I am really looking for advice, I know I try to give advice to others but never listen to myself...
I had my period October 30-November 2/3rd (On birth control) If i use this as my base my ovulation date would've been around the 17th?
BUT...
I also came off birth control last month, which caused me to have a three/four day period right about November 8th and it ended on the 11th. If i use this as my base my ovulation date would've been the 22nd of november, correct?
Not going to lie, and don't mean TMI, but I have a lot of sex and was sexually active through both of those supposed ovulation date. I am using the later as my base, because I feel it is more accurate. My body is pretty normal, usually a 5 day period every month (even before birth control). I keep my life stress free so I am trying not to worry about this because honestly it wouldn't be bad thing but it wouldn't be the best...
I have been noticing little things though, which i think may be symptoms of pregnancy such as: I feel nauseous at different times of the day, i have weird cravings (like buffalo sauce, which i like but never crave), now this part is tricky... i have more back pain then normal (i suffer from scoliosis, so i can't contribute all of it as a symptom because I just can't be sure), i have lower abdominal cramping at various times of the day... slight, but noticeable, i feel like i have to urinate more often, i usually sleep on my stomach and now it is uncomfortable, i also.. here's more TMI am constipated... I normally go to the bathroom once a day for that, but now its every other to every third day...
and usually right before my period i break out, and i haven't yet.
I am quite a paranoid person and am just looking for advice before I go out and buy a test...
What do you think I should do? Does it sound like I may be pregnant? Should I wait a few more days to see if I get my period? Should I go out and buy a test today?
Any opinions are greatly appreciated.
Dear AtomicLove
Not TMI; rather NEI!
- You cannot use your period as a base without knowing your regular cycle length.
- You ovulate about a fortnight before a period starts. More correctly, your period starts a fortnight after ovulation.
- If you had a period starting 30th Oct
- With a 28-day cycle you could expect to ovulate on about 13th Nov (Cycle Day 15). Your next period would have been expected on 27th Nov, triggered by ovulation 14 days previously.
- Expecting ovulation to be 17th Nov (CD 19), you would be working on a 32-day cycle. Your next period would have been expected on 1st Dec, triggered by ovulation 14 days previously.
- However, being on 'the pill', you would not expect to ovulate! In any case, you would also be working on a 28-day cycle using 21 or 28 pills.
- You came off 'the pill' in November, but you don't say when, nor what pill you were on. However it may well have destabilised your cycle so that ovulation would be difficult to predict. It might have happened immediately ... or not. A sudden stopping of birth control pills can cause vaginal bleeding similar to menstruation. If such bleeding occurs, your whole cycle is disturbed and it would be difficult to predict your next period and ovulation.
- If your cycle started as a 28-day cycle on 8th Nov, then you would expect your next period to have been 6th December, with ovulation having have taken place 22nd Nov (as you surmised). However you might not have ovulated at all! By today (8th Dec) it is estimated that 80% HPTs would show positive if pregnant, but there could well be a false negative.
- A positive result of test today might indicate you are pregnant. A negative result you not tell you anything (except that you need to take another test!). I suggest leaving it another few days. Too many assumptions!
- I'm concerned about your constipation, however. Not eliminating for 3 days needs attention. That could be causing your nauseous symptoms as well as the feeling for urination. I don't know what the effect of over-consumption of Buffalo sauce does to you. Some have suggested it has the opposite effect of constipation. Some say it upsets your stomach and that it's just as painful exiting as entering!!
I hope this helps a bit. I'll go and lie down in a darkened room now.
lol thank you! and the constipation might have been exaggerated a bit.
I was on ortho-tricyclene? i am not 100% about the spelling. I have been off and on it for a few years, my doctors do know this. I don't know why but I completely forgot about the whole birth control prevents ovulation, I guess i am just a worry wart, haha. And I never started a new pack after my last official period so we'll say the 4th of november. I did not just stop in the middle of a pack.
My cycle is/was/has always been 28 days.. like clockwork ever since I started.
But thank you for your reply, it really has eased my mind.. Thinking I will give it another couple of days.
Ortho Tri-Cyclen has 21 active pills and sometimes an additional 7 inactive pills. The inactive pills are equivalent to taking a 7-day break.
I think it is still uncertain whether, or even when, you ovulated. So leaving another couple of days is a good idea.
Sorry you're having a hard time with your bowels!
I am glad I eased your mind ... but I'm not sure what I can do about easing the other end!
Take Care.
I took a test today, well two... one was broken.... it said pregnant (got a digital one). Will probably take a different type/another test tomorrow because of the reviews I read online about clear blue digital.
Dear AtomicLove
If tomorrow's test is positive, a blood test seems in order.
I hope all goes well for you.
PS. what is a digital pregnancy?
clear blue digital. it says pregnant or not pregnant so there is no confusion.
Sorry AtomicLove, I was trying to lighten the tense situation slightly, but my humour fell flat!