Is this my period?

[britree16]

Last week, I had my usual menstrual symptoms and then bled similar to my period. But this time, it is much shorter than normal, only lasting about three days and on each day it was fairly light (only one-two pads used a day) and especially light on the fourth day. Usually it is at least 5 days long. Is this considered a period? There was some blood clots in it. I know from reading different websites, there could be spotting which could indicate a different problem. I was wondering what the differences are between a period and spotting. Should I be concerned? I have been extremely stressed lately, so could that have caused it to be shorter? Thanks in advance!

[Ashleah]

Spotting is very light. It can occur before and after a period. Yes, it can be an indication that something is going on (signs of infection). It is also a pretty typical symptom for a person who use hormonal birth control. But what you describes sounds like a period, especially if it occurred around the time that you expect. It is not unusual for periods to be different. Actually, it is way more likely that they will not be the same every time so you can expect there to be variation.

If you are still concerned, you can always check in with your doctor.

FYI, menstrual blood doesn't clot. It is actually tissue that was shed, menstrual flow combined with very thick discharge, or both.

[britree16]

Thank you for your response! My periods are irregular so I do not know exactly when they are going to show up, but the symptoms were the same, with cramping and tender breasts and then went away after the bleeding was over. Currently I am trying to get over a pregnancy scare and I have read that women can experience bleeding during the first couple months. This makes me worried that I might be pregnant still and what I believed to be my period was actually vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. How often do women bleed similarly to my situation during pregnancy?

[Heather]

Pregnant people test positive for pregnancy. So, if you are concerned about being pregnant, the answer to that question isn't going to be found in talking about bleeding that can happen for some people with pregnancy, because that can't answer the question of if YOU are pregnant.

If you want that answered, then you'll need to take a pregnancy test or have a healthcare provider run one for you to get that answer. Is what you want to know here is if you are or are not pregnant?

[britree16]

Yes, I am trying to decided whether I am pregnant or not. I have taken pregnancy tests and they are all negative, but for some reason I cannot stop thinking about how I am still pregnant. I have to pee all the time, so I am thinking that I might have an infection of some kind. I am going to make a doctors appointment soon, I am just scared as to what they are going to tell me because even though I am pretty sure I am not pregnant, I still think I am and I am afraid the doctor is going to tell me that I am too.

[Heather]

Think about this this way: if you had a bunch of doctors all test you to see if you had cancer because you were scared you did, that would be reliable. Figuring you had headaches -- which can happen for people with cancer, but also for people without, just like peeing a lot can happen for all kinds of people, pregnant or not -- and thus you can't believe those tests would not be a rational or sound response.

It WOULD be sound, OTOH, to respond with, "Okay, so I don't have cancer. But can you investigate these headaches for me, and also suggest some mental healthcare to help me deal with still feeling afraid I have cancer?" Make sense?

What an irrational response like this tells you is that these feelings are about feelings, not about pregnancy or facts. Your issue here seems to be a FEAR of pregnancy, to the point you're not thinking rationally.

So, by all means, I'd talk with a healthcare provider, but I'd be real about what is going on so that they can evaluate you properly, which should include an evaluation about your mental health needs, since fear and feelings are mental health issues. If you address those, you're more likely to start to resolve this than if you keep asking about pregnancy or taking tests.