(no subject)

[stephumn.livejournal.com]

I have been charting using fertilityfriend.com for about 8 months now, and have never had an annovulatory cycle. However, this month I do not think I ovulated (as my temps have remained low throughout the whole cycle) and I am currently on day 30. (I would normally ovulate around day 14-15 and get my period around day 28-32.

Last night after making love, I spotted a little and assumed I was getting my period. However, the spotting was light and stopped quickly and I haven't had any more since last night.

Here is my question: what happens exactly during an annovulatory cycle? If you did not ovulate, how is it that you still get your period? I was under the impression that the hormones secreted by the corpus luteum after ovulation were needed in order to have a period. Secondly, has anyone else experienced this? What do you think is going on with my body right now? This has never happened to me before and I'm a bit confused. Finally, my temps this cycle are lower than I've ever seen them. Could it possibly be I just need a new battery in my BBT?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

(x-posted to fertileminds

Comments

[parentingtheriot]

hello fellow charter!

first of all, if it's been a while since you last changed the battery in your thermometer, i'd go ahead and change it to be on the safe side. a fresh battery is always reassuring.

secondly, i looked up what toni weschler had to say about anovulatory cycles in taking charge of your fertility, revised edition:

(page 107) In anovulatory cycles, noncharting women may assume they are menstruating normally. So why would they continue to experience bleeding if ovulation has not occurred? Such bleeding results when estrogen production continues to develop the uterine lining without reaching the threshold necessary to trigger ovulation. In such a case, one of two things may happen that lead to what appears to be a menstrual period: (1) The estrogen will build up slowly to a point below the threshold and then drop, resulting in "estrogen withdrawal bleeding." Or (2), more commonly, the endometrium builds up slowly over an extended period of time, eventually to the point where the resulting uterine lining is so thickened it can no longer sustain itself. This is known as "estrogen breakthrough bleeding."

In either case, if you weren't charting, you might think you were simply menstruating, though you may notice a difference in the type of bleeding. Specifically, the flow can be either unusually heavy or light, and of course, the timing can result in cycle lengths all over the map, or the chart, as it were. (emphasis in original.)

the author notes these things as the usual causes of anovulatory cycles: illness, travel, coming off hormonal birth control, strenuous exercise, and weight gain or loss; along with adolescence, breastfeeding, and pre-menopause.

hope that helps a little!

[stephumn.livejournal.com]

Thank you SO much! How sweet of you to look that up for me! I've been meaning to get that book, but haven't gotten to it. I really need to!

Once again, thank you so much. It's day 35 and I still haven't gotten my period, but I'm quite certain it's due to an anovulatory cycle. I have no idea when to expect it...

Maybe next month...! Are you charting in hopes of getting pregnant or just to understand what's going on better?

[parentingtheriot]

you're very welcome!

man, i thought i knew some things about charting, but once i got the book, i realized how much of it i was doing by guesswork. it was kind of embarrassing. *blush* i highly recommend that book!

my husband and i will not start officially trying to get pregnant until sometime next summer, but we're fine with an "oops!" before then. so, i'm ostensibly using fam to avoid pregnancy, since he hates condoms, i hate hormonal birth control, and the idea of iuds makes us both kind of ill. :-)

[stephumn.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, on all points. From the "oops" pregnancy to hating birth control.

Now let's see...won't TCOYF on my Christmas Wish List look funny to some people! :)