[peachie28]

Hi, ladies! I've been charting for 4 months, but this is my first full month of charting consistently. I'm still pretty new to all this and just need a more experienced charter's opinion!

So this cycle has been very weird. It started 6-9 and didn't get heavy like normal. To make it even worse, I am STILL spotting! The thing I need to know is: will the fact that I've been spotting for over 3 weeks affect my temps? I know they say that temps are normally higher when on AF, but do y'all think the spotting can affect it too?

I ask because I'm almost convinced I O'd some time around CD 21 even though FF didn't mark it... I had serious O pains, EWCM, and I even woke up with a face full of zits not too long after! I mean, I could be wrong, but what do you ladies think?

Also, I know my temps aren't very high, but I think I'm one of those people that don't get high temps... If I take my temp during the day, it usually doesn't even hit 98.6 unless I exercise. When I was a kid, I thought I was the walking dead or something!!

Seriously, though, what do you ladies think? Am I still waiting to O or could I be in the 2WW?

[ShawnaCAN]

I don't think you have ovulated yet, there is no thermal shift. You can have EWCM when your body tries to ovulate, even if the attempt is not successful.

The prolonged spotting is concerning though. Is there any reason that might be happening, like have you discontinued a hormonal contraceptive in the last 6 - 18 months?

[peachie28]

No hormonal contraceptives... I do have PCOS so maybe it's related to that (though I've never had spotting this long before).

I used to use the FAM which is why I'm suspecting I o'd... O pains and breakouts along with sore boobs was the best way for me to predict when AF was coming, but maybe my body has been tricking itself into thinking it o'd but never really did? And then I'm also wondering could the prolonged spotting be skewing my chart?

[ShawnaCAN]

Have you been under significant stress lately? Traveled? Moved? The spotting could just be a response to stress (which also affects ovulation).

[peachie28]

No, no stress right now. I don't know what it could be. I won't lie, though, at first I thought I could've been pregnant with low hormones, having a miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy or something (sorry, I can be a worrywart) because the whole cycle was just weird from the start. But I took quite a few hpts and kept getting BFNs so I dismissed those worries.

[ShawnaCAN]

It could be something unrelated to your hormones - like a polyp or fibroid. If it continues, it's probably a good idea to get checked out.

[peachie28]

I've been waiting, hoping that the spotting would stop so I could get my pap and ask then but I guess I'll have to make two appts... I've never had issues with polyps/fibroids, but I'll be sure to bring it up to my doc! Thanks so much for your help!