Hi again, I'm new here. I stumbled upon this site doing a google search on my symptoms - mid cycle spotting. I came off BC in mid Dec (4 months ago) and have had a 29d, 31d and 27 day cycle only to be surprised by AF on day 20 last cycle. I happened to have an appt with a new OBGYN (just moved to a new area and am testing out options) five days later so I asked him about it. He tested my blood for pregnancy and did a PAP since it had been 6 mos since my last, all just in case. Wasn't pregnant and the PAP came back normal so he concluded that it's just my cycle normalizing after the BC.

This cycle I started spotting yesterday on day 14 but it wasn't the same color as AF, it was light pink and slightly tan almost. I've read about spotting during implantation but I got like 4-5 spots in my undies and that seemed like a lot. I got two more spots today (day 15 of my cycle). I also had some sharp like pains in my lower left abdomen along with some pulling - stuff I've never experienced before. I read some previous posts on here and many mentioned IB but happening many days after ovulation; the most I can be after ovulation is day 6 and that's if I'm going to have another 20 days cycle.

A part of me is a bit excited that it could be implantation but I've also read some posts about miss-implantation causing bleeding as well as having an infection. So I'm a bit freaked out. Should I just wait it out or call the doctor yet again?? Anyone experience spotting as early as 5 days after ovulation?

Thanks for reading if you got this far and for any input you are willing to share!!!

its it possible you have miscounted your ovulation??? Do you know when you ovulated this cycle??

Totally! My cycles haven't been regular since coming off the pill but the earliest I could have ovulated was 6 days ago, assuming my last 20 day cycled is repeating itself. For all I know I haven't even ovulated!!

Hmmm...its hard to tell I say take a hpt in a few days and if you get a bfn , you might wanna invest in bbt charting, and OPK'ing until you see a pattern (i'd pick some of those up asap incase you haven't O'd yet). my suggestion is to allow your self some more time to get to know your body now that your off BC, its like sitting in a hot tub for an hour and then jumping in a pool, your body is in shock! its been use to preventing pregnancy for so long and now your asking it to get pregnant?! How dare you??? lol start jotting down anything changes you notice throughout your cycle, cramps, pains, sore bbs, back ache, fatigue, etc... in about two months you should notice a pattern and it will be much eaiser to know when your ovulating...hey look at me last month I was convinced i was feeling pregnancy symptoms when in reality i was ovulating, eventually I realized i had been missing my ovulation the entire 5 months prior in ttc!!!

I agree with petesgirl. You need to give your body time to get into a pattern if once your test it is a BFN. I am in a similar situation as I have been off BC since September last year and my body is still getting used to not taking that little pill each day. I have had every symptom in the book. I had a little spotting my first cycle but each cycle after I have had nothing until AF except for this cycle where I had spotting CD 23 - 25. I am now on CD 38 with no sign of AF. (i have tested and get a BFN) My last cycles were - 56, 52, 35 and 33. I think it is just going to take time for my body to get into a pattern. I have been doing research and found that with some BC/people the liver can be tricked into thinking that the hormones from the pill are still in your system for up to a year (I read this for Microgynon 30 which is what I was on).

It looks like I just have to be patient but at the same time I am using OKPs and temping so I can pinpoint ovulation. After being on the pill for 10 years I would have liked my doctor to approach me about differnt methods of birth control (ironically they did this as I was planning to come of in order to TTC!)

Def test in a few days and if it is a BFN then as petesgirl says chart all your symptoms in order to get used to your cycles.

Hope you do get that BFP!

i also agree with petesgirl

i came off BC in december (had been off it a while and then decided to go back on it and then literally a fw weeks later OH finally suggested we start ttc, so it was a confusion for my body!)

first cycle was 42 days +
second 29
third 35 days.

i started noting down all my 'symptoms' and im now able to identify which ones are PMS!!

my body was very good at fooling me into thinking i was pregnant the first and second cycle......the third i was able to identify 'symptoms' i had experienced in previous cycles......... (got my but two days later i got negatives, think i experienced a chemical )

id say def use OPKs.........im sure that i didnt ov on the first cycle at all.......this wil be my first cycle using them and at least ill be able to tell when im ov and when the tww starts.

good luck!!

Thanks ladies!

I was away all weekend visiting a friend, but I'm so glad to get back on here tonight to see all this great feedback! Thank you for all the positive thoughts

Petesgirl, I have been BBT charting but I keep going up and down every few days…my BBT isn't constant. Goes from like 97.8 to 98.5 every 2-3 days. I'm also using iPeriod, which is an application on my phone that allows me to track all kinds of symptoms including CM and BBT. But I don't feel like there are any patterns yet which is why I'm frustrated. But you're right, I should be more patient as it is a shock for my body. Good luck to you!

HelsBels, I'm so glad to hear someone else is in my shoes! Tho a bit sad to hear it could take up to a year!!! I'm 34 and I really dread that whole 35 age group…but I'll get back to tracking things daily and try to be more patient Good luck getting your cycles in order as well

Pomeranian, how crazy! I guess I should look into OPKs…I've been charting my BBT and the first two months I tracked symptoms and CM but sort of stopped. I'll get back on it.

Thank you all again. And good luck! I'll do an HPT tomorrow morning I guess to be sure. I stopped spotting today but did spot yesterday still. I wish this all was less confusing!

So I didn't take a HPT because I woke up with a stiff neck (stressed I guess) and forgot to do it with my first urine. However, I got EWCM this morning!!! How confusing is that? I swear my body just doesn't know what day it is at all Just ordered OPKs and hopefully that will shed some light on things.