Charting Experts: Your Opinion Please....

[hopingforbaby1]

I determined that I'm definitely not pregnant, even though I have no signs of AF arriving tomorrow when she is due. I have too many negative (and sensitive) PG tests to think otherwise.

Anyway, I have a few questions for the charting gods.

1) Is it possible to spot for 6 days and then still get AF as usual? I suppose anything is possible.

2) What might have caused the spotting? Is it a tip-off that something might be wrong? This is the first cycle I have ever had spotting between one AF and the next.

3) Last question, if I don't get AF in a day or two what should I do with my chart? Should I count the spotting as AF, or start cd1 when AF would have been due, or continue as if it were the same cycle??

Thanks so much for your help ladies, you're all lifesavers.
My Chart: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/166c7a

[BC-Maura]

Hi Krysi: Here is my shot at some answers!

1. Yes, it's possible to spot for days leading up to AF. It could signal low progesterone. Have you had your prog. tested (sorry if you've told me already!)? I notice your temps came down near and below your coverline a few times.. this might mean low progesterone as well.

2. As mentioned above, spotting sometimes means low progesterone. If progesterone is too low, the uterine lining isn't sustained and begins to shed prematurely.

3. How heavy is the spotting? If it's just spotting, I'd continue to chart and consider this all part of the current cycle. If it turns to red flow, then I'd call that day cd 1. And if you never get red flow, I'd call your doctor and let him/her know.

Good luck and keep us posted++++++++
Maura

[JulieB2]

Ditto to everything Maura said! (she's so smert! )

I spot for several days before AF and my RE says that its most likely due to low progesterone and thats one of the things we'll be testing with a 7dpo blood draw (whenever this neverending cycle...ends).

Good luck and +++ thoughts!

[BC-DKNY]

hi krysi......my answers would've been exactly as maura's are. my first thought was to have your progesterone checked. your spotting, in conjunction with lower temps could be indicative of this.

[hopingforbaby1]

Thanks ladies, I appreciate the help.

Last month I had blood work because I was being screened for PCOS (tests were negative! yay!) and although I didn't chart last month, the bloodwork would have been 7-8dpo if I ovulated when I normally do. I didn't get the actual quatitative results from the tests, my doctor just told me that everything was fine..... I know that they tested my progesterone too. I'm going to call the doctors office on Monday to see if I can get a copy of the actual hormone levels detected when they tested me so I can know exactly what my progesterone was on that day. I'll post the level when I know. What is normal for 7-8dpo anyway?

Now that I know what I know, I have another question. If low progesterone levels are what is causing this, could they have been low all the long without causing spotting or low temps? I just don't understand why it would start this cycle all of a sudden. I have an appointment with my ob/gyn on Nov. 8 so I will be asking her all of these questions then too. If my dh's doctor ever gets around to sending in that referral to the RE, I'll be able to ask him.

Thanks again for the help!

[BC-DKNY]

krysi...generally a normal progest level indicating O has taken place is 10 and above. if your doc said your tests came back normal, then i wouldn't think this is the issue or has been. it could just be an "off" nonth for you, it happens.

here's a link for a chart for normal hormone levels:
http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html

have you had a thyrpid panel done at all? an out of balance thyroid could also account for low temps and cycle distrubances.

also, i just realized in your sig that you're currently in your 14th cycle, of which you've had 4 pos's? am i interpreting this correctly? and that's with BMS with MF?

i would think they'd be testing you for recurring m/c's? to conceive 4x in 14 mos is not at all indicative of an "IF" issue. did your doc ever discuss testing specifically for recurring pg loss? maybe immune testing, or an endo biopsy?

[hopingforbaby1]

Thanks Dina,

When I was screened for PCOS, they tested all of my hormone levels, did a full thyroid panel, checked for diabetes, and checked cholesterol levels (I might have missed something) All of it came back fine.

Yes, you interpreted my signature correctly. Over 14 unmedicated cycles at home doing ICI, I have had 2 early miscarriages and 2 chemical pregnancies. My first miscarriage was at 6 weeks, and was early enough that I didn't need to have a D&C. Our doctor assured us that it was a fluke, and probably would never happen again, so we had no testing done. A few cycles later (after a break from TTC) I conceived again only to lose the baby at 9 weeks. Our doctor told us that they didn't do any testing until you had three miscarriages, so still no answers. Since then I've had 2 chemicals, they didn't count as miscarriages so we still weren't tested for anything. My dh's doctor says dh's sperm are so fragmented that they can't produce a normal embryo even though they can fertilize the egg, and assured us that I was not the problem, once again without any testing.

We're currently waiting for an appointment with an RE so we can actually get things sorted out. In the meantime we're still TTC at home.