https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 31 May 2026 04:19:38 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1901892 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:49:54 +0000 redeyedtreefr0g 1901892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: Thank you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1901881 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:44:46 +0000 IRunForFun 1901881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@redeyedtreefr0g: You are way over-analyzing things. So many things can affect your cycle, and from your original post, it sounds like there was some dieting/consumption of diet pills going on that could DEFINITELY change things up. Also, one of the #1 factors affecting your cycle is stress, and you are clearly stressing. And, it seems like you're monitoring every little part of your period much more closely than you have in the past, which is why you're noticing things you might not have noticed before. Unless you have had unprotected sex while ovulating, it's very unlikely that chemical pregnancies are causing these symptoms, especially since you've never gotten a positive test.</p> <p>Hopefully at your appt you will get some good birth control so you can stop worrying about this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1901862 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:37:09 +0000 JoJoGirl 1901862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@redeyedtreefr0g: Ah, yeah the color of the lines don't matter as long as there's no line in the positive window. Definitely step away from the tests for a little while! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1901852 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:31:45 +0000 redeyedtreefr0g 1901852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: It was a cheap TopCare one that gives you a + for positive and - for negative in blue. There is a separate window with a | for control. The negative line showed pretty faint, and the control was a little darker.<br /> After the 10 minute expiration, they eventually got darker like I'd expected to see, but you aren't supposed to look at them after a certain time.<br /> No hint of a positive line, but I wanted to make sure the test was considered accurate even if the results for negative were faint. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1901812 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:16:01 +0000 mrsjazz 1901812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@redeyedtreefr0g: I think you need to relax. Do whatever it is you do to help yourself de-stress. You're overthinking this. It's common to have shifts and changes in your period during your life. So many things can affect your period, stress, diet, aging, etc. You examining every drop of blood and twinge and cramp + taking pregnancy test after pregnancy test (that have been consistently negative) is just making things worse. You have a doctor's appointment coming up, bring up all your issues with the doctor then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1901797 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:09:40 +0000 JoJoGirl 1901797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@redeyedtreefr0g: Hi, what do you mean by a "faint negative"? Is there a 2nd line? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1901787 Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:02:21 +0000 redeyedtreefr0g 1901787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a feeling I've got a disappearing period.<br /> I got cramps yesterday just like last month, but over the course of the day the volume in my cup was slowly but steadily going down. This morning it's barely 1/4 full again. Looks like instead of 2 days of proper bleeding like last month's weirdness, I'll be one this month, so I needn't have worried about my appointment.</p> <p>A faint negative on a pregnancy test still means negative right?</p> <p>I'd almost rather be pregnant, now I'm worried something is very wrong with me.<br /> I hope there are not-bad reasons why my cycle has suddenly gone haywire and started disappearing.</p> <p>Friday seems so far away... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1900393 Tue, 14 Oct 2014 10:57:57 +0000 redeyedtreefr0g 1900393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did call yesterday morning, and if I'm bleeding, I'll have to reschedule.<br /> I finally have something happening this morning- so I'm praying it's going to hurry up and get over with so I don't have to reschedule.</p> <p>Mr. Frog could just let me take the car, but I'm gonna guess with the crazy stuff going on, he'll want to hear the doctor himself. Plus, if anything needs to be paid for, he does all our finances so he'll need to be present anyway. I could care less if he's in the actual room for the exam, but I know he won't want to be, especially if the doctor is male. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1898602 Sun, 12 Oct 2014 21:32:38 +0000 anandam 1898602@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could be so many benign things - sleep disturbance, diet/vitamin change, stress, travel, exercise... Your premenstrual spotting pattern does suggest maybe a progesterone level issue or perhaps a benign polyp. Doctor can absolutely do an exam during your menses but not a pap smear. If you're also due for a pap you'll have to come back for that. Blood obscures the cells so it will likely be impossible for the lab to interpret accurately. S/he may also want to send you for a sonogram or blood work and other tests depending on your age. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1898504 Sun, 12 Oct 2014 18:52:18 +0000 SerenaSF 1898504@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Have you asked your OB specifically if she doesn't do exams while you are on your period? I have found that most women (myself included) prefer to not be on my period when having a pelvic exam, but most doctors will still perform the exam regardless. I would definitely call and ask before canceling. </p> <p>Also - if your husband wants to go with you, that's great, but a pelvic is a pretty basic procedure. My husband has never gone to any of them with me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1898429 Sun, 12 Oct 2014 16:47:38 +0000 redeyedtreefr0g 1898429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I definitely will.<br /> I made my appointment Friday morning, expecting to start that night, or Saturday- which would mean I'd be done and ok for a pap smear. But, instead, my start Friday night turned out to only be a 1/4 mooncup full overnight, and since then I've had nothing. Not even spotting.<br /> Mr. Frog doesn't get weekdays off very often, it would suck if I have to reschedule. I'm just anxious for it to GO so I can be done in time. As far as I'm aware, they don't do exams during your period. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1898413 Sun, 12 Oct 2014 16:14:54 +0000 SerenaSF 1898413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It is very common for your periods to not be consistent. Lots of things can affect your cycle. Since you are not TTC and you're still getting regular periods, I wouldn't be concerned, but it sounds like you have a lot of questions regarding menstruation so you should probably bring them up with your doctor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sudden-changes-in-menstruation-pattern#post-1898304 Sun, 12 Oct 2014 12:06:02 +0000 redeyedtreefr0g 1898304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here's the deal- I've been regular with a predictable pattern of menstruation for a long time.</p> <p>After initial start-up hiccups at 13, I was on birth control to help with cramping at maybe 15.<br /> My flow would start with cramps, go a couple days and trail off, I'd spot for a couple days, and then have a grand finale flow slightly less or equally as heavy as I started with.<br /> I'd cover a full 7 days.</p> <p>Off of birth control for the last 3 years, I have a different pattern. I'm not sure how long it took to switch.<br /> I'll have a pink-tinted wipe, or a bit of brownish spotting one day. Then I'll have 1 or 2 days of nothing.<br /> Finally, I'll officially start with a heavy flow- I'm changing a cup every 4 hours the first day. I'll flow less heavily, but consistently, over the next 2 or 3 days and then stop. The stop might end in spotting or just a little bit in the cup over a full day, or with just an empty cup overnight.<br /> So I consider my flow to be 3-4 days, depending on the spotting afterwards. If you count the pre-herald spotting or color, it might still cover 7 days total. (But I count that heavy day as day 1)</p> <p>I started keeping notes in June, and last month was off of norm for me enough that I really thought I might have been pregnant temporarily.<br /> Instead of 27 days, I had a 33 day cycle that ended with only two days of heavy bleeding from 1pm Saturday to Sunday night only. This was after only a giant clot Friday morning. Saturday, I had cramps like I hadn't experienced since I was a new teenager. </p> <p>I'd been completely cramp-free for at least 3 years now, possibly more.</p> <p>And now this month, I wiped a good amount of blood at almost midnight Friday. Overnight the cup was maybe 1/4 full.<br /> And there has been absolutely nothing since. I'm waiting anxiously for something to happen.<br /> That was not the spotting like I got before, but neither am I bleeding like last month. WTH is up with my period??</p> <p>I had thought based on advice here that the last cycle could have just been one of the "wonky" ones. But this one isn't normal either.</p> <p>Have any of you ever had your regular pattern suddenly change like this? If so, can you think of anything to have triggered the change? Did it ever go back? </p>