Plan B, Mini Pill & Combined Pill in a single month and a potentially missed period

[advaya.livejournal.com]

I am in a new relationship after having ended a 10 year relationship where I had always used condoms even while on the pill.  When the relationship ended I had not been on any sort of hormonal method for around four months. I had unprotected intercourse with my new partner March 9th and took Plan B the next day. I also started back onto the mini pill the day after I took plan B.

I did not trust the minipill, so I switched to a combined pill. I actually met with the midwife on the first day of my period, which was March 18th, a Monday. She told me to start the combined pill that evening at 7 (my normal time to take the pill I was already on) and then take another one at 7 am, and then I would be on schedule for Tuesday at 7 pm essentially making it a Sunday start. She also told me to use back up protection for the first two weeks.

I did not follow her directions on back up protection. I assumed coming off of the mini pill and having started my period the same day I began the new pill meant I was essentially a day one starter and would be protected immediately.

Now here I am on day 5 of the placebo pack with no period to be found. I had some very, very light spotting yesterday. I had sex the night before and I used an light tampon for the spotting. I think the majority of what was on the tampon was residual semen that was tinted pink from spotting. Today the spotting is so light that its sometimes there when I wipe but more often there is nothing at all. Certainly no where near enough for a pad or tampon. I have no cramps, nothing.

The rundown:
I had sex March 9th (the unprotected sex followed by Plan B and restarting the mini pill)
Again on the March 15th & 17th. Started my period on the 18th, switched methods of HBC.
Then on the 21st, 27th, 28th, 29th and 31st of March.

All of these were using the HBC as sole means of protection.

It goes on, but I know anything past that is probably unlikely to be why my "period" is late and would be too soon to test. Would it be a good idea to even bother with a test, or just sort of wait it out? I realize that I probably really threw my body for a loop between the Plan B, The minipill, and starting the combined pill. I guess I'm just wondering how likely pregnancy would be in this situation. I assume quite low?

Am I pregnant, just dying, or what?

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

I saw an RE in November. She decided that I been misdiagnosed as having PCOS all these years and ater some discussion we decided I'd lose a little weight before we tried inducing ovulation (I'd done Clomid, she was going to try something else). I then magically ovulated and had a real period in December and January. I spoke to her stupid assistant who wouldn't let me talk to the doctor and didn't understand my concern. Don't get me wrong, I see how to other people suddenly ovulating might seem normal, but when I haven't had natural ovulation in TEN years and it happens two months in a row, my first reaction isn't "oh yay, this is normal". Anyway, so those two cycles combined with some previous forced clomid cycles have enabled me to identify ovulation pretty well (I have difficulty with cervical signs, but a very specific pain in my breasts is my biggest ovulation symptoms). That combined with EWCM and increased randiness has left me pretty accurate with identifying ovulation. I also realize those could be pregnancy symptom, though. Anyway, so I've felt like I was perhaps ovulating this last week. The past two days my nipples are super sore, darker, and hot, as per usual for me immediately post-ovulation. I was checking them out this morning, because the changes just fascinate me, and when I squeezed them a large drop of clear liquid leaked out of one of my nipples.. kinda reminded me of colostrum. I couldn't get it to do it again.

Anyway.. any advice? How concerned would you be over the nipple leakage? Does anyone else find the sudden ovulating really weird? I'm worried that it could point to a pituitary issue or some such, especially combined with the nipple leakage.


I have had some changes/additions to my meds. I'm on an antidepressant and an anxiolytic now, and have increased my thyroid med dosage. I was also on HBC from Jan-July of 2012, hoping coming off of it would induce ovulation (so that could have something to do with it... but 6 mo later...?). The RE refused to talk to me about it over the phone (I forgot to tell her that and thought it might be why my ovaries appeared clear to her). We've decided to postpone TTC for a little while and I will likely be finding a new RE, but am thinking of seeing my OBGYN over this, or perhaps just finding a regular endocrinologist.

A moment to piss and moan about underwear

[brigittefires.livejournal.com]

Can we just take a moment to discuss the obnoxiousness of "women's" underwear?

So the societal (bullshit) "standard" of large labia major that covers the labia minora is supposed to the "ideal," the "everybody looks like this," right? Well that's what I have. Great, right? I fit the standard ideal (in that one specific area, anyway), isn't that fabulous?

So WHY is there not a single pair of underwear in the world made for me? The gusset and that inner lining that is supposed to do… what, catch our regular everyday discharge? Yeah, it stops anywhere from 2 to 4 inches away from where I need it, sometimes only coming as far forward as the middle of my vagina so that there is NO FREAKING WAY it is catching my everyday discharge. Also, do you know how uncomfortable it is to always be sitting on the front seam of that lining? Forget bike riding with it!

Menstrual pads with wings? Almost never come forward far enough for me. I have to wear extra-long pads just to be able to bleed on the front 10% of it, and to account for that random time where I sit just right (or wrong) and it opens my labia for the blood to flow straight down. And because I wear cloth ones, they move around too much to use them without wings most of the time, especially because apparently the gold standard of underwear these days (even for bigger girls who need more support) is flimsy material that stretches so much as to not hold a pad or pantyliner in place without wings.

And what is it with this craze in women's Big Gurl/Plus Sized underwear for the gusset to only be wide enough to cover ONE outer labia and not both at the same time? The leg holes are wide enough that if the gusset was properly wide the legs would be the perfect size, but instead I've got this gaping area where nothing is covered, nothing is being absorbed or wicked away, and I'm starting to wonder why I'm wearing that extra layer at all anymore since it can't even hold a pantyliner in place. Of course anything more specialized is going to be Gods-awful expensive, too!

Underwear made "for men" the boxer-brief style is about the only thing that has the extra layers in the right place for me, but a) I LIKE cute underwear, b) I can't stand that it has so much extra material in front I'm not using because it bunches funny under my leggings, and c) never enough in the back for my butt. Plus they never come down far enough to keep my thighs from chafing anyway, so the legs just ride up and now I have the entirety of a field of cotton bunched up in my crotch. I found some in the section made for women years ago that had the front-flap like those boxers briefs, back when "boy shorts" became a thing, and they were like the most perfect underwear of all time. Too bad the next season they dipped down so far in the front (because that was also low-rise jeans season) that they literally didn't cover my mons entirely let alone support my now-FATabulous lower belly. That's been fixed, but now we're into the flimsy material thing so even though the area is covered, it's not exactly supported.

And don't' even get me started on BRAS.


This post brought to you by the letter 2, and the number C, as in CAFFEINE! Everybody now, give me your obnoxious underwear stories. Let's commiserate and maybe someone will know of a solution to one of these situations, eh?

Male birth control shot--where to find trials

[brigittefires.livejournal.com]

So I saw on the VP page a link to this tumblr which has a link to this article about the male birth control shot.

I can see that it's in trials right now. Does anyone here have any idea how to find out where those trials are taking place? My partner would like to participate so that I can get my IUD out sooner than in a year when it expires, to find out whether some of the issues I'm having are IUD/Birth Control-related.

[Back story, when my IUD comes out next may, I'm probably not going on any other birth control. We haven't decided whether we will use condoms, FAM or just not bother trying NOT to conceive and see what happens, but I'm not sure that we will be ready to be making babies in a year's time given that I'd like to have had our wedding before I get pregnant. Definitely not ready now, but I think my IUD is causing more issues than some of my doctors are willing to accept, and I'd like to get it out sooner--but not at the risk of getting pregnant right away or having to use condoms because no. I'm also very tempted to say F worrying about getting married first and just get the thing out now, but if I do that I will definitely be using FAM. Actually I pretty much just talked myself into that solution.]

Anyway, I'm not sure how to find these trials so my partner can get in on them, if they're willing to do the reversal shot in a couple years. Any idea on how to find that info?

UTI that won't go away.

[mach-na.livejournal.com]

About 2 months ago I went to the doctor with mild UTI symptoms. I wasn't even sure if I had one, the symptoms were so mild, yet something felt off. The discomfort felt also like it was more inside, like in my bladder versus my urethra. He said that I indeed had a UTI and gave me 10 days of cipro.

About a week after I finished the antibiotics I went back to the doctor because something still didn't feel right. I again tested positive for a UTI and he gave me 10 days of a stronger antibiotic, Bactrim. I finally started to feel better. I finished taking the antibiotics 5 days ago. Today there is a slight burning when I urinate and seems like my urge to pee is more urgent and frequent.

I used some at home test strips and it tested positive for leukocytes but negative for nitrites.

I am really hesitant to go back to the doctor. I currently have no insurance and have already paid for 2 doctors visits and tests. What could be going on with me? Do I still have a UTI or could it be something else? Is there anything I can do to make this better on my own?

Some other info about me: I am 32 and in a monogamous relationship and have been tested for STDs. I usually get UTIs about once a year and yeast infections about twice a year. Other than that I have had no other medical issues.

Thoughts?