Listen to Your Body!!!

Written by Arpee on July 10, 2008 – 10:05 pm -

In Monday’s breakthrough bleeding post, I said I was going to listen to my body despite the Saturday advice of one of the Texas Fertility Center’s staff to expect my period a few days AFTER the active Loestrin pills and that I was only breakthrough bleeding.

Afterwards, I googled my question in - how to differentiate the breakthrough bleeding with the real menstrual flow if they overlap? Seems like this question has not been asked. However, what I discovered is that breakthrough bleeding is common with Loestrin (and a lot of the birth control pills) on the first 3 cycles. Somehow, I convinced myself that it was indeed breakthrough bleeding that I had. And that my real flow will just follow after a few days…

Well by Wednesday, my bleeding was starting to weaken, while I should be starting the real menstrual flow. So theoretically, I should be getting a stronger flow. My doubts returned - I do not want the July cycle to become a missed opportunity to try to conceive!!!

So, I followed my instinct and called the center yesterday Wednesday.

I told the RN that these were my observations and that I was still confused when to expect my regular menstrual flow:

7/3 Thursday - Spotting
7/4 Friday - Weak bleeding (purportedly, breakthrough bleeding), but similar to previous weak flows supposedly due to the pills
7/5 Saturday - Still weak bleeding (with lower back dull pain)
7/6 Sunday - Still weak bleeding (with blood clots). Last active Loestrin pill taken Sunday morning.
7/7 Monday - Still weak bleeding (with blood clots).
7/8 Tuesday - Bleeding starts to weaken.
7/9 Wednesday - Very weak bleeding.

At first, she wanted me to wait until Friday to see if my regular menstrual flow would come. Then she must have felt that I was still concerned, so she said that it was up to me since I know my body better - whether or not I had or was having a flow already. Well, that’s why I called, right??? Because I was confused! For someone like me who have had irregular periods my whole life, I can’t really say what’s normal or not!

Anyway, after I mentioned that I blood clots, she made the call to bring me in today Thursday.

Have you had a similar experience where your physiological observation does not match the textbook description and you felt that you were right anyway? What did you do? Did you follow your instinct?

June 2008 cycle (6/2 - 7/6): 34 days