Period talk: Questions and advice

Here’s the situation.
After giving birth, I was on Cerazette (I started a thread about this before, but maybe it didn't catch on...). I didn't have a period for two years. Once I stopped taking them, my cycle returned. Today I’m at day 36 or 37, and still nothing. I've got those cramps and abdominal pains—it feels like it’s going to start any second, but nothing happens. Just some clear discharge.
Naturally, I couldn't help myself. I went out and bought a pregnancy test and those ovulation strips... just because. Even though I'm pretty sure I'm not pregnant.

Summary 😁: Not pregnant, but ovulation strips say I am. 😲 I don't get how ovulation can happen this late. I have no one to ask. It's Saturday, and my OBGYN is out on vacation until January 7th. I feel terrible—bloated, sore breasts... I feel like a ticking time bomb. I just want this to finally start. And it feels ridiculous constantly running to check. 🙂

Help.🙂

I’m running five days late... which is totally out of character for me. Usually, my cycle is clockwork, though it skipped a beat last time by being three days late, so this one arrived slightly early—but yeah, normally I'm super predictable. Here's the thing: we use protection, but there were a couple of times where he slipped out and went in without a condom for just a few moments... and he wasn't even close to finishing. The last time that happened was about two weeks ago, and honestly, looking back at my cycle, those were almost certainly my fertile days. That’s why I’m spiraling. Everyone keeps telling me I’m being paranoid and that getting pregnant isn't exactly as easy as I'm making it out to be, but still... no unprotected sex, no climaxing near me, right? But then again, you never know if some pre-cum leaked out beforehand. I am genuinely terrified. Does anyone have any advice? What’s your take on this whole mess? And sorry if I posted this in the wrong sub, I'm a bit lost right now...
Anyway, I went ahead and bought a test, and I can't help but laugh at myself because, deep down, I'm secretly hoping this is all just a massive overreaction. I'll take the test in the morning, and then we'll see. Everyone says there's zero chance, but part of me is convinced there's a tiny sliver of possibility... maybe I'm just a total pessimist. We'll find out soon enough...😢😢😢

Michelle Ross4 said:....so, we usually use protection, but he went inside me without a condom a few times for a little bit...he wasn't even close to finishing...the last time it happened was about two weeks ago...and looking at my cycle, I think those were definitely my fertile days...that's why I'm freaking out...everyone tells me I'm being crazy...says it's not that easy to get pregnant...so, no finishing without protection or anything near that...but still, maybe something got in there...since you know, guys release stuff before they actually climax....I'm terrified....any advice? what do you guys think? maybe this is the wrong thread..sorry...
Anyway, I bought a test, laughing at myself here..deep down I'm hoping this is all just a massive overreaction...taking it in the morning, so we'll see....everyone says no way, I say there's a chance...even if it's tiny...Am I just being paranoid? We'll find out...😢😢😢

Hey, I don't believe you're pregnant, it's not that easy to conceive that way...unlikely, though theoretically possible since pre-cum does have some sperm...I have those little slip-ups without a condom all the time, maybe 5 or 10 minutes during my fertile window, and nothing happens...but now I'm curious if anyone actually does get pregnant like that? hmm...
Let me know if it turns out you are
(fingers crossed for you!)

@John Nguyen3 — I was just posting on the thread about Yasmin 5 months, mentioning how my period ended up being over two weeks late after I stopped taking the pill—so, honestly, there's a good chance you might actually be somewhere in the middle of your cycle right now. 🙂 It’ll probably show up in another week or two, give or take.
And, yeah, I was dealing with so much bloating for two weeks straight—ovary pains, the whole works—just absolutely miserable PMS. 😬
@Michelle Ross4/">@@Michelle Ross4 — I'm with you, I don't really believe you're pregnant either. How did the test turn out?

My ovaries are absolutely killing me right now... it’s already been 39 days since I stopped taking Yasmin 5 months and I still haven't found any relief

shadowcyclist said:My ovaries are absolutely killing me right now! It’s already been 39 days since I stopped taking Yasmin 5 months and still nothing... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

My doctor actually walked me through this in a way that made total sense.
Basically, while you're on the pill, your ovaries are essentially just sitting idle. They aren't really "working" in the traditional sense. Because of that, they need a little bit of time to wake back up and get back into the groove.
It could happen in a day, a few days, a week, or even take up to a full month before things start moving again. Once they kick back into gear, that's when your cycle finally kicks off. 🙂
So, having a delay of up to four weeks isn't necessarily a cause for alarm—it can be totally normal!

And honestly, those ovary pains? That's pretty standard too.
I dealt with some pretty intense cramping myself after I quit the pill. (In my case, my period was about a week late)

Hello 👋

I have a bit of a dilemma
For the past four months, my cycle has been arriving earlier than expected. For three months straight, it was about three days early, but this month it showed up a full six days ahead of schedule. Prior to four months ago, my cycle was incredibly consistent—always right on time—except for those occasional periods of intense stress. Generally speaking, I’ve always had a very predictable rhythm. However, lately, I haven't been under any unusual stress. The only significant change might be that my husband and I have been trying to conceive for the last eight months. It feels like just as I am bracing myself for my period to arrive, it rushes in early. It is truly maddening.
So, I am reaching out to ask for your experiences. I won't be heading back to my OB-GYN just yet, as I saw her two months ago and she assured me everything looked perfectly fine.
Thank you 😘

shadowcyclist said:my ovaries are absolutely punishing me right now, and honestly, it’s already been 39 days since I stopped taking Yasmin 5 months, and still nothing, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I know you’re probably losing your mind waiting for this to happen, but try not to let the stress get to you too much. For me, after I finished Yasmin 5 months, my cycle stretched out to about 45 or 47 days, and that’s just how it’s been for the last 6 months.😢 It might not seem like such a huge deal if it weren't for the fact that my PMS symptoms drag on for three whole weeks...
Just hang in there, it'll happen eventually. I'm crossing my fingers that things settle down for you soon. I wonder, do you happen to have PCOS? I do, which I suspect is part of why things are so wonky for me.

thank you all 🙂🙂 I don't have PCOS, and I've honestly never dealt with any issues until now. It’s just... overwhelming...
I feel like I've been stuck in PMS mode for weeks now, dealing with every single symptom imaginable, so it really baffles me why nothing seems to be working

Greetings, everyone..
My menstrual cycle tends to be quite irregular; it typically spans anywhere from 30 to 40 days depending on my physical health and mental stress levels. My last period began on November 5th. Since then, I have been sexually active, but I took pregnancy tests on December 19th and December 29th, both of which came back negative—which makes sense given that we always practice safe sex. However, I am feeling a bit anxious because my period still hasn't arrived. It isn't entirely unprecedented for me to skip a month; back in December, I dealt with a nasty virus, and I suspect that might be the culprit, especially since I lost some weight and was under significant stress during that time. I am planning to visit my doctor this coming Monday, but I was wondering if anyone else here experiences similar irregularities and what your physicians had to say about it. Personally, I am quite hesitant about starting hormonal contraceptives, though I recognize they might be necessary if the situation demands it..
So, if anyone has any insights or advice, I would truly appreciate it.

So, I hit my first period about 13 years ago. Since then, things have been pretty erratic—I’d only get them maybe 4 or 5 times a year. I’ve gone through every specialist out there, and they all just gave me the same old line: everything looks perfectly fine.
For the last four months, though, my cycle actually decided to show up on schedule. But here’s the kicker—only one of those was an actual, full-on period. The rest of them? Just this weird, dark discharge with tiny streaks of blood. It’s barely anything, either—just enough that I can get by with a pantyliner. What do you guys think is going on? Thanks in advance.🙂

Hey.
Not sure where to drop this question, so I'll just put it here—fingers crossed someone knows what's up. My last period was from Dec 19th to the 26th.
So, my boyfriend and I were getting a little playful last night and I ended up bleeding. Like, a lot. I never bleed this heavily during my actual period. I headed home, showered, popped in a pad, and then saw a bit more blood along with some clots. It's stopped now, though, so things seem fine. No pain or anything... but the thing is, I just made an appointment with my doctor this past Wednesday. I'm not on any birth control. My guy wasn't being rough, so I don't think he could have actually hurt me. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks so much.

Nails, rings, inflammation—tell me, are you dealing with some sort of underlying irritation that might cause bleeding if you even slightly snagged it? If the symptoms have subsided, just hang in there; I’m fairly certain you can hold out until you see a physician 😁 however, if this persists, you really ought to get to a doctor immediately.

And I suppose I should ask you this, though it feels somewhat redundant at this stage—have you perhaps remained a virgin?

Has anyone here dealt with suddenly stopping their birth control? I just took the fourth pill from this new pack and decided to call it quits because I feel absolutely terrible. I honestly thought this new prescription would be better for me, but it’s clearly not working... Does this mean I'll deal with breakthrough bleeding again in a few days? And when should I actually expect my next period? Has anyone else gone through this?

not a virgin anymore=)
it stopped though—think I'll make it... at least until my doctor's appointment. I'll just wait. thanks🙂. I'm just scared. The blood... 👎😢

I have a few "questions"—or things along those lines—that I’m sure have already popped up on this forum before since they aren't anything out of the ordinary, but I just can't seem to find them anywhere.

My last period was back in April, and since they’ve never been particularly regular, I wasn't overly concerned when I missed it, right up until June. I haven't had sex in about a year, so there wasn't any worry there. Then my finals rolled around and I missed all of July, though I basically self-diagnosed that as just being stressed out. After that, I spent the summer traveling, which I figured was just due to all the constant moving around—and honestly, it worked out perfectly since I got to swim all through July! 👏 Once I got back to New York City sometime in September, I started getting a little worried because, even for me, a five-month gap is unprecedented. Now, here's the thing: trying to find a decent gynecologist in New York City is an absolute nightmare—it's like searching for a needle in a haystack. And every time I think I've found someone, I inevitably run into some bad reviews online (I know, it sounds silly), and then I lose my nerve and don't go. It’s a bit like the whole Yasmin situation—I actually got into a heated argument about being pushed toward the pill, which I shouldn't even be taking given my genetic predispositions anyway.
So, I haven't actually made it to a doctor yet, but I’ve done a massive amount of Googling regarding what might be going on, and for the most part, I don't show any symptoms for the usual suspects: PCOS—I'm not acne-prone, I haven't had any sudden weight changes, I'm not in pain, and I'm not losing hair... nothing at all. I'm not saying it isn't something, but I just don't have the other indicators. Early menopause? Based on everything else, that doesn't seem likely either.
Anyway, I finally got my period back a couple of days ago, so I am definitely going to see a doctor now; at least I won't be terrified that they're going to lecture me about why I waited this long—even though they'd be totally justified in doing so. I'm just curious about a few things:

-Do I have the right to insist on a million different tests before anyone tries to put me on the pill?
-What do you all ultimately think is going on with me?? I realize it's pretty ridiculous to ask something like this on a forum, but I honestly have no clue what the hell is happening...😕

So look, 😁 I’m 16 right now [turning 17 soon] and my period has been absolutely brutal for the last 3 or 4 months. It used to be that my stomach would cramp up, but it would only last a few hours and then die down. But lately? The pain just won't quit. It stays with me for like two whole days straight. Today was especially bad—I literally threw up everything I ate. 😢
I know all the basics, okay? I know about Advil, I know about using a heating pad... I spend my entire day just lying around or pacing the house with the damn thing, but honestly, it barely helps at all.
What am I supposed to do? My mom keeps telling me it’s no big deal and that it’s just part of growing up... but I don't know, I feel like what I'm going through isn't exactly "normal." 🤷

nimbledrifter12 said:So, here's the thing: 😁 I'm 16 right now—turning 17 very soon—and my periods have been absolutely brutal for the last three or four months. It used to be that I’d get some cramps, but they’d pass after a few hours and I’d be fine. Lately, though, the pain just won't quit; it can drag on for two whole days straight. Just today, I actually ended up throwing up everything I ate. 😢
I know all the usual tricks, like taking painkillers or using a heating pad... I've been lying around and walking around the house with the heat pack all day, but honestly, it feels like it's doing next to nothing.
What should I do? My mom keeps telling me it’s no big deal and just part of growing up, but I don't know, I can't help feeling like what I'm going through isn't exactly normal. 🤷

If you ask me, my best advice would be to go see a gynecologist, though I'm sure you've already heard that a million times. Personally, I've actually fainted from the pain more than once. Usually, I'll take two Advil on the first day and another two on the second, and I can tell you honestly that it almost always makes things manageable. It is what it is, though. When you're feeling under the weather, just take it easy, skip school if you need to, and try to eat plenty of fruit... So yeah, that's all the wisdom I can offer!

But now, I actually have a question of my own: 😁
I've been dealing with every single PMS symptom imaginable for a week now. Like, literally everything. I usually experience them more intensely than most people, generally speaking. But for the last two days, I've felt exactly like my period has actually started. It's wild. This morning, I woke up totally convinced I had begun. I have that sensation of leaking, my stomach is aching, and I just feel... well, you know. Has this happened to anyone else? And seriously, how long can this PMS phase actually last? 😕

Day 47 or 48 of the cycle and still nothing. The PMS is absolutely wrecking me... breast tenderness is through the roof and zero progress. I’m heading to my OBGYN this Friday if my period doesn't show up by then. Honestly, I feel like a ticking time bomb.

rowdybadger65 said:Now I’ve got a question of my own. 😁
I've been dealing with every single PMS symptom for a full week now. And I mean *everything*. Usually, mine hits harder than most people's, anyway. But for the last two days, I've genuinely felt like my period actually started. It's wild. This morning, I woke up totally convinced I was bleeding. I had that sensation of leaking, my stomach was cramping... you know the drill. Has this happened to anyone else? And seriously, how long can this PMS phase actually drag on? 😕

I bet you could end up having symptoms for two whole weeks if you wanted to... whenever my period gets delayed because of stress or whatever, the PMS just stretches out forever. Every single day, I'm certain it's finally happening because my stomach is cramping and I'm constantly paranoid that I'm leaking.