jellykitten (and yes, think you got my details right!) - it doesnt add up to me either but I definitely had a +ve pregnancy test tonight. I certainly thought it was weird to ovulate just 2 days after the end of my period, because that just seems too early and with baby No 1, I always ovulated right near the end of my cycle. And I wouldn't have expected an early miscarriage to cause this much blood either. I guess all will be revealed by the GP....well, I hope so anyway.

BTW, I get that "OPK"refers to ovulation tests but dont understand the abbreviation - is it "ovulation prediction kit"?? (sorry, I'm a newbie).

Looks like you were right, Jellykitten. Saw GP and he said the dates just dont make sense. He thinks it must be some weird hormone glitch that has not only caused the bleed (which is still happening) but also rhe positive OT and +ve pregnancy test. Oh well, just hope I go back to normal and can get back on it next month!

Glad you went to see the doc, Shnook, he can keep an eye on it. Hopefully your cycle will be back to normal next month. If it's not, I'm sure the doctor will consider some tests. All the best.

When pregnant you get positive ovulation tests, so I find it baffling that you have got negative ovulation tests while you are pregnant. Does seem more likely that you would be around 6 weeks pregnant with bleeding, rather than getting a positive test 6 days post ovulation. I think that if you have a clear positive pregnancy test then your gp should be sending you to an early pregnancy unit for assessment .

I know what you mean, willitbe, but I do understand what GP is saying about the dates not making sense. According to the tests, I ovulated, got pregnant and miscarried all within 4 days. and I can see what youre saying about maybe being 6 wks PG - but I did have a normal period in that time. I will see how the bleeding goes and go back to GP if necessary. I will keep you all posted - thank you so much for your comments.

willitbe, it's not baffling that OP has negative OPKs whilst she is pregnant - for the reason she is not pregnant!

There was only one faint +ve OPK on day 8 of her cycle and the rest were negative. It is too rare for the OP to be 6 weeks pg aand have a normal period and get negative OPKS with one weak +ve OPK on day 8. Her cycle has gone on a random journey this month, this is not pregnancy. It is also impossible for OP to be pregnant and miscarrying from only 5 days post ovulation too.

There is a lot of talk always about implantation and ovulation bleeding on here, and having periods whilst pregnant. These are not common occurences but because they are so talked about on here it feels like they are, which is concerning because when posters are convinced they are implantation/ovulation/early pregnancy bleeding they can overlook other reasons for bleeding to occur, such as hormone imbalances.

The OP's doctor has assessed her case and concluded it is likely a hormone imbalance, hopefully random. Time will tell but I'm sure OP will be straight back to docs if cycle is not back to normal next month.

Having said all that, rare is not impossible someone has to be that rare one, non?

Wish I could settle the argument!! I will update when anything changes...

Bleeding seems to be easing up a bit. Do you think my next period will be at some arbitrary date? Or should I view this bleed as a period and so the start of my cycle? When should I start doing OTs again?

You can only really know by comparison. I would keep a diary tracking any CM etc. I personally would think this is breakthrough bleeding of some sort but whether it will "re-set" your periods I don't know.

try not to worry (!) but wait and see what happens and if you're not happy in the meantime then go back to the doctor. I'm sure it'll all turn out fine. let us know how you get on!

Hi Jellykitten. Have got my diary out already to start tracking! Thanks for your kind words

Sorry I clearly misunderstood I thought you said you had a positive pregnancy test.!

Bleeding in pregnancy is not uncommon. Break-through bleeding does occur and can be similar to a normal period. It occurs at the point the period would have been due.

A midwife I knew had it for three months and did not realise the fact that she was putting on weight while dieting was because she was pregnant! She found out she was four months pregnant after missing one "period".

No it would not be possible to get a positive test four days after ovulation, hence why I assumed that the last period could have been break-through bleeding. Hope that makes sense.

I thought you couldn't get a false positive? Did the doctor do blood tests? I bled through both of my succesful pregnancies. Are you sure you might not be pregnant from the previous month? Sorry if I have misunderstood something.

Shnook - if you did get a positive pregnancy test, you should test again to see if it is still positive.

I don't know of any usual hormone imbalance (other than post-menopausal) that would give a positive pregnancy test. Perhaps someone else does, but a positive pregnancy test with bleeding should not be just put down to hormone imbalance, the gp was wrong to do this.

Hi willitbe and themobstersknife. I did get a +ve PG test - it was 5 days after the +ve OT. But you read my mind - I did another PG test yesterday and it was -ve. The bleeding has slowed right down now. Also, I havent had any kind of pain out anything at all (my periods are normally pretty painless too).

Dr didnt do any blood tests. He considered that I might be pregnant from the month before but as I was so sure I'd had a normal period since then, he thought it was unlikely.

I feel ok about all this but must be honest, if it happens again next month, I will probably start worrying. I dont know what else can cause this kind of bleeding and I'm trying not to google as I know I will end up scaring myself!

Shnook really pleased to hear you are doing ok. Having had many early miscarriages myself, it does sound to me like you had an very early miscarriage from the month before. I have had very similar to what you have described with one of my miscarriages being totally painless at 6 weeks following an earlier bleed at around 5 weeks.

The positive opk could/would have been picking up the reducing hcg levels. And the subsequent negative being as the hcg levels reached a lower level.

Good news is that many women following miscarriages at 5 or 6 weeks go straight back into a normal cycle again, but don't be surprised if you cycle is a couple of days out either.

Also many women conceive immediately following and early miscarriage. So I wish you all the best and hope that you are pregnant again really soon.

Willitbe, thank you. And sorry to hear of your miscarriages. I'm never going to know for sure what happened (unless, I suppose, it happens again and I have some kind of tests). But I've just got to keep trying and hope I get pg soon. I'm just kicking myself for not starting to TTC sooner - think I stupidly thought it would be as easy as the first time round.

Soon as this bleeding stops, I will be POAS like there's no tomorrow!