I 31F, came off the contraceptive pill October last year after 12 years. I was very surprised that my periods came back immediately and regularly. I have since had 4 periods, 3 consisting of 37 days exactly and a fourth slightly under at 31 days that came earlier than the app expected. As a teenager my periods were regular but long cycles (around 5 weeks), but I remember they came as clockwork and I have never missed a period.
I was on the combined pill for 8 years, and regularly had a ‘period’ every month, again like clockwork. The last 2 years I was on a mini pill and my periods did stop, which my Dr advised could happen, but this is the only time I never had a regular period, though I did have them every few months so they didn’t stop completely.
TTC since October, and I have tracked my periods / ovulation using an app as I was unsure how coming off the pill was going to affect me so I thought it would give me a guide and a place to log my periods. We have been very relaxed about TTC and not stressing over the matter or obsessing over it.
My last period started on 11/01. I was due to ovulate on or around 31/01, and we were intimate, but I never took an ovulation test to check as we had been so busy over those days.
W/C 02/02 I started to have extremely painful bloating, and what I thought was going to be an upset stomach coming on. This never happened but as that week progressed I started to have lower back pain and phases of nausea / motion sickness (unusual for me at this time in my cycle). The following week this continued along with sore breasts and nipples, constipation and shooting pains in my pelvis and leg like sciatica (again very unlike me). It was so bad at one point I didn’t sleep for 2 nights as I was so bloated and uncomfortable- I looked 6 months pregnant!
I am aware PMS and early pregnancy have similar symptoms, but these are symptoms I have never experienced before and are unusual for me . I have a dull pulling pain in the left side of my abdomen, and the cramps are like butterflies rather than my usual more throbbing PMS cramps. I am also finding myself struggling to concentrate on anything and I am exhausted, my partner has even commented how my behaviour is very unlike me, and the way I feel inside is unlike however I have felt before.
The app advised my period was due on 13/02, but I believe this was data impacted by my unusually earlier period last month. The 13th came and went, with no period. I waited a few days to test but it was negative.
I then decided to wait until day 37 of this cycle to see if this date was a more accurate date for my period based on previous cycles, and still no period. I usually get PMS cramps, bad skin and headaches before my period but I’m not having these symptoms. Instead I am bloated, with back pain, exhaustion and I’m flicking between eating everything in sight and then feeling nauseous.
It’s now day 40, no period and a negative pregnancy test today. I’m not looking for false hope but any experience with longer cycles and went to test? As advised outside of contraception I have never missed a period, or even had a late one! I know you scan skip
periods, but I’m fit and healthy, I haven’t been unwell or on any medication recently and I’m not at all stressed. Nothing has changed in my life over the last few months, and nothing different since my last period. So I am very confused! Any similar experiences would be helpful please!