Expert: Catherine Beier MS CBE - 1/28/2009

Question
My periods are always very heavy and 8-9 days longs every time and. This month I was supposed to start my period on the 23rd and started the 21st. This period was very light pink and brownish and would come and go with only the 2nd day bleeding a little bit more then the others. This on and off light period lasted for 5 days. I thought it might be implantation bleeding so I took a HPT the evening of day 5. It was negative, but I have been nauseated and had stomach pains. Also, a strange thing is, I did not have any cramps or breast tenderness, which I always do before or at the beginning of a period. However I was really bloated during the 5 days..can someone shed some light 4 me?

Answer
Amber,

This does not sound like implantation bleeding.  Implantation bleeding should be compared more to spotting and would typically only last a day or less, not at all like even a light period.  

It is still possible that you could be pregnant, since it is possible to still have light cycles during pregnancy.  It's not terribly common, but some women do have a normal cycle every month during their pregnancies.


They symptoms you're describing could be those of early pregnancy, or due to many other things, such as illness, stress, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, etc.


So, the only answer at this point would be to wait to take another test if your period doesn't come when expected this month, or at least two weeks from the last test you took.


Best,
Catherine