What the heck's going on?

[diannescruffy]

Today is day 7 of AF, normally it's 5 days in total. Day 1 was only light, day 2 even lighter, day 3 & 4 nothing, day 5 heavy, yesterday and today extremely heavy with clots. Really weird, normally I get cramps and back ache for the first 2 days but didn't have any until yesterday. I'm normally fairly regular, on the occasion it may come early or late but nothing like this.

Regards,
Dianne

[AnyDream]

Maybe your cycle was actually a little bit longer than usual, meaning the lining of your womb thickened up more than usual. The first few days could've just been like hormone-withdrawal spotting, with the "real" period starting yesterday.

Only reason I suggest this is because this sounds similar to a perimenopausal pattern of longer cycles and heavier bleeds with a bit of spotting thrown in to make life all the more exciting .

[willow5]

Maybe your cycle was actually a little bit longer than usual, meaning the lining of your womb thickened up more than usual. The first few days could've just been like hormone-withdrawal spotting, with the "real" period starting yesterday.

Only reason I suggest this is because this sounds similar to a perimenopausal pattern of longer cycles and heavier bleeds with a bit of spotting thrown in to make life all the more exciting .

Yeah that ^^ It sounds a lot like what my mum, aunt and friend had when they were perimenopausal.

[diannescruffy]

Thanks girls, I thought it could be my body changing, my moods have been really bad the past few cycles too so exciting times ahead it is .

Regards,
Dianne

[Charlotte91]

I have a feeling my Mum's cycles started to go like that. She's 48 now and very menopausal.

[mumto4+1]

Is there any way you could have been pregnant?

[LuluHB]

Before starting TTC last year I was finding the same sort of thing. My normally reliable, same every month AF went very unreliable in terms of length and flow. I was finding the same as you - would start off and have a couple of really light days and then nothing, then back very heavy for 24 hours and then gone again, sometimes for good that month but sometimes AF got really tricky and came back very heavy very suddenly just to give me a nice surprise. I was told it was premenopause too, but I was still ovulating every month too so don't think you're "safe" in terms of contraception.

[willow5]

I was told it was premenopause too, but I was still ovulating every month too so don't think you're "safe" in terms of contraception.

Oh yes! You're never safe conception wise in the perimenopausal time!! Loads of people have menopause babies because they though they were safe, my uncle is one

[*LittleMissSummer*]

My mum often complains about having similar cycles when she infact has them! She wouldn't like me telling the world her age but i will say she is shy off 50 And is VERY menopausal and has been for quite a few years! Haha!

[LysnDan]

Oh dear! I'm only 25, and have the same thing happening this month. Day 1 extremely light, day 2&3 was slightly more, day 4 and 5...just about stopped, and day 6 and 7...heavy as!

It could be hormone changes unrelated to menopause, couldn't it?

[diannescruffy]

Mumto4+1 there is that possibility that I may have been pregnant. This is totally insane, day 8 heavy again and the blood is bright red still, is that normal? How long does perimenopause go for, are we talking years?

Regards,
Dianne

[LuluHB]

It can be years Dianne. My mum went through years of perimenopause and then a fairly drawn out menopause itself. Obviously my experience of it was cut short last year by pregnancy so don't know if it would have been continuing now or not.