[mamatolots]

I'm sorry if this gets long but I thought this would be the best place to ask since you all are obviously very aware of your bodies and fertility signs. We are not ttc so this is more of a "WTH is up with my body" question. LOL!

Our youngest is 20 months and, for the last 3 months has been weaned to only bfing before bed and even then, it is only for 5 minutes, if that and she's not really getting anything. More of a snuggle. AF returned 6-7 months ago and has been WHACKED. LOL! Bleeding lasts from 15-20 days (heavy bleeding about 5-7 of thos days, the rest moderate to heavy spotting) The last AF started on May 5th and I was prepared for anoth 2-3 weeks and she left completely after 7 days. I felt 'O' pains on the 25th of April so I know I am dealing with a shorter luteal phase (which I've experienced in the past) I also have been taking a Multi Complex B vitamin to try to help with that for about 2 months.

So, AF started on the 5th, was gone on the 12th, and I had tons of ewcm starting on the 16th through that week. I was getting confused because that seemed early (but maybe not???). It noticed it had lessened a lot around the 21st. Then, yesterday I had these weird cramps and light red spotting mixed in with creamy cm. Today it is very light brown and barely there (I only see it because I am looking) Was that O? I was thinking I would O around now anyway (until the ewcm threw me off).

Has anyone esle dealt with this? For the first few months I just attributed it to my hormones getting back to normal but this is getting old fast. I can't go on bc to regulate things due to a previous brain bleed ...do I just have to wait it out?? Could it still be the hormones? I have never bf'd a baby this long but, like I said, you can hardly call it bfing and AF has been back for over 6 months now.

If this AF starting AGAIN, any advice on ideas that might work? Of course, I will go to the Dr but I am willing to try other things first.

Sorry for the complicated description and thank you for your patience reading all of this. I really just want my body back and to know what is going on.

[ShawnaCAN]

Bleeding for 15 - 20 days is way too much! Hopefully you don't see anymore of that.

In the meantime, do you have a chart? You can tell what kind of bleeding is happening based on charting. The presence of CM doesn't automatically mean ovulation has occurred, it just means your body is trying to ovulate. The CM goes through 3 very specific stages when ovulation is successful, but it's necessary to keep a daily record of how the CM feels in order to tell if it was an ovulation pattern or not.

[mamatolots]

Thank you! Unfortunately, I don't have a chart but I think I will definitely start keeping one. I have alway correlated charting with temp taking and, while I tried it once a looooong time ago, temping is just not condusive to my life. LOL! I haven't gotten more than 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep in the last 19 years and even that is a rarity. Someone is always waking up and both dh and ds work odd hours so I am woken up several times a night. There's no way temping would be accurate for me. Thank you for introducing the thought of charting my cm. I can do that, along with the bleeding/spotting. Up until now, I have just been trying to remember dates. I will do this for a couple of months and hopefully by then my body will have straightened itself out. If not, I will be armed when I go to the Dr.

Thanks again!!

[ShawnaCAN]

Here's a little tutorial on how to chart CM with the Billings Ovulation Method. I use nfpcharting.com to track mine.

Key to Fertility Control - the Mucus

[mamatolots]

Thank you so much!! You are so helpful!!!