Could I Be Pregnant?

[livepositive]

Hi everyone, I am new to posting in forums and new to this "trying to conceive" part of my life, so I wanted to ask for some thoughts on my current, specific situation instead of just googling.

My fiance and I are not actively trying to conceive but we aren't preventing it either. I stopped taking birth control in December and last month my cycle finally averaged out to 28 days. My next period isn't/wasn't due until this upcoming Saturday (4/12) but on Monday (4/7) I saw some very light pink blood when I wiped (not a lot at all). Yesterday I had dark blood/discharge with some lower back pain and today I still have the dark blood/discharge but now it seems to be getting a little heavier, but not an actual period flow like I usually get. Before I was on birth control my periods were always very heavy.

I am currently still experiencing lower back pain and some cramping. When I used an implantation calculator it said that the most common day implantation would have occurred for me (with the first day of my last period starting on 3/15) would have been Monday, April 7th. I got really excited thinking that perhaps what I was experiencing was implantation bleeding, but now I am bleeding more, but not as much as a normal period. I am extremely confused and feeling a little sad that perhaps I got my hopes up. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice for me? Thank you all.

 

[purplecupcake]

Take a test.

 

[livepositive]

I think it's an early period because it got heavier. :'(

 

[Khigg19]

Sorry babe! AF got me yesterday. So bummed, but ready to start over.

 

[livepositive]

It's really frustrating! I know I have to have patience since I only stopped taking my birth control in December after being on it for almost 7 years, but there are some people who get pregnant if they miss ONE PILL!! [sigh] I started taking prenatals because I heard that helps with conception and getting your body healthy and ready. Any other hints/tips other than those ovulation tests? I think those made me a little crazy and quite frankly I don't think they worked for me. I never got a line "as dark or darker" than the reference line or whatever it was. I also have a thyroid condition that I heard can mess up fertility but I am on synthroid and it should be under control and not have too much of a negative effect. Again...frustrating!

 

[Khigg19]

Have you confirmed O with other methods (temping, cm, cp, or even symptoms)? I agree, I'm not a fan of OPKs for a couple reasons. I get O symptoms, they stress me out, sex feels scheduled, and I'm ridiculously hydrated so I can only test with SMU.

I don't have all the answers otherwise, I'd be pregnant right now I stopped my bcp feb 8th and have had two 29 day cycles. I really think it just takes time and patience. With that being said, I dread ttc for much longer.

 

[livepositive]

I have not tried other ways of tracking my ovulation...I am not even sure I know how or what I am looking for. I am sorry if I am not well-versed in the acronyms, this is all new to me. Like you, I don't want sex to feel scheduled or as if my fiance is just a sperm donor. I just hate the disappointment month after month.

All this being said however, this most recent period was weird. I only had one, maybe one and half days of heavy bleeding. Yesterday, my period basically ended and I have that dark spotting again. I know it may sound ridiculous and I just want to have that BFP so badly, but maybe I should test? I am still feeling that lower back pain and some slight cramping. I don't know...who made the period symptoms and the pregnancy symptoms so similar? That was just mean!

 

[Khigg19]

Test once more to ease your mind. Especially since it was an off period and a week early. If it's BFN then time to start counting cycle days and start over. Sorry this journey has been so frustrating for you.

Checking your cervical mucus (cm) is one way women know ovulation is close/going to occur. It will be egg white cm (ewcm) when you are ovulating. Some women notice it in their panties, others have to kind of search for it.

Checking cervical position (cp) is another way to tell. You should start after your period throughout your entire cycle. You'll notice it starts low and hard (will feel like the tip of your nose). Before ovulation it will be soft, high, open, and wet (SHOW) (will feel like the soft or spongy like your lips). You could google a few tutorials if you're not sure what's what.

Temping is another way to confirm O. I haven't tried it though. You get a basal body thermometer (BBT) and take your temp every morning (after you've had at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep and before you get out of bed). You then chart those temps. When your temp rises, that's your O sign.

The days before ovulation and the day of ovulation are the important days to get busy. If you feel like you aren't producing enought cm that could be the issue. That fluid helps propell the sperm. There are sperm friendly lubes you could try (preseed is one).

 

[SamStormchase]

Hi Livepositive hugs - Khigg is right, doing your temps really helps and charting you'll begin to find a pattern. Basal Body Temp (temperature at rest) drops at ovulation and jumps up afterwards, sustains a high temp until AF or if it's sustained for a long time, it will usually indicate pregnancy.

That crosschecked with your cervical mucus, and maybe OPKs, and ferning test (microscope test - really amazed me this cycle) will really get you knowing your body and how it works.

Don't be discouraged though - being on bc for 7 years will have messed your body up somewhat (not in a bad way), and will take you time to readjust. Can take some women up to 18months. People who've been on it fewer years readjust usually quicker, but it's still a mystery how anyone gets pregnant, to me!

Just for now, I'd relax, have regular sex, take folic acid and supplements to keep you at top health and good luck.

Huge hugs

 

[livepositive]

Joining this forum has been extremely helpful and supportive. I appreciate everyone's help.

I went ahead and tested and it was a BFN.

I've read about the cm being a sign of ovulation, but I don't know if I am just lacking in that department or what...I will try tracking my temperature, do I need to purchase a specific thermometer? The only thing I have had to really go off of is guesstimating the time of ovulation: around the 14th day.

Here I go again...I am going to try to be positive and say this is our month!

 

[Khigg19]

Yup, it's a basal body thermometer. You can find it at your local drug store with the pregnancy test and OPKs. It's $10 at my store.

 

[SamStormchase]

Hi hun, yeah guestimating is no good really. People often say the 14th day, but I Od on the 9th day last cycle. Everyone is different and every cycle can be different too.

Look for a basal body digital thermometer, and do it as soon as you wake up - vaginally is best as other areas of the body can alter depending on environment.

CM can be looked at in many ways - if it's difficult for you to get a sample on your fingers from going in and gently getting what you can from your cervix (I can't do that as my disability means my fingers are fused into a fist in my skin), you can check from wiping after a bowel movement, or sometimes getting some from just inside the vagina.

When you're infertile (and I mean not time of ovulation and best days to conceive) your CM will be eithe non-existent, or sticky, sometimes creamy (conceptions are possible but it's more difficult) - the most fertile CM is slippery, and wet and very stretchy usually - it should be almost practically the same consistency as semen as this is the CM that sperm can swim in and survive in best.

If you are lacking in CM, there are meds you can take to help this, and as Khigg said there's also pre-seed lubricant that you put inside yourself before sex and it mimics the CM required for sperm to move in well around your cervix.

But, give it time. You've been on the pill a long time so just try and be patient. Maybe start doing your BBTs (Basal Body Temperatures) and see if you notice any patterns with that. ONE or TWO temps different to the 'average' on your charts aren't anything significant, you'll be looking for a pattern... a good dip in temp when you O, then a rise, it should stay high and then dip for your period.

Fertility Friend is excellent and gives fab advice too. x

 

[livepositive]

I bought a basal temperature thermometer and that preseed stuff...it comes with an applicator! I feel like that is awkward haha. Anyway, I am going to try it all. This morning my temperature was 97.92 I guess that is normal. What temperature should I be looking for?

 

[mrshan]

I bought a basal temperature thermometer and that preseed stuff...it comes with an applicator! I feel like that is awkward haha. Anyway, I am going to try it all. This morning my temperature was 97.92 I guess that is normal. What temperature should I be looking for?

The temperature isn't important, just the pattern of temperatures over the course of the cycle. You'll want to take your temperature at the same time of day as much as possible, and like Sam said, take it as soon as you wake up before you do anything else. Getting up and going to pee is going to raise your temp above your basal body temp and will throw off your results.

Good luck, and don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. I'm still figuring it out, and this is my first full cycle temping.

 

[livepositive]

I woke up this morning and took my temperature first thing. I made note of it and I will keep tracking it. How significant of a raise in temperature will I know that I am most likely ovulating?

 

[mrshan]

My chart is on the bottom of my signature, and where there are red crosshairs, that's when I O'd. You'll be looking for a temperature increase that jumps up and stays high for three days in a row.

This is my first month, so I'm still learning a lot and definitely not an expert.

 

[oregoon]

Live, I've heard that you need to see at least .04 degree jump up for it to be considered a temp spike. Mine usually are a whole degree

 

[livepositive]

Alright ladies, this is really great info!! Thank you! Is fertility friend a place I can track my temps?

 

[oregoon]

Yep yep! Fertility friend, ovia, countdowntopregnancy.com are all ones I've used that are good

 

[livepositive]

Here is a question for everyone...is it possible to have TOO much sex? In other words, maybe we should save it for my fertile week? We tend to do it a lot....