Period cramps way before period due? Implantation?

[Tally89]

Hi - looking for some advice.

Has anyone else had strong cramping before their period is due? I'm very regular and due on my period next Wednesday, but I've had cramping all last week. It's been quite intense! Normally I just get a bit of cramping the day of my period or the day before. Could it be implantation?

The weird thing is, the cramping has now kinda stopped today. So I'm super confused! Not really any other symptoms, other than I'm bloated (what's new?!) and a bit headachey for past few days.

Me and my husband did the deed around my ovulation which was a week ago last Sunday or Monday, which would make me 7 days DPO approx.

I can't bear to test yet as I don't want to be disappointed and get my hopes up in case it's a BFN!

It's always been 14 days except two times I had Covid. I've had two losses this year and everything is out of control sync, so I haven't had a regular period since December. I have no idea what if would be now. It looks like AF has arrived, so it's only been 7 days since I ovulated. Very bizarre.

Awww @Tally89 this all sounds very hopeful. I think plenty of signs are pointing to a bfn…agree with pp, waiting two days is sensible but I’d likely test tomorrow 🙈 I bought a load of cheap strips and tested with those as it was a much cheaper habit! Got everything crossed for you

I'm sorry you've suffered two, it's devastating. TTC is so stressful, the last two times I fell pregnant it happened the first month using opks so now it's not happening I've convinced myself it's the MC/surgery that's caused issues and it's giving me so much anxiety that it's feeling all-consuming.

Now having light dark brown watery spotting - will this rollercoaster ever end! It's making me so worried that maybe this isn't my month. I've heard it could be implantation, but any bleeding is scary. 😞

Light cramping too.

Do you have some more tests to take? I would keep taking one every morning to see if there is any line progression until AF arrives.

Fingers crossed this month is your month!

Thanks for your reply @PinkFrogss I find so much comfort in talking to ppl here who understand :)

I took an internet one this morning as I have a big bag of those and it came up with a v v slightly darker line than yesterday. With the cramping and brown discharge though, I am a little freaked out. Please please let this be it.

This was yesterdays

Today's test looks good @Tally89! Keep in mind spotting in early pregnancy is very normal.

It really is all consuming @jellyfish2. It seems AF is here and the spotting was just a lighter period. It stopped for a day and didn't fill a full pad, which is unusual as my periods were always heaviest the first two days. I hate not being able to trust my body anymore.

@KittyFantastica I know it's an awful feeling. 😔 My period started today. And so it begins once again.

@Tally89 that line looks good! 🤞 For you!

Sorry to hear this @jellyfish2 😞 I reallyyyy hope this is your cycle. Fingers and toes crossed for you.

That’s some really good line progression!! There’s a clear line on todays test - hopefully tomorrows will be even darker!

@Tally89 how are you getting on? Have you tested again?

Hey @jellyfish2 thank you for checking in, so sweet :)

I tested again today but the line hasn't gotten too much darker. Not sure if that's something I need to worry about tho. I've officially missed my period which can be 28-32 days and I'm on day 33 now. So maybe I ovulated later? what do you think? Photo of the tests from past 3 days:

How are you feeling? OK I hope.

Sorry to hear it @jellyfish2, we'll be together for this cycle then. I'm terrified and panicking about my luteal phase being so short now. I did LH test a bit before my last AF showed as I was still waiting for the first AF since my D&C and there was a rise, though not a positive, five days before AF arrived. Now I'm on period #2 in 18 days.

Fingers crossed for you @Tally89, time will tell but let's hope all it going well 🤞

Hey guys - I think the line is a little darker today? 4th day of testing.

It’s definitely getting darker! (Tentative) congratulations!

I want to list out my TWW symptoms from ovulation to a positive test in case that helps anyone else out there looking for answers just like I was. I'll put them in order of appearance, but please note I am not entirely sure when I ovulated so the 'dpo' is approximate:

1dpo: Cramps, feeling sick, heartburn
2dpo: Nothing
3dpo: Cramps, lots of creamy CM, headache, cravings
4dpo: Cramps, backache
5dpo: Cramps (quite nasty this day), a bit lightheaded
6dpo: Light sticky CM
7dpo: Cramps, itchy nipples, woke up starving at 4am
8dpo: Medium amount watery CM, headache, felt like I was coming down with a cold (itchy throat)
9dpo: Cramps (quite bad this day), really nasty lasting about 30 secs/1min, dry mouth, vivid dreams, woke up starving at 4am
10dpo: Cramps, headache, dry mouth, up at 4am again, vivid dreams, also NO sore boobs like I would normally have before a period
11dpo: Cramps, watery CM then a v small blob of sticky pinky CM, feeling itchy, heaviness feeling like period about to start
12 dpo: Cramps, backache, high sex drive, itchy nipples, vvv faint line on PG test
13 dpo: Cramps, headache, spotting with v dark brown discharge, tiny bit dizzy, faint line on PG test
14 dpo: Cramps, dark brown spotting, dry mouth, Dizzy, veryyyy tired
15 dpo: Darker PG test, dry mouth, dizzy, still waking up very early at 4am!

Glad I found this thread!
I fell pregnant in December 2023, but our baby boy was seriously unwell and we had to end the pregnancy in March of this year.
We started TTC straight away really and this is our second cycle.
I’m between 6-10 DPO (unsure exactly how far as had some weird ovulation test readings this month). But my period is not due for around another 5 or 6 days and today I’ve got light cramping and the feeling like I’m going to come on.
I don’t normally get cramping this early but unsure if it’s just my cycle not back to normal yet. But it’s nice to have a bit of hope haha

@jt130593 so sorry to hear about your baby boy 😞

I really hope you get your BFP soon! Definitely felt odd to have the cramping so early for me too as I never have that.

@Tally89 it’s a really strange feeling! I feel like heavy if that makes sense as if I’m going to go to the toilet and will have come on

@Tally89 that's great! You maybe did ovulate late and that's why it's still faint. Have you been using fmu? I'm ok thanks, just need to get on with it I guess. Just sad I'm not able to able to get pregnant quickly like before.

@KittyFantastica my luteal phase has went from 12 to 11 now and I'm not sure why. My period definitely isn't the same, there was nothing on the pad this morning so it's like it stopped overnight and has resumed a bit again today, it was never like that before.
Yeah let's stick together! Hopefully it is just our bodies taking a bit of extra time, it's so frustrating and worrying though isn't it.

@jellyfish2 If FF was correct, and some LH strips I did just before AF on 4th May, my luteal phase is now only 3/4 days 😭. It's so hard, isn't it? There don't seem to be ably concrete answers, it's always such a 'wait and see', but the waiting is driving my mental health through the floor.

What CD are you now? I'm CD7 now and my husband is going away Friday - Tuesday, so if I ovulate early that's it for another month. The frustration is real!

@KittyFantastica I hope you don't ovulate early. I'm on cd 3, period has been non existent today it's so annoying.

I think I'll be nightshift on the run up to ovulation which isn't ideal but will somehow try to dtd.

@Tally89 how are you getting on?

Hi - thanks for checking in. Got some nice progression on the tests (see pic).

However, I am a little scared as I have an early pregnancy scan next week to make sure the baby is in the right place because of my history of ectopic where I lost my right tube.

So, I am anxious :/ now I keep thinking I am having pain on my left side which is the side with the remaining tube. But then I have a bit of pain on the right too. I think that's normal right? (I hope!)