I would love some advice

[Honeybug]

Hi ladies! It's been a while since I've checked in and even-longer since I've posted but I could really use some guidance 😊

Just a little background:
I am still following the le diet, skipping breakfast and cutting down on snacking (this has gotten much easier! And I've been on le since nov 2014)

We've been TTC since Jan 2015 with one attempt at +opk. I was having an awful time tracking my cycles so I made an appoint with my family Dr for a physical and so I could ask him some questions about my periods. We ran some blood work and for 2 different months (may and July) my progestrone was a little low and for the month of June my prolactin was slightly elevated. We also did a ultrasound but everything looked beautiful at the time. My periods are super heavy and quite long in duration ( at least 7-10 days). The problem I was having is that for two days before I get red, heavy period blood, I have tarry, black/brown blood that is lighter than my period but heavy enough to wear a pad. I wasn't sure, and am still not if that qualifies as day 1 of my period or not?

My family Dr suggested a referral to an ob/gyn as well as a prescription for clomid. I wasnt able to get an appointment with the ob until after my period so my family Dr gave me this months clomid prescription. But he never answered my question about which day is day 1? And what days I take the clomid? The pharmacist wasn't able to be of any help but did put to take the clomid days 5-9 as "that is what he typically sees". I am just worried that days 5-9 might be too late and I won't end up ovulating at all this cycle. I also am thinking that dh and I should dtd every 4 days to try and catch this months egg/s!

Any suggestions?

[Kitty0911]

I don't consider brown light bleeding as a period. Once it's red or an actual flow is when I count it as day one. This cycle I had brown bleeding for 7 days and didn't count it as CD1 until I had red blood. My DH and I switched to every 4 days for BD and got pregnant the first cycle after going almost a year with one attempt at + opk. It ended in a chemical, but it shows me every four days is better for catching the egg if you've been trying for awhile.

[Atsaukina1]

Try the clomid group but I though 3-7 better than 5 through 9. Swaying girl every 4 days but if I was just trying to get prego I'd do every other day a week around O time.

[Honeybug]

Thanks so much ladies!

Kitty - I'm so sorry for your loss. I do appreciate you sharing your experience with me as it does help reassure in my mind that 4 days will be a better shot for us and cd1 is bright red bleeding regardless of how heavy the other stuff was!

Atsaukina - thank you for the advice! I didn't even know there was a clomid group, I'll go find it now!

I'm sending pink, sticky thoughts your way ladies! Thanks again!

[Am3a]

Hi Honeybug, I tracked through a fertility clinic for ds3 and it really helped me understand my cycle. Your period sounds similar to mine. I thought they were super long but in fact they were around 4-5 days. The tarry bleeding you're describing "didn't count". I had to have a blood test on the first day of waking up to red blood - that was considered day 1, which many cycles was day 3 or 4 on my count! My cycle is short, just 24 days.

Perhaps you could ask your ob/gyn to track your cycle? (Up to 5 blood tests a month - so worth it! I had an internal ultrasound once a cycle to check on any follicles.)

[atomic sagebrush]

Black /brownis "old" meaning it was leftover from month before and doesn't count.

The nice thing about Clomid is that you can take it days 2-6, 3-7, 4-8, or 5-9 and it works regardless. So don't worry as long as you start it sometime in that range, it will work for you.

Yes at this point you need to be on every 4 days.