One day period? TMI ahead...sorry

[Lanie]

I don''t know where to post thiis...I thought about the Family, Home thread, but I don''t know.

I''ve been off BC since February. Wedding was just 3 weeks ago. We aren''t trying to get preggers yet. My average time between periods was 2-3 months, and they would last 4-5 days. Well, I got what I think/thought was my period yesterday. It came out of NOWHERE because it was 23 days since my last period. It literally lasted maybe an hour. It came when I went to the bathroom, and then I haven''t seen it again. And I thought it was going to be a bad one! It''s so weird. It''s like it never happened.

I would think I was possibly pregnant, but my DH and I didn''t DTD for 3 weeks until the wedding, and I got my period the Tuesday before the wedding, so I haven''t even had time to ovulate since it''s only been 3 weeks!

Has anyone else had this before? A one day period? Am I reading too much into it?

 

[newsboysgrl777]

Hey Lanie,

I'm reading the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility and I just read a section that says some women get mid-cycle spotting because of the changes in the levels of estrogen. I'm not sure exactly why this is...I thought I saw something that said this could cause some of the uterine lining to shed (but only a small portion of it?), but I'm not entirely sure if that's accurate. Anyway, it's completely 'normal' to experience this...

That being said, since your cycles seem so irregular (simply meaning they aren't the 'avg. length,' they're longer) and you experienced this 'bleeding,' you may want to see a doc or at least read up on this, as it could mean something else entirely. Not sure WHAT it could be, but I just read a section of the book last night that talked about if you have abnormal bleeding, it could be from something such as endometriosis(?) which is your lining starts to form outside of the uterus, or some other disorder. I'm NOT saying you've got that or anything else, but just wanted to mention it.

Also, just wanted to say that if you were to start taking your temp every morning as soon as you wake up (but before you get up) and chart that, you can pretty much tell when you've ovulated because your temp will shoot up after ovulation. (In the book, the avg temps I've seen are 97.5/.6/.7, etc. and then after ovulation occurs, it'll go up to 98.3/.4/.5 ... that kind of thing.) So then you'll know if you HAVE ovulated or not. Who knows? Maybe you have and that's also why you experienced bleeding? (The book says some women will experience bleeding during ovulation...) Also, maybe your body is regulating...so you'll have shorter cycles instead of the 2-3 months between menstruation?

Hope I've helped and not made it MORE complicated for you.

PS Oh, another thing I thought of is that the book says it's perfectly normal to experience some spotting/bleeding after intercourse, after a pap test/pelvic exam, etc. Did any of these events occur?

ETA: Found a section in the book that says the following (this could totally pertain to you): "Ovulatory Spotting. Simply stated, some women have a day or two of light bleeding right around ovulation. Not only is this spotting normal, but it's a secondary fertility sign that can help identify where they are in their cycle. It's usually the result of sudden drop of estrogen just before ovulation and tends to occur more often in long cycles".

 

[newsboysgrl777]

I don't know if this is going to help, but I went to the page about abnormal bleeding and I'm going to copy a portion of it that might pertain?

"Abnormal Bleeding

Your periods should typically follow a pattern of increasing and decreasing in flow or just decreasing from a heavy flow on Day 1. In either case, your pattern will probably look somewhat similar to one of the two mentioned on page 232[*]. If they aren't, or if you have what is referred to as postmenstrual brown bleeding, defined as two or more days of brown or even black bleeding at the tail end of your period, it is probably caused by an irregular shedding of the endometrium and small fragments of endometrial tissue, the result of suboptimal luteal function in the prior cycle. It is usually treated by focusing on supporting your luteal phase, as discussed on pages 178 and 179[+].

Another possible cause of premenstrual spotting is endometriosis, a condition that can cause heavy menstrual bleeding or irregular bleeding between periods. If you note other unexplainable bleeding, you should consider getting a diagnosis because it could be caused by hormonal imbalances such as thyroid problems, excess estrogen or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom [(PCOS)], to name just a few. Fortunately, most cases of abnormal bleeding are also accompanied by other symptoms.

Finally, you should be particularly alert to such signs as cramping or abdominal pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, fevers and chills, or any kind of pain during urination or intercourse. Such symptoms, when accompanied by abnormal bleeding, could be characteristic of a variety of conditions, from pelvic infections to various STIs. And even without other symptoms, erratic heavy bleeding could be due to fibroids or other more serious conditions, all of which require medical attention." (Taking Charge of your Fertility, Toni Weschler, MPH)

*Light -->heavy -->medium -->light -->very light
Heavy -->heavy -->medium -->medium -->light

+If you'd like me to go to those pages and read/copy what it says there, let me know

Again, not sure if ANY of this is helpful, but I just wanted to copy down what she says is abnormal vs. what you've experienced, which could be very normal!

 

[Lanie]

Newsboygirl...you are a DOLL. Thank so much for typing all of that out! I need to get that book!

Don't know what it is, but I made an appt for Oct 1st with my gyno. It definitely wasn't spotting...it looked like full on period. Then it just stopped. Thanks so much for your help though! I want to get all of this taken care of bc when we DO decide to TTC, I want to be fully aware of everything. Waiting for years and years to conceive is not a luxury for me (31 years old) and I don't want to waste any of it!

 

[kama_s]

Date: 8/14/2009 8:38:32 AM
Author:Lanie


, so I haven't even had time to ovulate since it's only been 3 weeks!

Hi Lanie, gyno is definitely your best bet. But I just wanted to say that it's not necessary that you didn't ovulate. A lot of women have irregular cycles once they get off the BC, so a full 23 day cycle is possibe and what you had was just a really small period (also happens when you get off the pill).

The other possibility is implantation bleeding, although the bleeding isn't usually heavy. Implantation bleeding normally occurs around 6-10 days post ovulation.

 

[DMBFiredancer]

The times I DO get a period, which is very rare, it usually is only 1 day. The doctors have not figured out why this is for me...we''ve done ultrasounds and tests but came up with nothing. I still worry about it even though my doc tells me not to.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Or it could just be a fluke occurrence. I went off BCP last September and I have a "like clockwork" 28-day average cycle. I clearly see when I''m ovulating, I get PMS, etc....The past few months (maybe 4 or so) I''ve noticed that I have a very short period. Like a day, maybe 2 at most. But when I bleed I BLEED! I saw my doc last week and she said it was normal and OK (as it seems to be a consistent thing-not like I''m hemorrhaging or anything). All that matters is that you bled, different people have different amounts of endometrial lining and their body''s slough it at different rates. So if you suspect you''re PG, take a test. Otherwise I wouldn''t worry about it unless you have SUPER heavy flow (like you go through more than one Super Ab tampon in an hour. When I say I bleed heavily, I go through a super in 4 hours.

 

[honey22]

Date: 8/14/2009 12:57:13 PM
Author: DMBFiredancer
The times I DO get a period, which is very rare, it usually is only 1 day. The doctors have not figured out why this is for me...we''ve done ultrasounds and tests but came up with nothing. I still worry about it even though my doc tells me not to.

I am sorry, but I would be getting a second opinion, with a specialist gynaecologist. This isn''t normal and you could have a hell of a time getting preggo if you want to. Just because a doctor can''t find the reason doesn''t mean it''s ok.

 

[DMBFiredancer]

Date: 8/14/2009 6:48:03 PM
Author: honey22

Date: 8/14/2009 12:57:13 PM

Author: DMBFiredancer

The times I DO get a period, which is very rare, it usually is only 1 day. The doctors have not figured out why this is for me...we''ve done ultrasounds and tests but came up with nothing. I still worry about it even though my doc tells me not to.

I am sorry, but I would be getting a second opinion, with a specialist gynaecologist. This isn''t normal and you could have a hell of a time getting preggo if you want to. Just because a doctor can''t find the reason doesn''t mean it''s ok.

Thank you for saying this. I was starting to feel the same way, but I do love my doctor and I guess I just felt bad second guessing him. I am going next week and I am going to ask for a referral. I dont plan on having kids, but I do want to make sure I am healthy.
Thanks again!

 

[Izzy03]

Lanie,

The absolute BEST thing to do would be to see your doctor, but in the meantime I would strongly suggest going to the drug store and picking up a home pregnancy test just for a piece of mind. Most women ovulate within 10-20 days into their cycle so three weeks (lets say 21 days) is actually PLENTY of time for you to have ovulated. In the past when I have gone off the pill, I would go 2-3 months without a period, then BAM all of a sudden I would have my period twice in one month! Erratic periods are quite common for months after quitting the pill, but it sounds to me like your cycles are finally starting to get back on a natural path.

Many pregnant women experience bleeding, which tends to be much shorter and lighter than a period, so there is a possibility that you experienced a false period (or implantation bleeding). You are probably not pregnant, but taking a quick home pregnancy test would make me feel much better if I were in your situation.

As for using the fertility awarness method and charting, I highly recommend it! I went off the pill in May and I have really been able to tell what is going on with my body. I would have taken about two-thee pregnancy tests in the past two months, but I didn't have to because my fertility signs all told me what was going on in there! Based on my basal body temperature alone I guessed that my period would start today........and it did! Too cool

 

[Lanie]

Thanks everyone for the replies! It turned out not to be just one day. It stopped for several hours, and it''s back. Weird. But at least it''s light.

I went and bought a basal body temp therm and I''m going to start charting everything TOMORROW! That''s such a nice feeling to know when stuff is happening (like you said Izzy!)

 

[cindygenit]

Date: 8/17/2009 3:35:25 PM
Author: Lanie
Thanks everyone for the replies! It turned out not to be just one day. It stopped for several hours, and it''s back. Weird. But at least it''s light.

I went and bought a basal body temp therm and I''m going to start charting everything TOMORROW! That''s such a nice feeling to know when stuff is happening (like you said Izzy!)

Lanie, this happened to me once, 2 weeks after i finished my period.

I''m hoping its the ovulation thing. I don''t take any BC pills.

 

[honey22]

Date: 8/15/2009 3:50:43 PM
Author: DMBFiredancer

Date: 8/14/2009 6:48:03 PM

Author: honey22

Date: 8/14/2009 12:57:13 PM


Author: DMBFiredancer


The times I DO get a period, which is very rare, it usually is only 1 day. The doctors have not figured out why this is for me...we''ve done ultrasounds and tests but came up with nothing. I still worry about it even though my doc tells me not to.

I am sorry, but I would be getting a second opinion, with a specialist gynaecologist. This isn''t normal and you could have a hell of a time getting preggo if you want to. Just because a doctor can''t find the reason doesn''t mean it''s ok.

Thank you for saying this. I was starting to feel the same way, but I do love my doctor and I guess I just felt bad second guessing him. I am going next week and I am going to ask for a referral. I dont plan on having kids, but I do want to make sure I am healthy.

Thanks again!

No probs at all! I guess I am very pro-active when it comes to my health. If I have any concerns regarding my cycles, fertility etc, I go straight to my gyno and don''t even bother with a GP. Life is too short not to take control.

Hope everything is ok!