Post Pill TTC Party

[TheDaydreamBelievers]

Come one, come all ! A thread for those TTC after coming off hormonal contraceptive pills.

Discussions typically include:

• Baffling temp charts
• Absent or oddly timed EWCM
• Whacky cycle lengths
• AF gone AWOL (current high score is 141 days post pill)

@TheDaydreamBelievers I am 7DPO too... i'm a bit crap at the whole symptom spotting though. My boobs feel fine, and I have no more pains/tugs that I usually have, but I did get a little spotting at 5DPO... but that could have been anything! Lets try to wait until the weekend at least ! I'm just hoping my LP is a little longer than 8 days, I suppose i'll find out tomorrow...

@crabette - I’ve only had one ‘real’ period off of the pill and I noticed that it was lighter than usual, I also didn’t get any stomach cramps and normally I get them really bad! I thought my period would be worse coming off the pill but I really hope they continue light as above as that would be great :) also with regards to the wedding we are similar to you, it was meant to be on the 10th of October but we have re-scheduled it for the same time next year! I really wanted to start trying after the wedding but obviously I’ve now got another year until we get married now so we are going to try for the next three months and then if nothing happens, I’m going to continue to use my natural cycles app but to prevent instead of for pregnancy and then I will start trying again after the wedding. I was thinking about going back onto the pill but all of the threads on this site have put me off in case it messes me up again xx

@crabette I'm the same. Pre pill (bear in mind that would be age 17!) my periods were long and although not heavy like some of my friends, still decent. End of this month I'll have been a year off the pill and my periods are 2 or MAX 3 days, super light. Like if it wasn't for fear of TSS I could probably get away with changing my mooncup once in the 3 days, and it's mostly brown. It used to worry me but all my tests have been back normal and my lining is normal too per the ultrasound. There's quite a few girls over on the Sep bus who had their BFPs despite 1-2 day periods and one of my friends has conceived both her kids super fast despite similar periods.

@MintGreenLife congrats to married life! Boo about AF but at least it didn't drag last cycle out. Any idea if you ovulated in the end or how long your LP was?

I'm finally back from Sicily, CD10 here so time to start BD properly. It's our 11th anniversary today so I'm hoping that makes OH more likely to be in the mood!

@crabette my AF this month was really light and only lasted 3 days...really crampy for the first day then not even a twinge after that, if i remember correctly mine used to be pretty heavy and the first day of AF was always a right off so they have definitely been lighter and shorter since coming off the pill

Thanks @Juno231 ☺️ And congrats on your anniversary! How was the holiday?

I'm really not sure. Have attached my chart - would be interested to hear your thoughts. My EWCM went on every day for two weeks this time! Like you say, at least I have a fresh cycle and new opportunity. Great you're already CD10 and hopefully entering your FW!

@crabette thank you ☺️ My first two AFs off the pill were as you described, light, lasted 4 days and brown/red. My third cycle I had a fairly heavy AF and more red flow, bit suspect that might be because it was such a long cycle (55 days) so lining had a long time to build up. Although I think my first two cycles were either anovulatory or I had a very short LP. This AF just gone was back to light again, but red on day 1-2 and then more like brown spotting days 3-4, but again think I either didn't ovulate or had a very short LP again! For me light AF seems to be linked to ovulatory issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case for others, so sure it's nothing to be concerned about ☺️ As a teenager I had very heavy periods. My only one that was heavier this time meant I needed to change my tampon (regular) once every 3-4 hours, whereas with my other AFs I leave it around 6-7 hours and it's still not completely soaked through xx

@crabette oh and I also have the same issue as you still, even though we're now married! As we only had 13 people at our mini wedding and we've transferred all the deposits for everything we've booked to next year, I still have the dilemma of fitting in TTC 🤦🏻‍♀️ I really don't want to stop trying, especially as we are already married now, but if we don't catch this cycle we are at risk of having a due date on top of our new 'wedding' date, or if it happens in 3-4 cycles time I will be heavily pregnant, but stopping for 4+ months seems so long, so annoying!

@crabette I wouldn't say mine are heavy but they're definitely not light. Its bright red for CD2 and 3 and then tends to get more darker but not really an issue compared to some stories i hear.

Sorry to hear about your wedding, such a difficult decision to make :(

@TheDaydreamBelievers Haha! Totally with you on that one, easily can make yourself believe everything you feel is related, its just because we want it and been focusing on it a lot. Fingers crossed for us ☺️

@Kay00 Oh exciting, so difficult not to spot though but thats all good signs. You'll both be testing before me, Ill have to restrain myself. Really want to wait until 13DPO i just dont want to be squinting at a line so if i wait at least the results will be pretty conclusive at 13DPO xx

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on this/has had a similar experience - as you probably all know I got a surprise AF much earlier than I expected. I'm now CD5, CD 1-2 was medium bleeding and bright red, I guess if I had to decide between light and heavy I would say light but more medium-light if that makes any sense. CD 3-4 was brown spotting. Nothing today so figured that was that. However this evening I've started bleeding bright red again? From about 9.30pm, anyone have any idea what might be going on?! X

@MintGreenLife so happy for your surprise AF, as rubbish as it may be, it's a nice fresh start to a cycle! I recall my proper periods as a teenager used to do that occasionally. I'd think it was finished and then it restarts. Really not sure what caused it though, it would only last a normal period length but with a day of not much in between. With mine now I think I'm getting red blood for 2 days but so light and then just brown for 2 more days. This seems to be very common though? I also used to think that whilst I was doubling/tripling the pill, the next breakthrough was never any heavier so maybe it isn't all indicative of length of cycle?

@MintGreenLife that is a bit odd, but I assume it means you are still on your period. The NHS says a period can last up to 8 days, but 5 days is the average. Perhaps it is your first heavy period since coming of the pill, but your body has drawn it out over a few extra days??

I'm on 8DPO and really worried I might start AF too as this is the DPO I started my period last cycle. I have been taking BVits to extend my LP, but who knows if they will work?! I feel a bit like AF is just around the corner and i'm half expecting to find blood when I go to the toilet next . I'll keep ya'll posted !

@MintGreenLife Oh no :( has it settled down a bit or is it still quite heavy? I sometimes think Im coming off then get one last flow and then it stops within 24hrs so it may stop today.

@Kay00 Hoping AF stays away for you! Keep us posted :) Im only 5DPO today so still pretty quiet my end xx

@MintGreenLife ah that's frustrating! I've had some odd ones like that with a break in between before restarting again and I have no clue what was up with that. What's your temp like today, did it drop further?

So I'm on day 2 of high temps... if tomorrow is the same that means I ovulated on CD10?! I have no clue what's going on. If it's true then we haven't DTD enough (O-3 and O-5) and I guess the egg would be rubbish anyway...

Hi all, just to update after my appointment today (private GP). She was lovely and is referring me to gynae. Although this is mainly for my cervical ectropion, she did say I can discuss my cycles with the gynaecologist and they will do some bloods to check my thyroid and hormone level (I think she was also persuaded as my mum has an underactive thyroid and my cycles were regular pre-pill). Feel relieved, now just to find a local private gynae and make an appointment!

@MintGreenLife I'm sorry to hear about your stop/start AF. That's not something I've ever experienced. The Doctor did say to me the usual thing about it taking up to a year for cycles to return, but I said about my age and TTC and she totally got it. Is there any way you could see a private gynae if your GP won't help? Some don't need referrals. Although it could get expensive for bloods etc.

@MrsBtobe2020 praying this cycle might be a more 'normal' one! Although the stop start AF at the mo says otherwise.

@Kay00 this AF has actually been fairly light. My previous AF was the only heavy one I've had so far, and seemed to be the only one where I successfully ovulated/had a decent LP. Still can't work out if I even ovulated last cycle, hope this cycle is a bit clearer! Fingers crossed AF stays away for a few more days for you.

@Flowerkm I'm just spotting today, just unusual for me to bleed anywhere past CD4, hopefully it's OK though and nothing to worry about.

@Juno231 I'm sure it's fine, just unusual for me, and annoying when I thought AF was over! Temp yesterday was actually lower at 36.09, today it's 36.16, so still low. Ahh sorry to hear that, you never know, could just be a couple of random high temps. Were you doing OPKs too, or hadn't started yet with it being early? Have you ever ovulated this early before?

@lawandgin thanks for the update, glad they are running some tests for you :) fingers crossed everything comes back OK. I'll try the GP when I get back and go from there x

@MintGreenLife hadn't started them, was planning to (and did) start them on CD10. Never ovulated that early before, but I swear every cycle brings something "new" with it... I did think yesterday was a fluke temp but two in a row have me worried...

@Juno231 urgh that's so frustrating. I guess all you can do is wait and see if your temp is still high tomorrow, and keep DTD to be on the safe side. How much higher has your temp been the last two days compared to the previous days? X

Attached my chart for ease. And yes good idea re continuing BD just in case. Been doing a daily OPK since Sunday too but they're all very low.

Hmm... it does look like you might have Ov on CD10 which seems a bit early. Is it possible you have a high temperature due to illness or other?

On the plus side, if you have ovulated you may be in with a chance due to BD CD7 & 11.

Is it possible you started AF a day earlier than you reported?

@kay00 I thought that at first and double checked but no, I def started no earlier (even spotting wise) than the 4th. Fingers crossed CD7 clinched the deal - I think CD11 was too late as that was an evening one.

@MintGreenLife @Juno231sorry that your cycles have gone a bit haywire! Bloomin bodies, why cant they get with the programme and stay regular?!

Today I have convinced myself I am pregnant because:
I am tired (you are always tired)
I'm hungry (ditto)
Felt a bit mosh earlier (premenstrual likely)
Got annoyed at painting (ditto, also this super runny paint just IS annoying)
Felt a bit nauseated before lunch (hadn't had any breakfast)
The coleslaw tastes odd (different brand than usual)

Whyyy does TTC drive us mad?!

Hi all. Well by some miracle, I actually got seen by a gynecologist today! He was so lovely and it went okay. Took a full history and had an internal ultrasound. Good news - antral follicle count of 35! Bad news - my ovaries definitely aren't doing much, although they do look healthy. He thinks at my age (32) and with being off the pill for four months, this is not related to the pill and there "is something else going on". So he's given me a prescription for norethisterone to induce a bleed (house rules: you must take a pregnancy test before taking it... OKAY BUT we've all just been looking at my empty uterus, but fine) which I will start tomorrow for five days. Should get a bleed 5 days later. I am to call and arrange blood tests for CD 2 - 5. He is testing AMH, LH, FSH, TSH and estradiol. Not testosterone, so I assume he doesnt think I have PCOS, especially after the ultrasound.

I am so glad I did this, it's so empowering just to know even a little bit of what's going on. Plus, I can stop POAS like a maniac 😂

@TheDaydreamBelievers Aw, that did make me chuckle, it really does drive us a little silly but all of those symptoms could be pregnancy related so not too mad :P

@lawandgin Thats good you've been seen and are having the right tests and got the ball rolling.
Glad you're feeling better about it all and its made a difference already to how you feel ☺️