Possibly dumb ? about spotting & tracking your cycle

[anon-musings.livejournal.com]

I've had a copper IUD for about 10 months now and when I get my period, I spot for a day or two and then the heavy flow begins. I've been tracking my monthly cycles for a while now and have always marked the first day of spotting as day 1 of my period and thus, day 1 of my cycle. But I just read somewhere that you're only supposed to begin counting from the first full day of bleeding. Is this correct? 

Comments

[anon-musings.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean...I'm 27 but had never tracked my periods until last year. I always just had a vague idea of when my period began so it has been very interesting to see definite and consistent patterns over time.

Why aren't you tracking anymore? You don't have to answer if it's too personal a question.

[sprtwrid.livejournal.com]

i havent had a period since the month i got pregnant with my daughter. Shes a year old now. The only bleeding i have had was caused by insertions/expulsions of 3 IUDs in a 10 month period, and then a 13 day long spree the day after i got a depo shot to hold me over until i could get my implant.

I still track certain things in my head, but not on paper (my kids keep destroying my calender). I still get certain symptoms of my period, but i dont bleed, or even spot at all. My symptoms would always show up the wednesday closest to the full moon. When i was on birth control pills my periods would always start on that day, around 3pm. I am thinking about going back to tracking things again, since i need to get into a stomach doc to get checked out and im sure having some kind of tracking system would help me out with my problem getting fixed.

[sankuri.livejournal.com]

Are you breastfeeding? That will usually (but not always) stop your period while you're doing so. Once a mother stops breastfeeding her period starts again.

[sprtwrid.livejournal.com]

yes i am, but i dont think i am nearly enough to stop my periods. With my son, they returned immediately despite the fact i was nursing non-stop. With her, i have been having supply issues since day 1 (it took 2 weeks for my milk to come in, despite a vaginal birth). I just assumed it was the IUDs and the implant stopping it.

[sankuri.livejournal.com]

It may be. I don't know much on IUDs, though with implants, my friend had one and it didn't affect anything. Different people with different chemistries though, and all that.

Interesting though how both times were different for you.