Need Some Reassurance..Possible Pregnancy?

[venbrunette]

Hey ya'll I'm new to the forum and I have a cause for concern. I do apologize for the essay, just want to give as much information as possible.

I am currently taking birth control, in which the one I am taking I found out
it a low dosage BC (its minastrin 24 Fe, 20 mcg). I want to start off by
saying I take my birth control religiously, at the same time every single
day. Never missed a pill, took it in the correct order, to a T. I have been
taking birth control for 4 months now, and started on the 5th packet about a
week ago.

I had sex without a condom on Dec. 6th, so almost 2 weeks ago. He didn't
ejaculate in me, but pulled out. I was on the last white pill on my bc before
the "sugar pills". I normally start my period on the second "sugar pill" in
which I did get my period. Then on friday (the 11th, in which i began my new
bc packet) we had sex without a condom as well, he pulled out. He did go a
little deeper than before since after sex i wiped and had some light pink
residue on the toilet paper. That was the day my period was completely done
(normally I only have my period for 3 days and then its over; and with my bc
packet i have 4 "sugar pills")

Now my main concern was 6 days after having sex (the first time) I had a massive sharp pain in my right ovary, almost like
pulling or twisting (hard to explain). Then the next day in the morning I
went to go and wipe after using the restroom I noticed a minuscule amount of
bright red blood. And by minuscule it was almost nothing, I had to wipe a
little hard near the opening of my vagina. You could say it wasn't even a
drop. I know that it was fresh. This happened both sunday and monday, roughly during the same time
(morning) bright red. I also had very little on tuesday as well then it was
completely gone. On monday I felt uncomfortable down there, not necessarily
what felt like cramping but it was something
Of course with all of this happening my mind immediately jumped to the worst
possible conclusion. I went online and started googling what this could be
and from my findings it made my fears far worse.
Could what I described be an early sign of pregnancy? Could that extremely
extremely bright red blood could be a sign of implantation bleeding? They
said online that its a light pink or a brownish/muddy color, yet mine wasn't.
I've been feeling some light pressure or something of some kind going on
around my ovaries/uterus a bit this week.

Should I be concerned? I'm honestly thinking about getting a blood test at my
doctors to test for hcg on Monday to see. Would this be the best thing to do?
To be honest I'm a bit terrified due to the fact i've never had this happen
when I was on any of the other bc packets from previous months. Also i've never had unprotected sex while on my bc. From
my coworkers they said that everything is fine since i'm taking my bc at the
exact same time every single day. Also I probably should mention (not sure if
its something major) I have a rare condition called uterine didelphys in
which I have 2 uteri, 2 cervix, and a hemi vagina.

[Heather]

I want to make clear that ALL available methods of oral contraceptives currently available are "low-dose." Back in the day, up until around the late 1980s, many had much higher levels of estrogen than those on the market now. But those ones are gone: all OCs now are low-dose, because it was determined that lower levels of estrogen are just as effective but also safer. So, "low-dose" is a given and doesn't mean less effectiveness.

Personally, sharp, unexplained pain in any part of the body is always something it's wise to have looked into by a healthcare provider. Sharp ovarian pain is not typically associated with pregnancy, however, so that is not a likely reason for that kind of pain, even when someone hasn't been using a method of birth control at all.

Rather than scheduling an appointment for a pregnancy test, I'd suggest scheduling an appointment to investigate this pain and the other symptoms that are troubling you. A test for pregnancy is usually part and parcel of a reproductive health visit regardless, so that's built in. On the other hand, an appointment just for a pregnancy test will generally not leave the kind of time needed to investigate anything else, which is what you really need. Make sense?

But it does sound like you have learned for yourself that you don't feel comfortable with unprotected sex when it comes to condoms (and, of course, there are STI risks that presents, so using them just to cover that whole other big area of risk is always wise), so moving forward, it seems like you may want to rethink that for yourself.

[Heather]

Also, know that very few healthcare providers run blood tests for pregnancy anymore: they're no more effective than urine tests, are more costly, and are usually saved for times when a provider feels that something suggests a negative urine test result may not be able to be relied upon by itself. So, if you get a test from a healthcare provider, it will most likely be a urine test.

[venbrunette]

Thank you so much Heather for your informative response! Well this will be the first and last time I have unprotected sex so I don't start googling things and I have a piece of mind.

Actually that isn't a weird thing to say at all about my condition! Never knew my condition existed before my gyno figured out was I was so uncomfortable doing a pap. I'll say i'm a rare one for sure. like a unicorn. . And I was always curious why I could never put on a tampon let alone why it hurt and it was incredibly difficult. I would say my condition is cool! Now you have me curious as to what it looks like on the ultrasound!

I was just unsure if that pain was from a possible sperm attaching to an egg if somehow my bc failed, since i've read that some people can feel this happening (but of course don't believe everything you read on the internet right?)

By chance do you know what the minuscule bleeding could be from? would it be a implantation? or just possibly my body being weird?

I'll check with my doctors to see if they might still do blood tests, but my family member said if i've been taking my pills religiously I should be fine for the most part on their effectiveness given if they are taken correctly. She told me it would be expensive to do so anyway.

[Heather]

(I actually edited my comment because in hindsight, I worried my anatomy-geeking-out might be taken the wrong way. I am a total dork with this stuff, so sometimes I forget that approach isn't so welcome. Glad I didn't offend!

I poked around Google Images a bit to try and find one that looked like the one I saw -- which was during a termination procedure for a pregnancy in one side, which was a lot like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=uterine ... ZikUyHM%3A SO COOL. Also, you're even cooler than a unicorn, you're a BInicorn! Glad I can geek out with abandon, now. )

So, it's not actually painful, the process of egg and sperm fertilization: it's just two sets of cells saying, "Oh, hey, hi! Fancy meeting you here!" really. Nothing about it is a thing that would be at all likely to signal a pain response. And no, people can't feel that happening: it's way, way too microscopic and subtle, much like the constant process of, say, shedding skin cells we do all the time but don't feel happening. Methinks that's people really romanticizing this process to the degree they have convinced themselves of something that's just not a physiological reality because they would like for it to be.

Really, there are so many possible causes for pain and spotting, I couldn't guess, and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to guess, because if you have access to healthcare, it is something you want to have a healthcare provider look into, including so they can rule out things like an STI that would need treatment, or something like an ovarian cyst that might need the same.

I'm not sure why you'd ask for a blood test, since, again, they are not more effective than urine tests (and so tend to be considered a waste of resources within healthcare more times than not, soundly). But whatever your reasons are, it's also not like it isn't okay to ask for things. Again, my best advice would be to make an appointment asking to be seen for unexplained ovarian pain and spotting, and let them do the job they're educated and trained to do from there, which is to figure out what tests or examinations they feel should be run with that. And again, a pregnancy test will likely be part of that regardless, just because determining if someone is or isn't pregnant is important in reproductive healthcare and/or any treatment for anything that might be problematic for a pregnant person, so that test is likely to be run no matter what.

[venbrunette]

I noticed that you did edit and was like "wait now its gone" haha. But of course not! Not offended at all. I was very intrigued myself and went on a rampant google search about my condition and found out there is a whole forum dedicated for those who have what I have. Were just a rare bunch. Ah! That's so nifty! Can totally see the septum separating the uterus.

That is very true in what you have stated. I guess I just wanted to have some reassurance that I wasn't in fact, possibly pregnant as in I don't want to wait 3 weeks until my packet is up to see if my period is missed. I know its weird.

Probably what got me thinking that the pain could be was that my right side is the dominant side during intercourse. Never had a guy in my left side, so feeling that pain in my right ovary had my brain in a tizzy. I've had some pains like I experienced even when i was on bc. If i'm not mistaken in both ovaries, but i couldn't be 100 percent sure.

Some of the pressure or what felt like small cramps that happened a week after unprotected sex almost felt like I was going to get my period. From what I remember from my past packets on bc about a week before the four "sugar pills" i would get some pains or some discomfort in that area which I had assumed that my body was preparing for my period. Even on birth control. Like i was "ovulating". I've read you can ovulate while still on the pill, is this true? (once again thats what I get for going on a manhunt on google) but bc prevents a sperm and egg meeting because the bc makes your body think its already pregnant. or am i completely off the scale on that statement.

My sincerest apologies for all these questions haha.

[Heather]

Cool, right? And no problem: answering questions is what we're here to do!

Ovaries and vaginas aren't going to act in concert, really. All the vagina -- any vagina -- is is a road to the cervical opening, and THAT is a road to the uterus, and then the fallopian tubes are another inroad, and the ovaries only release eggs into that. Does that make sense? I get why those might seem like connected dots for you in this instance, but ovarian pain just isn't likely to have bupkis to do with vaginas: that pain is usually about certain hormonal changes and/or conditions like cysts, for example.

One of the two primary ways the pill works is by suppressing ovulation (which isn't usually happening for people right before a period, just FYI, but most typically, more mid-cycle). It's not a 100% effective method, so yes, it can still happen for people using the pill, but it isn't at all likely to when it's being used properly, as you're clearly using it. It might also help to bear in mind that hormonal methods don't remove "natural" cycles, they, instead, hack them so that pregnancy isn't likely by -- you basically have this right -- creating a hormonal pattern that more closely resembles that of someone pregnant than someone fertile, or, more accurately, more closely resembles that of someone infertile. So, things like some PMS symptoms before a withdrawal bleed can still happen, both because that normal pattern hasn't been eradicated, but also because a lot of PMS has to do with levels of progesterone that are similar to the levels people using hormonal methods are at, if you follow me.

[venbrunette]

No I completely get what your talking about!

Also i've been monitoring my discharge, since i've started being on birth control I haven't had the "egg-whites" discharge which is the sign that your normally ovulating or fertile. I've been having, since having unprotected sex, the white discharge that is pretty thick in consistency--almost like a lotion-y feeling. From this discharge I'm aware that it would be difficult for sperm to get through to an egg. From my past packets, this is what I normally have for the most part. Also the first time I had unprotected sex, the next day I had the thick white discharge on my underwear. Could this be any reassurance that maybe a sperm wasn't able to get through?

With the minuscule blood could that have possibly been breakthrough bleeding and I happened to get it on my 5th bc packet? I read that breakthrough bleeding normally happens or goes away by the 3rd pill packet.

[Redskies]

Breakthrough bleeding/spotting is especially common in the first few cycles of pill-taking, but it can happen at any point. Like Heather said though, it's best to get sudden sharp pain investigated by an in-person provider, and you'd also want to fill them in with anything else relevant, like the bleeding you had.

If your partner ejaculates inside you, your body will also be discharging that semen during the day or so after sex, which is also likely to give you some thick white discharge.

Really, if you're taking your pill as directed, it's not necessary to be checking your discharge to feel confident you don't ovulate and that sperm will be inhibited: you can expect your pill to take care of it. So, now you know you don't feel secure enough with your pill alone - that's okay, plenty of people feel like that! - and can make that change and use condoms going forward. We live and learn

[venbrunette]

Thank you Redskies for your reassurance. Without a doubt i'll be using condoms from here on out to ease my mind on something such as this. Still patiently waiting for my bc to be up so I can see whether my period comes or not. Crossing my fingers, though ya'lls guidance has certainly eased my worries. Now i'm not sure if Heather or you could answer this question, but it is concerning my condition. With having uterine didelphys could that have a possible affect on the birth control pills and for them to not work properly?
Though whats making me think they are certainly working is that my withdrawal bleeding is coming through from the previous packets as well as when i took my very first pill in my first packed I was extremely nauseated which from the pamphlet said that you could experience such symptoms.

[Heather]

Your uterine variation should not make any difference, to my knowledge, and logically shouldn't, as the primary ways the pill works - suppressing ovulation ,and changing cervical mucus - don't involve your uterus. Is your prescribing physician aware of it? If so, rest assured that they will have taken it into consideration when prescribing you any medication, including contraceptive medications.

[venbrunette]

okay, that makes complete sense now that I think of it! My gyno did prescribe the bc for me and said nothing in regards to my condition, the only thing she said was to use condoms, but as for any bc method.

Now of course since I am a bit concerned my mind has been monitoring pains and different things going on down in the uterus area. I've noticed that on my left breast I have a dominate dark vein that comes and goes (around my nipple/areola) area. My breasts are large (34D) so could I just be seeing my veins that I never noticed prior? My breasts aren't sensitive at all so that has me somewhat throwing out the idea of an early sign of pregnancy.

[Heather]

It sounds to me like what's going on for you right now is that you're being hyperobservant/hypervigilant with your body. Chances are small things like this with your vein have been around before, you just haven't been in a panic and being so focused on your body.

So, what I'd suggest is doing what you can to best manage the anxiety you're having, which means, for one thing, doing what you can to focus on things besides your body like this. So, whatever you can do to focus on other things, and when you are going to focus on your body, to focus on just being in your body and doing things you enjoy with it -- some kind of activity or movement, for instance, where you're going to be experiencing the whole of your body, rather than just focusing on parts that you are attaching to possible pregnancy -- is going to serve you a lot better.

Too, since clearly a big part of what has you in this pickle is not having used condoms, you might find it helps you feel better to go and do some safer sex shopping this week. Just having yourself a nice stockpile can provide some emotional comfort, because then you get to know that you don't have to go through this again.

[venbrunette]

Sounds like a good plan to me as well heather. My family members are telling me I am being hyperobservant as well and to relax.

If you don't mind me asking one more question, i'll be out of your hair afterwards. I know most certainly there is a very very minuscule chance that I would become pregnant after having unprotected sex two days before my period. Now I did have sex the first day I started my 5th packet after my withdrawal bleeding was done and over with. Would it still be unlikely to become pregnant from the second time? Exactly two weeks after having sex I experienced dull like cramping and pressure/light pain in my lower back. This next thing could be me being hyperobservant but my appetite has changed. I normally get full after eating a large meal and now its changed where I don't feel as full, Like I could eat more if I wanted to. This actually happened when I wasn't on bc and I knew my period was around the corner. Yet I've never had this happen to me on any of my bc packets.

Anyways I believe i'm taking this out of proportion and that I know i've been taking my pills at the exact same time everyday, religiously.

Phew, my sincerest apologies for being a bother. I know that in the future I'll never be doing this again if I'm stressed out this much.

[Heather]

I'm not quite sure I understand what you're asking, but I also know that if we're talking about a risk or possible risk that was more than five days ago, there truly is nothing to do about it now save either a) waiting on a next period or b) taking a pregnancy test if it's been enough time since and that's something you need to do for yourself.