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When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

1st day of period?

28 replies

Sallypoo · 21/01/2007 08:31

Hi all
I need some advice on how to count!

I came off the pill in December, and am going to take a few months off before TTC.

I am trying to work out my cycle. My understanding is that to work out how many days your cycle is you count from the first day of you last period (18 Dec) to the first day of this one. Well that's my problem.... sorry if this is a bit graffic

I've been 'spotting' since Tuesday. but have only had AF arrive 'properly' today. So do I count from Tuesday (30 days) or today (35)?

I am not too bothered if its 35 as its my first period since coming off the pill and I guess things might take a bit of time to settle down.....

Any suggestions on how to count would be gratefully received!

Sallypoo

OP posts:
cece · 21/01/2007 08:38

I get this every month and I count it from when the 'flow' comes iyswim. Not when the spotting starts.

Sorry if tmi

cece · 21/01/2007 08:38

Although I am no idea if that is the correct way of doing it...

ammylovesbabies · 21/01/2007 08:53

I've been counting from the day my spotting starts. If it is from when flow starts then I'm about 3 days out on my cycle length!!!

Quick, someone come along that knows!!

AttilaTheMeerkat · 21/01/2007 09:09

Spotting does not count, its the first day of flow that does.

BTW if you continue to spot between periods over the next few months do get this checked out medically.

greenblock · 21/01/2007 09:19

if that's the case then my period isn't due until tomorrow! But if I spot for the first two days should I have expected that to have started yesterday?

ammylovesbabies · 21/01/2007 11:05

I'm all confused now!! I have a 28 day cycle not a 26 day one. I thought I ovulated yesterday cos had ewcm on friday but my head is all messed up. Can the luteal phase be longer than 14 days?

Ready · 21/01/2007 13:02

Day 1 is the first day of proper flow. Not spotting.

cece · 21/01/2007 17:53

So is spotting dangerous then?

For past 10 months or so I have had two days of spotting before my af starts to flow. Now I am worried!

AttilaTheMeerkat · 21/01/2007 18:05

cece,

Spotting between periods can have causes like a cervical erosion or a polyp. Either are not serious but it is best that you get this checked out medically particularly as its been going on for a while now.

greenblock · 21/01/2007 18:08

Wait a sec, sorry if too much information, but what exactly is spotting? For two days before my last period I have had very light, brown blood mixed with mucus. Then the next day it was full on and red. Is that what you mean by spotting?

Ready · 21/01/2007 18:09

Cece, don't worry. I have read that spotting for a couple of days prior to AF is very common.

Ready · 21/01/2007 18:12

just one thing I found??

greenblock · 21/01/2007 18:15

I found this

ammylovesbabies · 21/01/2007 21:17

So the little bit of brown yak you get at the start of the period should not be counted? And when niagra falls kicks in, thats when I should be counting?

back to the drawing board.

ammylovesbabies · 21/01/2007 21:24

I'm really messed up now!!

Someone explain this. I have 2 days of brown yak before full flow AF so what I thought was a 26 day cycle is actually 28 days. But I'm struggling to place ovulation- I have EWCM for about 5-6 days. I thought i ovulated yesterday but still have ew today and had ovulation pain on Thursday and friday.

Where am I? Should I not think to hard and just BD?

londonlottie · 21/01/2007 21:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

NotAnOtter · 21/01/2007 21:34

i have this-- when i had fertility treatment they said count first day of spotting as day 1....

ammylovesbabies · 21/01/2007 21:34

I'm trying to naturally work it out but I've been drenched with ew (waaaaaaaaaaaay tmi) since thursday and its bit difficult to know whats going on.

ammylovesbabies · 21/01/2007 21:36

Also, I bleed slightly around ovulation (its just a hormone thing to do with a cervical erosion apparently) and that happened on WEDNESDAY!

Do you think I'm a chicken?

Original poster
Sallypoo · 22/01/2007 14:13

Wow, did I ask a popular question!

So I think that the concensus was that the 5 days of spotting doesn't count and that the first day of my period was day 35 when the 'full flow' began.

This is a bit of a long cycle, but as its only month one since coming of the pill and I'm trying NOT to get pregnant for 4 months this is OK .

If it stays at 35 days then I might get a little more worried, but I'll cross that bridge in a few months

Many thanks all
Sallypoo.

OP posts:
Fingerscrossed2007 · 22/01/2007 19:42

I'm a bit late coming in on this one.
Like Notanotter I get regular spotting/brown yakky stuff at start of period. It lasts for 2 days. The advice (from more than one medic) is that is as this is part of my regular pattern Day one should be seen as litterally that ... the day I firast get sludge. After all the colour is caused by the start of bleeding.

I recckon the important thing is to know your own cyle. If bleeding patterns change - especially if you beed at odd times in your cycle or after sex - get a gynae referral to have this checked out.

Sallypoo - The clue with your situation is the fact you have just come off the pill. I think it is too early to work out your pattern. Keep a chart for the next couple of months although am also sprinkling some baby dust very liberally over everyone in this thread.
x

pollyanna · 22/01/2007 19:49

I get this too. My doctor told me to count from day 1 of the proper bleeding, but I think he is wrong and I have decided to count from the beginning of the spotting - this is because I got pregnant with dd2 on something like day 6 of my cycle if I counted it from the proper bleeding.

I have now started using persona, and it seems to agree that day 1 of my cycle is when the spotting starts - otherwise I am ovulating on day 9 every month which can't be right.

ammylovesbabies · 22/01/2007 19:52

glad to hear I'm not the only one. I am going to count from first day of chocolate milkshake.

Fingerscrossed2007 · 23/01/2007 12:22

loving the phase chocolate milkshake!

prettybird · 23/01/2007 12:46

I don't understand ammylovesbabbies question re cycle length: if the cycle length is the same every month, surely it is still 26 days, even if she doesn't count Day 1 until the day the full "flow" starts? ie next month, she still be counting while the spotting starts. (ie day 25 and 26). It deosn't suddenly become 2 days longer becasue she iis starting counting 2 days later. Or am I missing something?

What deos alter as when in her cycle she may be ovulating - instead of (eg) day 12 (if it was a standard 26 day cycle and a 14 day luteal/post ovulation phase), she would now only be ovulating on day 10 with a 16 day post ovulation phase. Temeperatures/OPKs/CM can all help determin when ovulation occurred.