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The Phantom Period
My last period was Oct 25/26 and I'm usually 28 days til the next go around (about Nov 24/25th). What I can gather from the calculators I found online my most fertile time was between Nov 7th to the 11th. In any case, life being as it is I had unprotected sex on the 8th. Our method of birth control was pulling out (we were improvising), but I'm willing to bet that failed since he ended with "God, I hope you don't get pregnant." He won't admit to anything other than he's worried about Murphy's Law. Imagine how he reacted when I told him I'm currently 6 days late (Dec 1).
Fair warning this might be a little TMI, but most sources of information use vague terms. It's like when you grow up and people dance around just what menstruation is. That's polite and all but man, I would have liked a warning. I tried to make it entertaining at the least.
Exactly a week after sex (Nov 15) I began to feel very mild menstrual symptoms. My breasts are slightly tender, my lower back is a little achy and I have bloating, and v. light cramps. The next morning I find a tidy streak of discharge with some blood on my toilet paper. I assume this is a super early period. Instead I kind of... leak. Like a faucet with a drop that falls. What was leaking wasn't normal either. The consistency was unlike usual menstrual flow. It was like when you spill ketchup on a napkin and the clear liquid spreads out but the tomato paste sits where it fell. The color was bright coral-red rather than the dark, thick red. This carried on sporadically for nearly three days. Sometimes it would pause for hours and then resume.
It might have been my period, but everything seemed fake. It was like the Calorie-Free Coca-Cola knock-off of menstruation. More importantly it was about a week and a half early. Everyone says it's just mid-cycle spotting. But I have never spotted in my life. My period is like a ninja. No warning and after blood is shed it's gone. I tested twice after the spotting (Wed Nov. 19 and then Sun Nov. 23) and it says negative.
So I see the negatives and I think "Okay! Time to move on!" but my body didn't seem to get the memo. Since the spotting I've been consistently tired, constipated and bloated. Hasn't let up once but some days aren't as bad as others. My breasts were sensitive and felt heavy but today they're just the gobs of tissue they always were. The nipples are a little waxy, but eh. Nausea has only hit about three times, but I was at work (go figure). The most obnoxious thing is that since the 25th there has been incredibly mild and brief cramping about once or twice a day. It never lasts longer than a few minutes and it's not even painful. There's never any blood but I noticed I have a lot of vaginal discharge when I wipe- odorless, clear, sticky, and always there.
I know a lot of women can trick themselves into thinking they're pregnant. The phantom period has me bewildered given the timing. I saw the negative test but the symptoms keep cropping up. Some days I start off feeling some of these things and they fade. Visa versa. Or maybe they'll be persistent through the day. Do symptoms do that? Any insight?
Fair warning this might be a little TMI, but most sources of information use vague terms. It's like when you grow up and people dance around just what menstruation is. That's polite and all but man, I would have liked a warning. I tried to make it entertaining at the least.
Exactly a week after sex (Nov 15) I began to feel very mild menstrual symptoms. My breasts are slightly tender, my lower back is a little achy and I have bloating, and v. light cramps. The next morning I find a tidy streak of discharge with some blood on my toilet paper. I assume this is a super early period. Instead I kind of... leak. Like a faucet with a drop that falls. What was leaking wasn't normal either. The consistency was unlike usual menstrual flow. It was like when you spill ketchup on a napkin and the clear liquid spreads out but the tomato paste sits where it fell. The color was bright coral-red rather than the dark, thick red. This carried on sporadically for nearly three days. Sometimes it would pause for hours and then resume.
It might have been my period, but everything seemed fake. It was like the Calorie-Free Coca-Cola knock-off of menstruation. More importantly it was about a week and a half early. Everyone says it's just mid-cycle spotting. But I have never spotted in my life. My period is like a ninja. No warning and after blood is shed it's gone. I tested twice after the spotting (Wed Nov. 19 and then Sun Nov. 23) and it says negative.
So I see the negatives and I think "Okay! Time to move on!" but my body didn't seem to get the memo. Since the spotting I've been consistently tired, constipated and bloated. Hasn't let up once but some days aren't as bad as others. My breasts were sensitive and felt heavy but today they're just the gobs of tissue they always were. The nipples are a little waxy, but eh. Nausea has only hit about three times, but I was at work (go figure). The most obnoxious thing is that since the 25th there has been incredibly mild and brief cramping about once or twice a day. It never lasts longer than a few minutes and it's not even painful. There's never any blood but I noticed I have a lot of vaginal discharge when I wipe- odorless, clear, sticky, and always there.
I know a lot of women can trick themselves into thinking they're pregnant. The phantom period has me bewildered given the timing. I saw the negative test but the symptoms keep cropping up. Some days I start off feeling some of these things and they fade. Visa versa. Or maybe they'll be persistent through the day. Do symptoms do that? Any insight?
Two weeks late and still got a negative this Saturday. Since the spotting I've had and more so in the past two weeks I've had brief menstrual cramping several times, but no flow. I've twice called/requested an appointment with Planned Parenthood for a blood test because their hours are flexible, but no returned call yet.
Even after the negative tests I still have the aforementioned symptoms. Nausea has picked up in frequency and is no longer associated with stressful emotions. My breasts are increasingly tender and sore. The little bumps are more noticeable now.
Until I had unprotected sex I've never had any of these symptoms before so I don't necessarily think it's related to a deeper health issue. I've never been on birth control either. Stress has never delayed a period before or affected my symptoms either. The only other option I can think of is that the spotting was an early period.
Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Even after the negative tests I still have the aforementioned symptoms. Nausea has picked up in frequency and is no longer associated with stressful emotions. My breasts are increasingly tender and sore. The little bumps are more noticeable now.
Until I had unprotected sex I've never had any of these symptoms before so I don't necessarily think it's related to a deeper health issue. I've never been on birth control either. Stress has never delayed a period before or affected my symptoms either. The only other option I can think of is that the spotting was an early period.
Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Have you taken a test since the 23rd? Its very possible you are pregnant if you had unprotected sex around ovulation. I would say test again since it should be accurate by now. If still negative and your period doesn't come for another week contact your doctor and request a blood test.
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