I had some mean headaches after AF arrived last week. I don't usually get headaches and not for so many days. I ended up taking aspirin and it still didn't help. I took a tiny bit of vitex early on that last cycle, but weeks earlier, and then I also had taken a b-complex which was new for me. I'm wondering if it was all that extra b that did it to me.

I got calls from my acu and RE offices confirming my appts for tomorrow. I'm curious and a little anxious about what the RE will say.

Just a quick one. I got my period today finally, the first time since April. Granted I had the bleeding with the miscarriage but if you've been there, you know it is different and doesn't count as a period. I had cramping and spotting last night and today and now just a somewhat normal flow. I don't think there will be anything dramatic this time, I sure as heck hope not.

It's hard not to be reminded of the last time I had cramps a few weeks ago and all that crazy hemorrhaging.

We're planning on going on a trip to Europe in a few weeks and I think we may need to hold off trying again until after that as my ovulation this cycle will land us not at home with my medical and acupuncture care in the early weeks of a possible pregnancy and I so don't want the experience of pregnancy and possibly loss while travelling, not with my brilliant history. I guess we can just do FAM for a cycle for avoidance.

Definitions of (girlie) bleeding

In the time I've hung out online with women trying to get pregnant I've had the chance to learn more of the nuances of spotting. I've heard women say that if there is any blood contained in your cervical fluid they they considered it spotting. At the end of your period though it it more residual flow, I have that too. This type of spotting tend to be brownish.

[added in this article link 2/4/06]
Menstrual Mysteries -- more info about determining problems with your menses based on quantity.

Spotting is bleeding outside of your period. I've had spotting this month and it just continued as red coloration to my cervical fluid, this is dysfunctional uterine bleeding related to my miscarriage.

Spotting also is the first sign of an impending period for many women. I'm pretty sure that this is light pinkish, with maybe a little brown as the blood oxidizes.

Heavy menstrual flow is when you need to use more than one pad an hour, though I consider this really heavy, medically referred to as Menorrhagia. Because your body is bleeding so much the chemicals that are supposed to keep the flow fluid can't work as well and you do get some coagulation -- the clots, or liver-like lumps. I find that when I have clotting I tend to get really nauseous kinda intense cramping feelings -- I think this might be the clot passing through the cervix -- when I miscarried there was a similarity to the sensation though the miscarriage was more painful in my opinion.

My previous period was unusual, again it seemed to be related to my body trying to get rid of retained tissue from my miscarriage. I had bleeding for 3-4 days that was bright red and had no clots. On toilet tissue it looked like I was dabbing at a wound, it was plain blood and without the mucus component of a normal menstrual flow. I consider this abnormal for me, though women with fibroids contacting the endometrium might experience this as a frequent event.

"Women lose between 20 and 80 cc's (1-2 ounces) of blood during a normal period." (hah! right)
http://www.fwhc.org/health/moon.htm

This page includes diagrams and links to more information about normal/abnormal menstrual bleeding and includes a reference to fibroids (scroll down the page)
MENSTRUAL ABNORMALITIES

I found a lot of mention of the fact that doctors often underestimate women's blood flows and that there is a pictorial chart (see link below) that women used in one study that was a clearer indictator of blood loss. I'm sure many of us have experienced this underestimate by docs -- perhaps if those of us with heavy periods would catch the blood that pours out of us when we go to the toilet and bring it to the doctor's office they might be able to see what we go through.

The Medical Algorithms Project has a copy of the The Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart (PBAC), an excel spreadsheet that helps calculate blood loss
http://www.medal.org/

Information about the endometrial lining and menstruation.

There is a substance produced in the uterus which is supposed to help prevent clots from forming, it is called fibrinolysin. When the blood flows too quickly (profusely) the anti-clotting fibrinolysins can't keep up and clots form. Heavy bleeding is called menorrhagia.

"Blood clots or flooding are indications of heavy loss. Normally the blood lost from the vessels in the lining of the womb forms small clots and this tends to reduce the flow. The small blood clots within the uterus are broken down by chemicals called fibrinolysins and the normal menstrual loss should be a fluid. When the bleeding is heavy, the blood is extruded too quickly for it to clot within the uterus. In this situation, the blood clots in the vagina and the menstrual flow includes blood clots. Whilst menstruation is inevitably an inconvenience, it should not result in limitation of social activity."
http://askwaltstollmd.com/archives/menstruati/95779.html#95952
(This doctor had his licensed revoked but the information seems valid so I included it, you will see mention of it if you scroll down through the previous link so I thought I would link to this page FYI: (http://askwaltstollmd.com/faq.html)

Check out these two interesting pages with detailed descriptions and diagrams of how the endometrium forms each month, for your reference:

NORMAL MENSTRUATION

THE ENDOMETRIUM

For more information search with these key words in different
combinations (such as "endometrium anti-clotting"):

menorrhagia, endometrium, fibrinolysin, anti-clotting

About Menstrual Suppression

While researching the effects of progesterone on the endometrial lining today I came across some interesting site debating the efficacy of menstrual suppresssion (aka: extended contraception). I
can't say that I noted whether or not these sites mentioned it for use with uterine fibroids but take a look...

ASSOCIATION OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS:
Choosing When to Menstruate: The Role of Extended Contraception


The Society for Menstrual Research
(click the link down the page for the statement on menstrual suppression)

CeMCOR - The Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research

Would you stop menstruating if you could?


More about menstruation:

Menstrual Cycles: What Really Happens in those 28 Days?!
(scroll down for more links)

The Menstrual Cycle: What your body is telling you

The Science of Menstruation

The Museum of Menstruation