Light periods after stopping pill

[HRMC87]

I stopped taking my pill in December and TTC since. I have had really regular periods since but they are so light! The same every time, period pains start on the Sunday night and I don't get it til the Friday. Last for 2-3 days and I can get away with wearing only one pad everyday. Getting worried now, I know it takes time for them to get back to normal but I have had 4 and they were never like this before! Anyone had anything similar with success?

@MintGreenLife Im going to stop 😬 so just really hope this cycle is it! Ive already bought my dress and having a church wedding with a marquee reception on the farm. I'm 29 so feel I'll be ok if I do have to wait, but hoping it doesn't come to that. Thats so good that you can postpone again, and decided between the two of you. How old are you if you don't mind me asking? will this be your first baby?

I've bought my dress too, so god knows if I'll be able to fit in it if we do have a baby by then, or if I'm pregnant 🙈 I'm 31, getting on to 32, so feel like I have less time to waste on the whole TTC thing 😂 Yep first baby for us, is it the same for you? Your wedding sounds lovely ☺️ We went for a barn in the countryside and were meant to be having our ceramony in a small open fronted barn, and then the reception in the larger barn. All being well we will still be able to have our ceramony this year, but with 10 people instead of 100!

@blodyn91 x

@MintGreenLife also trying for our 1st. Awww that sounds lovely! If I end up having to sell mine and buy another, it won't bother me if its beacuse I've just had a baby. But I love my dress! 🙈 so will try my best to fit in it.

Same, I went all across the country for mine 😂 I was meant to be picking it up in a few weeks and having it altered, but it's getting delivered here now. Going to be so strange having to hang it up knowing I won't be able to wear it for ages 💔 It's going to be a proper juggling act trying to time TTC and weddings 😂 Not sure if I asked how long ago you came off the pill? Have your cycles sorted themselves out yet?

@blodyn91 x

@Maisy24 @hope365 hey ladies, how we doing, kind of lost this thread a bit recently. Got usual cramps etc and pretty sure AF is on its way, if not in the next few hours then definitely tomorrow... Just feel like there's not much else we can do 🤷‍♀️. Feeling a bit hopeless atm tbh. On to month 14!!!!

Hi @JennaRMD, and hi @Maisy24 too - how are you both? I'm sorry I've been rubbish at responding - the thread got really long and I lost track! Plus I've been feeling pretty hopeless about it all too to be honest... We were due our NHS IVF in May - we might actually be pregnant by now if it wasn't for bloody covid! As if infertility isn't bad enough, gotta throw a global pandemic in the mix 🙄 It's been pretty difficult being in limbo, waiting to hear from our clinic, which never happened so in the end I've had to chase them to get any info - turns out we're unlikely to get any treatment until the end of the year (if we're lucky), so we've just this week decided to take the plunge and go private! It's a scary amount of money (goodbye house deposit), but we decided we couldn't deal with waiting for the NHS anymore... So we're now in the process of choosing a clinic, which is a bit scary - such a huge decision with so much riding on it - but exciting too! Otherwise nothing new with me - cycles come and go and my period is still ridiculously light... @jenna do I remember you saying yours was getting heavier?? Have you got any plans to be referred for more tests? And what about you @maisy - I remember you saying you had appointments coming up but I can't remember when? Is your cycle now completely back to normal after the provera?

Hi to all the new ladies too! I'm sorry I haven't kept up with all the messages, but I seem to remember a lot of you came off the pill only very recently so I would definitely say don't worry just yet (easier said than done I know!) - it's totally normal for your cycles to be weird/nonexistent for a while after coming off the pill... Fingers crossed time fixes it for you all xxx

@Hope365 I'm so sorry to hear about the delay in your IVF. I think going private is a good thing if it's making you feel like you're going to get somewhere quicker 🤞. Just as expected AF arrived at 3.15am and I was in bloody agony with cramps. This is the 2nd month that it's floored me, all day at work I've felt like I've had the flu, my bones aches, I'm nauseous and sore all over really. Horrible. My period was heavier last month but this month seems to be light again!? Although I think it was day 2 i got the red blood last month so could be that. I phoned today and the doctor has referred us to the fertility clinic but just for basic tests as they still think it's something to do with coming off the pill and my body is just taking fooorreevvveerrrr to adjust!!! I'm 29 in October and don't plan on doing IVF or anything for a couple of years yet, I don't feel like that's an option for us just quite yet. @Maisy24 @hope365 would you ladies like to make a wee whatsapp chat or something? I feel like I need extra support at these times and this thread is difficult to keep up with as it has gotten quite long x

Hi @JennaRMD, great idea for the WhatsApp - I've sent you and @Maisy24 a DM with my details, let me know if ever you didn't get it xxx

Not light periods but no period! Now on CD108 after the post-pill withdrawal bleed. Age 31yrs, TTC DC1. On the pill 12 years.

• Positive LH test at CD 71
• Sore boobs CD74/75
• Spotting CD76-78
• Since then, nothing.
• Temping shows no pattern

• Bloods taken on CD93 showed no odd hormone levels. Or anything else (thyroid, sugars etc all fine)
• More bloods taken CD 107 to check androgen levels, so will see what they say.

Hi @JennaRMD, @Maisy24 and @Hope365,

I stumbled across this thread this evening while trying to find info on light periods after coming off the pill (as you well know it’s hard to find any actual information through googling!) I started reading it from the beginning, which was back in Nov! 2 hours later here I am having caught up! You probably think I’m a nutter but I got really invested in your stories and kept reading and crossing my fingers each month hoping you’d each get your BFP!

I came off the pill in May and haven’t started TTC yet, but the reason for googling was I had my second very short period with brownish flow rather than bright red blood (I won’t apologise for TMI as I know you don’t mind! ) Anyway, you’ve given me hope that there are options out there if it does turn out to be pill-related so I’m going to bookmark this page just in case I ever need it.

I notice you’ve set up a WhatsApp group, but please could you update the thread when (not if!) you each get your BFP? Rooting for each of you ❤️

@Lollipop87 what an uplifting post. So nice. We're all still ttc atm, I've taken a break from this as the stress of obsessing isn't helping. Can't believe I was worried about it after 6months (back in November) and another 8 months later I'm still worrying... It's not good for your general well being tbh but I have had 2 red periods the past 2 months with spotting either side, this is the first time I've had anything remotely resembling a period so I'm hoping it's took a year for me to get back to normal and this coming year we will get our wee miracle. Going into month 3... Thank you again for your amazing post ❤️

@Lollipop87 think I'm probably not far ahead of you in my post-pill journey as I came off in April. I've had two natural AFs since, first was super light and more brownish, second was a bit better and mix of brown and red blood, but still pretty light. I'm on CD27 now with no positive OPK yet and no temp rise, starting to feel quite frustrated as thought I did everything I could to help things along this cycle 😕 Xx

Hi @JennaRMD thanks for your reply, I can’t imagine what it must feel like to have waited as long as you have. They say things happen for a reason so maybe your body knew about the pandemic so was waiting for that to be over first?! 😂 I really hope 2021 brings you your wee bundle of joy ❤️

@MintGreenLife hi! Sorry to hear about your wedding having to move back, although fingers crossed your ceremony can still go ahead. We were lucky and got married in October before everything kicked off. I’ll be 33 in a couple of weeks so am also feeling the age thing, most of my friends started having babies years ago and have even had second babies! The thing that made me super broody was my younger sister had my niece last year (when she was only 28, lucky cow!) and I’ve got such a strong bond with her it just made me really want one of my own. My husband is one of these super sensible types who wants to make sure career and everything is sorted out first, he doesn’t have a ticking clock like I do! He’s still on the fence about when to start TTC (we’re still using condoms at the mo) but has said before Christmas so I’m hoping in September when we’re hopefully going on holiday that I can convince him to leave the condoms at home and have lots of holiday BD’ing (have already checked and as long as my cycles continue as they are it would fall in my fertile time! 😂) The only thing concerning me is these light periods, I do think I ovulated last month as I’ve been charting but haven’t used OPKs or anything yet. The ladies on here mentioned Vitamin E as a good way to get your cycles moving along, maybe you could look into that? Fingers crossed for you! Xx

@Lollipop87 aww thanks, it just makes everything that little bit more complex! We are still going ahead with the ceremony, and having the 'wedding' over what will be our 1st wedding anniversary next year. Was praying I would be one of those women that caught first cycle off the pill, but alas not. Congrats on your wedding, bet that was a relief when everything kicked off! I'm on the cusp of turning 32, so not far behind you. That's great you have some time for your cycles to regulate before starting TTC, although I'm sure you'd be happy to start sooner! I must admit it is exciting to have started, but then the crazy cycles are also a bit of a worry, but I'm trying not to concern myself too much with that for now. I am considering giving agnus castus a go however, in case it'll give my body the kickstart it needs and could help us catch in the next month or two, am a little bit worried about making the wrong decision though :/ I started taking vitamin E a couple of weeks ago, so probably not soon enough to tell if that's making a difference. Are you charting your BBT then? I seem to have EWCM today after it dried up a few days ago with no temp spike or positive OPK, so hopefully my body is having another go at things! xx

@MintGreenLife yes such a relief, we had a big honeymoon in Jan too and then everything started to go a bit crazy soon after we got back so we were very lucky! Thanks for the congrats 😊 Your plans sound lovely! I mean, I’d have come off the pill in Jan but in a way I’m kind of glad I’ve not had a pregnancy on top of all the craziness, it must be quite an anxious time for pregnant women. I’ve not heard of agnus castus?! No sorry I think I’ve used the wrong terminology, very new at this! I think I meant tracking, so I’m just tracking my period and other symptoms like cramps and EWCM which I definitely got more of my second cycle off the pill. I think like you say it just takes a while for bodies to get back to normal, some more than others. Fingers crossed for you! Xx

@Lollipop87 I'm actually just looking back over this thread and agnus castus is mentioned a few times - it's a herbal remedy that is meant to help with PMS, but it's also meant to help regulate irregular cycles and encourage ovulation, I'm on the fence about trying. My other option is a homeopathic post-pill detox, but it's £90 and I can't decide which to try. Ahh fair enough, tracking BBT is the only way to confirm ovulation. I've had EWCM every cycle off the pill so far but not convinced I'm ovulating as I only got the slightest temp rise last cycle and then AF came 3/4 days later, which obviously isn't good! I think I'm going to leave it until the end of this week and if I still haven't ovulated by then I'll try and decide which route to go down to try and help things along x

@MintGreenLife I remember something called Vitex but must have skimmed over agnus castus! That’s a good idea, let me know how you get on 😊 I can’t decide whether or not to get a BBT thermometer, are they expensive? I’ll probably just see how things go, but at the same time it’d be nice to know if I’m ovulating before TTC. Not sure what DH would think of it, he might think I’m getting ahead of myself! Xx

@Lollipop87 Vitex is Agnus Castus ☺️ It's the same thing. I got my BBT thermometer from Amazon for about £10, so not much of an investment. Maybe see how you go over the next few cycles. Part of me feels like I would have been better not knowing my cycles aren't back to normal, I would have been blissfully unaware and just getting on with TTC 😂

@MintGreenLife hahaha how funny! 😂 My brain was obviously like “agnus castus is a weird word, Vitex is easier to remember!” Lol! Yes you have a point, I think I’ll just crack on in Sept (hopefully) and then if nothing’s happened by Christmas I might start temping. I’m currently reading The Impatient Woman’s Guide to getting pregnant, just to educate myself really and it’s written in a really nice way with some funny bits - she says to try the “lots of sex” method first i.e. sex every other day from like day 7-23 of your cycle (hmm maybe this is how I can convince DH!) and if nothing happens for around 3 months you could be ovulating earlier or later than you think, in which case she recommends doing one of or a combination of OPKs, temping etc. Have you read it? Xx

@Lollipop87 that sounds like a good plan, think I probably should have gone down that route to begin with! But because of the wedding situation I wanted to do everything I could to try and help us catch as early as poss, hasn't worked out that way 🙈 Yep I've read it - it was the first TTC book I read and I really enjoyed it. I'm now three books down and got another arriving this weekend 😂 I'm actually really enjoying learning for now, think four books will be quite enough though so best call it a day then! Xx

Hi @Lollipop87, like @JennaRMD I just wanted to say thank you for your lovely message! I'll always be lurking around this thread don't worry, so will def keep it updated if ever I get some good news! Currently in the process of choosing a private clinic for IVF since our NHS treatment was postponed due to covid. Hoping to have a go in September 🤞

I don't want to worry any of you with my story though, as you - and @MintGreenLife too - are only just off the pill and I think it's totally normal for things to be out of whack for a while. Sounds like you ladies are on it with your reading and research so I'm sure you're doing all the right things and it will happen for you soon! I would say try not to obsess over it too much so soon - and maybe wait a while before taking things like vitex that I've heard can really affect your cycle, before giving your body a chance to do its thing naturally - but I know all too well how hard it is to sit by and do nothing when it's something you want this bad... (I also wouldn't recommend the homeopathy, though the only harm that could do is to your wallet!)

Good luck, and there'll always be this thread for support ❤

Hi @Hope365, thanks for your lovely reply 😊 Yes it’s funny isn’t it, we know it’s probably better to just wait patiently for a while but it’s so hard! I’m definitely not going to take anything like Vitex unless I have real trouble, will give it a good few months first. Thanks for the tips and I really hope you get your longed for baby really soon ❤️