Ovulation bleeding or implantation)

[hiii_837372]

hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my concern.

on 5 April, me and my boyfriend had sex (unprotected,we did the pull out method) but I got my period a few days later. I’m confident it was my period because the flow was heavier and it lasted longer then implantation bleeding would’ve. April 17 I had sex with my boyfriend and on April 22. we used a condom both times and when he had to finish, he pulled out and finished in the condom I know for a fact, the condom didn’t have any holes and did not break. both of those dates were not on my ovulation day my ovulation day was on the 25th. on the 24th, I experienced very light wet bleeding. The texture wasn’t a blood clot. It wasn’t thick. It was very thin and pink. I never get ovulation bleeding so this is the first time that has happened. I didn’t think anything of it because we did it protected but today I also experienced the same thing no blood clots. It wasn’t thick. It was very light pink watery bleeding. again, I’ve never experienced ovulation bleeding. Could it be implantation bleeding or is it just a tear? I know implantation bleeding happens post ovulation 6 to 12 days but since the bleeding happened before my ovulation date, I’m almost confident it might not be implantation bleeding, but I’m still scared.

[HannahP]

Hey there hiii_837372!

There are a couple of things to cover here. Firstly, it sounds to me like the sex that you're describing on April 17 and 22 was protected — you used a combination of withdrawal and condoms, which is about 96% to 99.92% effective! So right off the bat, I would not be particularly concerned about pregnancy given your description. If you check out our The Pregnancy Panic Companion, you'll see that it mentions that using contraception and especially using two forms of contraception, like you did, significantly decreases the risk of pregnancy.

Next, implantation bleeding is very uncommon, but "spotting" (which is just light bleeding that can happen at any time of your cycle) is common and can happen for all sorts of reasons.

If you still feel worried about it, it might be a good idea to buy a pregnancy test, just to ease your mind. Often you need to wait 2 weeks since the pregnancy risk in order to take it, but nowadays some brands can test you sooner than that (they say clearly on the packaging). But it sounds like by that point, you may have already gotten your next period anyway! In the meantime, I suggest checking out the Pregnancy Panic Companion that I linked above, since it has a section for how to keep calm while waiting for your period to arrive.

Finally, I notice that you don't seem to have a consistent method of birth control that you and your partner are using every time you have sex. I think it's possible that this is adding to your stress about this! Would you like to talk about options for birth control or a plan to make sure you use it every time?

[hiii_837372]

Thank you so much for the feedback! I did read the link you sent and I took some deep breaths, thank you! After the first and 100% last time we had sex unprotected, we talked about it and we aren’t going to have sex without a condom since the stress that comes with it is exhausting. I’m just paranoid since this type of spotting has never happened before. Since me and him used a condom and withdrawal correctly i’m almost positive it isn’t a pregnancy, i just wanted some extra information since spotting during your cycle and implantation bleeding are so alike. If i do end up getting a pregnancy test, when should i take it? It technically has been 11 days since me and him had protected sex. Would that be enough time or would you recommend to still wait?

[HannahP]

Wonderful! I'm glad you took some deep breaths, that is a great start. I am also so glad to hear that you have an agreement with your boyfriend to make sure you use condoms every time!

I think you're right that it's unlikely that you're pregnant and probably spending too much time paying attention to exactly what your body is doing and why it might be doing it can be a bit counterproductive. The best thing you can do for yourself is take care of yourself and your worries until either your period comes or you take the pregnancy test.

Our advice on when to take a pregnancy test is 14 days after the last time you had sex or on/after the day you expect your period to come (if you have a regular cycle). Like I mentioned, some pregnancy tests will say you can use them before 14 days — to be absolutely sure, I'd stick with 14, but in this case since your risk is low, maybe seeing a negative test sooner will help ease your anxiety! This article has good information about buying and take a pregnancy test: Peeing on a Stick: All About Pregnancy Tests

[hiii_837372]

Thank you so much i appreciate it a lot for spending time giving me this helpful information and reassurance! I will definitely take the advice and will wait a couple more days for a test and calm myself down when i notice the slightest change in my body.

[HannahP]

No problem - it's what we're here for! Good luck!