Period 10days earlier than normal?! I am so confused. Please help

[1hopefulgirl]

Normally I have 40day cycles- which I know isn't really that normal, but now af just arrived 10days early. What does this mean? I have been taking agnus Castus for the past few months so has this finally done the trick or are my periods more screwed up than I thought?
We have been trying for 10months and I am beginning to lose hope. Thought I had finally got the hang of tracking my cycles. Now I'm back to square 1. Any advice please?

If you really want to understand your cycles, I would recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Great book.

In my experience, a randomly early period does not necessarily mean that something is wrong. My cycles varied from 25 to 45 days when I conceived DD2 and it only took 4 months (taking longer this time even though my cycles are textbook 28-30 days, 6mo and counting )

If you start taking your temperature you will have a good idea when/if you ovulated. Be warned though, tracking your cycles on an app (like fertility friend) can become a bit obsessive...

Thanks for your response. I actually ordered that book the other day so just waiting on it to arrive. Already totally obsessive with apps but to no avail. Feel like I spend every day thinking about when best to Dtd or thinking 'has it worked' to only be disappointed. I am a born worrier and think that I will never get pregnant. I know 10 months isn't a long time compared to others on here but to me it feels like forever.
Can I ask, do you have pcos or is it actually more common than I thought to have cycles of varying lengths? Every time I google it, it tells me I have pcos or endo or something else! I know I really shouldn't google for everything....but I do!

Hi 1hopefulgirl,
As far as I know you can have random cycles despite being otherwise regular. Shorter cycles can be due to the corpus luteum not being able to release enough progesterone to support the lining of the womb. Its just a freak occurrence and cycles should return to normal next time around. Of course there are many things that govern our cycle lengths - stress for example has been known to extend cycles or prevent ovulation, so there could be hundreds of reasons. The key is try not to worry too much unless there is massive variation from month to month. I did not even know how long my cycle length was until we started TTC, now I obsess. I am usually a 28 day cycle girl, but before I got my first BFP I had a 24 day cycle.

Fingers crossed your next cycle will be back to normal soon (or even better a BFP!).

Hi Baxter,

Thank you for that. It's nice to hear that perhaps there is nothing wrong with me after all and I'm just worrying! It's really hard because I have no idea about this ttc lark yet I can't ask people in 'real life' and although I talk to dh about it he naturally has less idea than I do. The blind leading the blind! Hehe.
Fingers crossed 2014 brings us all our bfps!

Not ttc, but I have just had a very short cycle, and then a very long one. So instead of 28, 27, 28 (typical for me) I went 28, 20, 35.

What happens if you forget cycle length, and try to have sex every 2-3 days between periods? Thats what worked for us.

Good luck on your 2014 wishes.

Hi addicted

That's a good idea. Thank you. We did start that way but Dtd every other day. Got a bit sick of that so went for every day during fertile period but that went to pot as it turns out my periods might not be as regular as first thought. Think we will do what you have suggested and at least that way I know we have covered all bases. Didn't realise it would be so tricky!! Went to a catholic secondary school so stupidly thought that I would just have to wink at dh and get a baby!!

Hello again hopeful

I don't have PCOS. Just randomly irregular cycles occasionally. I sincerely believe that stress can significantly postpone my ovulation. During the 4 months it took to conceive DC2, my ovulation day varied from CD10, to CD20, to CD15. And I know I ovulated because I was temping, and had progesterone levels checked at the docs.

I conceived my last pregnancy (MMC at 11+4 ) on CD30 (very stressful time, knocking down walls in the house!). I think TCOYF explains a bit about stress affecting ovulation.

Are you sure it's AF and not an implantation bleed?

Champagne

Sorry to hear about that. I think you are right. Stress does effect it. It's just a problem that 'stress' is my middle name! Gonna chill this month and just Dtd eod and see what happens. No temping, no opk and lots of healthy eating. If it doesn't work at least I will be a bit lighter! Hehe!

Radiatormesh
Would love for that to be the case and in all honesty that was my first thought but poas and was -ve also way too heavy and painful to be implantation (well, so I have read as I wouldn't know!) just gonna have to get back to it and keep hoping!