Period talk: Questions and advice

I know I’m supposed to be taking them, but honestly, they just don't sit right with me—I feel absolutely terrible whenever I do.
It’s this exhausting cycle where the second I stop, things seem to stabilize for a bit, but then my cycle starts drifting later and later each month. Eventually, after being off birth control for over a year, I end up missing a whole month entirely. So, I find myself cycling back and forth: taking the pills for a few months, stopping, waiting, and repeating the whole mess.
In the past, I always felt fine once I finished a pack, so why on earth am I feeling this way now?!?!??!?!?!?!?!
The deal is, I’ve been diagnosed with PCOS and some hormonal deficiencies, which is the whole reason I’m on the pill in the first place.
And to top it all off, I still haven't even started my period yet!?!?!?!??!?!?

Kimberly Barrett83 said:I should be taking them, but they just don't sit right with me—I feel terrible when I do.
When I stop, things seem to normalize, though my cycle gets slightly late every month until it eventually hits a point where it's over a month late (this happens after being off birth control for more than a year). Then, I'll go back on them for a few months, then stop again, and so on.
It was always fine after the pill before, so why is it different now?!?!??!?!?!?!?!
Yeah, I have PCOS and some hormonal deficiencies, which is why I'm on the pill.
And I still haven't gotten my period?!?!?!??!?!?

Not sure what the catch is. But honestly, playing "on/off" with hormones doesn't seem like the smartest move—it basically shocks your system. And isn't it possible your period is MIA specifically because you keep messing with it like that???

Kimberly Barrett83 said:I really should be taking them, but they just don't sit right with me. I don't feel great after taking them.

Have you thought about trying a different brand to see if another one works better for you?

Bumping this thread so I don't have to start a whole new one.
So, does anyone else deal with spotting? I can't wrap my head around what it actually is... Google isn't exactly giving me clear answers here.
I've been dealing with it forever. First happened when I was 23, around day 10 of my cycle. Then nothing for a few months, then it popped up again, then nothing, and now it's back on day 15. My OB-GYN says it’s just normal ovulation bleeding... but I don't get why it happens inconsistently. Someone told me it's because an egg didn't release properly (??), while another site says it's a hormone imbalance...
Then there's pregnancy spotting, but from what I gather, that usually hits right around when you'd expect your period...
And then there's implantation bleeding, which happens about 10 days after conception...
It's hard to know what's actually going on when it happens.
I'm not on any hormonal birth control, though we've stopped using protection here and there, so I guess that's why I'm overthinking which type of spotting this is...
And btw, I'm not asking if I'm pregnant, just curious to hear your thoughts and experiences with this stuff.

Linda Rodriguez38 said:Just bumping this thread instead of starting a whole new one.
So, does anyone else deal with this "spotting" thing? I honestly have no clue what it actually is... Google isn't helping much at all.
I've been dealing with it forever. First happened when I was 23, around day 10 of my cycle. Then nothing, then it pops up again after 2 or 3 cycles, then silence, and now here we are. Day 15. My OB-GYN says it's just normal ovulation bleeding... but I don't get why it happens, or why it doesn't happen every single time. Someone told me it's because an egg didn't release properly (??)... then another site says it's a hormone imbalance...
Then there's that pregnancy spotting... but from what I can tell, that usually shows up right around when you'd expect your period.
And then there's implantation bleeding... which is supposed to be about 10 days after conception.
So now I'm just sitting here wondering what's going on whenever it happens.
Anyway, I'm not on any hormones, though I have stopped using birth control here and there, so I'm just trying to figure out which type of spotting this even is...
And by the way, I'm not asking if I'm pregnant, I just want to hear your thoughts and experiences with this stuff...

My bad! I don't even know what "spotting" is meant to be... some kind of light bleeding??

hiddentiger20 said:Sorry! I have no clue what "spotting" even means... is that like some kind of light bleeding??

Yeah, basically. It's just those super light little bleeds right in the middle of your cycle—some women get them right when they're ovulating.

Laura Bishop said:Why?
I'm asking because my OB-GYN is suggesting I start birth control to get my cycle under control. When I asked about side effects, he basically told me there aren't any. But then I come on here and read all these posts where women are like, "Never again with the pill!"
So, what gives?

I was on them for almost 10 years. I started for contraception, and when I stopped the first time, everything just went haywire. I ended up having to go back on them just to regulate things. As far as regulating my cycle goes, they definitely helped. I had to stop taking them three months ago, and for the last two months, my period has been right on time—this month it actually showed up four days early. So yeah, if it's just for the cycle, I'm all for it.
The reason I don't want to be on them anymore is because I want my body to function normally. I want to be able to get pregnant one day, and obviously, you can't do that while you're on them.🙂

As for why my cycle didn't return to normal the very first time I quit... I honestly don't know. I think my mental state played a huge role in all of it. After all these years, I can finally say I'm happy with who I am and I'm actually enjoying being myself...🙂

Linda Rodriguez38 said:Just bumping this thread instead of starting a whole new one...
So, does anyone else deal with spotting? I honestly can't wrap my head around what it actually is... Google isn't helping much here...
I've been dealing with it forever. First time was when I was 23, around day 10 of my cycle. Then nothing, then it popped up again after 2 or 3 cycles, then nothing, and now it's happening again. It's day 15. My OBGYN says it's totally normal—just ovulation bleeding... but I don't get why it happens, and why it doesn't happen every single time. Someone told me it's because an egg fails to release (??)... then another site says it's due to hormonal imbalances...
Then there's that spotting during pregnancy... but from what I gather, that usually happens right around when you'd expect your period...
And then there's implantation bleeding... which is about 10 days after conception...
So now you're just left wondering what's going on whenever it hits...
For the record, I'm not on any hormone treatments, though we have paused trying to conceive occasionally, so I'm just trying to figure out which type of spotting this is...
And btw, I'm not asking if I'm pregnant. I just want to hear your thoughts and experiences regarding all this...

I don't personally have experience with spotting, but I have a friend who dealt with it, and it really isn't a big deal. Her doctor told her that the spotting happens mid-cycle during her fertile window, and that only about 11% of Caucasian women experience it. She actually considered herself lucky because it acts like a built-in tracker for her fertile days...🙂
It doesn't even have to happen every month, just every few months or so, not constantly. I know it can be annoying and a total pain, but fundamentally, it’s nothing bad or dangerous...

Linda Rodriguez38 said:Just bumping this thread so I don't have to start a whole new one.
So, does anyone else deal with spotting? I can't quite wrap my head around what it actually signifies... Google hasn't exactly been helpful here.
I've been dealing with it for ages. It first showed up when I was 23, right around day 10 of my cycle. Then nothing for a few months, then it popped up again, then silence, and now it's back on day 15. My OB-GYN tells me it's perfectly normal—just ovulation bleeding—but I don't get why it happens sporadically instead of every single month. Someone once suggested it’s because an egg fails to release (??), while another site blamed hormonal imbalances...
Then there's the spotting that happens during pregnancy... though from what I gather, that usually shows up around the time you'd expect your period.
And then there's implantation bleeding... which supposedly happens about 10 days after conception.
So, whenever I notice spotting, I end up spiraling into all these theories.
For the record, I'm not on any hormone therapy, though we have paused trying to conceive occasionally, which makes me wonder which type of spotting I'm actually experiencing...
And by the way, I'm not asking if I'm pregnant; I'm just curious to hear your thoughts and personal experiences with this stuff...

A few years back, I used to get spotting for about 3 or 4 days right before my period started... eventually, it just seemed to resolve itself. But lately, it's started acting up again. For instance, right after a check-up with my doctor, I noticed some discharge with a little blood, and I immediately started overthinking everything. Then it settled down, and just as I was due for my period—there it was again. Honestly, my ultrasound was fine and my Pap smear came back clear, so I'm trying not to let it stress me out too much anymore. Actually, I've noticed a pattern where it seems to happen more often when I'm under a lot of pressure... I also figure since I'm over 35 now, maybe my hormones aren't playing by the old rules, or my ovulation isn't as consistent. It's a bit discouraging, really...😁... anyway, as long as there isn't an organic cause (like an infection, CIN, polyps, etc.), I'm not doing anything about it.

What’s the deal with getting your period back while breastfeeding? I got mine just five weeks after giving birth—total shocker. Then, the following month, it showed up again after 26 days, but now I'm running about 4 or 5 days late.
Is it actually normal for it to skip a beat right after having two regular cycles postpartum—assuming I'm not pregnant, obviously? 😢

Yes, of course that’s perfectly normal. It’s especially common when you’re breastfeeding. Some women experience this while others manage to have regular cycles even while nursing. That said, when you head in for that first postpartum checkup, just make sure to let your doctor know that your period hasn't returned yet. Generally speaking, things tend to stabilize about two to three months after delivery. Just hang in there and be patient. 🙂

Hi everyone, I’ve noticed some dark discharge lately—it seems pretty intense, though I haven't felt any actual pain or discomfort with it. I have my routine checkups scheduled, and up until now, I haven't really dealt with anything unusual, aside from an ovarian inflammation about six years back. I suppose I'm just wondering what this might indicate and if there's any real reason to be worried. I'd appreciate any insight you might have...

shadowwolf6 said:Hi everyone, I noticed some dark discharge recently. It was pretty intense, but it didn't actually hurt at all. I have my routine checkups scheduled, and I haven't had any issues before (aside from some ovarian inflammation about six years ago). I'm wondering what this could mean—should I be worried? Thanks so much in advance for any help...

Don't panic, but you definitely need to get in to see your OB-GYN. It could just be something like ovarian cysts.

Hey ladies!
I wasn't sure if I should post this in the health section or just here, but I guess I'll give it a shot...
Last night I noticed some spotting, which is weird because my cycle is usually incredibly regular; I had my period two weeks ago and I'm not due again for another two, so I have no idea what this is... then it happened again again this morning... 😕🤷
If anyone can shed some light on this, I'd appreciate it, because I'm honestly starting to get a little worried... 😢

podforum Women's Health 🥳

My bad, I completely missed that this subforum existed😉
thanks🙂

Ovulation bleeding? Could be.

I don't want to overanalyze things, but I remember reading somewhere that some women experience light spotting during ovulation.
Maybe others have a better way of explaining it, but that was my first thought—especially after you mentioned not expecting anything for another two weeks.🙂

It’s probably just some spotting, but if you're really stressing out about it, maybe go see a doctor... just to rule out a cyst or whatever else is eating at you... good luck, I really hope it's nothing more than spotting 😘

You should definitely go see Dr. Miller. Especially since your cycles have been so regular up until now.