Post # 1

Member
6937 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: September 2011 - Boy #1 12/2015, boy #2 02/2018
We are not trying to conceive yet, but I didn’t know where to post this. I know that TTC has many threads of charting bees.
I went off the pill last August and have been using the charting method to prevent pregnancy. In my last 5 months, I have been pretty regular with my periods, which I was very happy about because before going into the pill I was somewhat irregular but did not chart.
After reading several articles, one possible explanation is that I am having a long period cylce or it is an anovulatory one. Either way I am worried about. It could be stress, but I don’t see how I can have so much stress than before. I have not seen a thermal shift in my chart yet, and it has been 25 days into my cycle (at less than 97 degrees- below typical coverline).
I am wondering if it is normal to get long periods or anovulatory ones after being regular for a few cycles. I will keep charting to confirm. Have any of you experience something like this? How did you do to help lower your stress if any?
Thank you so much!
Post # 3

Member
1493 posts
Bumble bee
I’ve never paid much attention to my cycles before ttc as they always felt pretty predictable at about 28days. So now that we’ve been ttc for 7 months I’ve been charting. Well last december I had the weirdest cycle ever. First it almost seemed like I never ovulated. fertilityfriend pinpointed a tiny bump in temps about 10 days later than normal. My cycle ended up being 36 days which never happens. Stranger still I usually have pretty obvious AF sysmptoms starting about a week out. I didn’t have a single symptom. Then my next cycle was a few days longer than normal AND I felt like I had AF from hell. It was a weird few months but now my cycle seems back to normal.
So yes, unusually cycles can and do happen, its only a concern when they are always crazy. I was reading that you should only really start to freak out if you go 3 months or 2 cycles missing. Thats when you should visit a DR. Chances are you just ovulated late and will start AF late.
Post # 4

Member
6937 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: September 2011 - Boy #1 12/2015, boy #2 02/2018
@lovemygsp: Thank you. I have not ovulated yet, so I am very concerned. I guess seeing in it on paper worries me more.
Post # 5

Member
380 posts
Helper bee
I came off the pill and had a few regular cycles. Now I’ve been three months without a period. I was talking to another girl who had something similar – regular cycles shortly after coming off the pill, then a lot of irregularity.
Post # 6

Member
6937 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: September 2011 - Boy #1 12/2015, boy #2 02/2018
@bug-in-a-rug: How many months did you go having periods before you stopped having them if I may ask?
Post # 7

Member
380 posts
Helper bee
@candy11: It looks like I went off the pill around the same time as you! I had a withdrawal period immediately after the pill, then two cycles with clear charting characteristics (pre-ovulatory dip, significant rise in post-ovulatory temperature). I normally had somewhat regular periods before the pill that were 6 weeks long, and it seemed to go back to normal after the pill. Which I was excited about. But then it stopped, and I haven’t seen any BBT indication of ovulation in more than three months. Still waiting… I don’t know what’s ‘normal’, but I did find it weird that I found someone else who had a similar issue.
Post # 8

Member
441 posts
Helper bee
Yes, it is common to have one or two anovulatory cycles a year. My last cycle was anovulatory, although it was the same length as a normal cycle for me, and I had been having regular cycles for the previous 12 months. The cycle isn’t considered anovulatory until you bleed, so it’s possible you will O late. Since you’re TTA, I wouldn’t consider it safe to have unprotected sex until you confirm O or have a breakthrough bleed.
Post # 9

Member
6937 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: September 2011 - Boy #1 12/2015, boy #2 02/2018
Update: I ovulated around day 27, so it was a pretty long pre-ovulatory phase. I am still waiting for my period. I think this long cycle might be due to stress.