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Expert Q&A

	By Craig Sweet, M.D. Reproductive Endocrinologist

My periods are normally every 30-33 days, but last month it came at 42 days. We are TTC, and I started spotting at 23 days with more spotting/light bleeding for 2 more days. Also my temps dropped lower (last one was 98.07). My question is, did my period come 7-10 days early? could I possibly be pregnant, or did my body have an early period this month to compensate for a late one last?

It is less likely that your 42-day cycle was an ovulatory cycle – possible, but just unlikely. If this is a new pattern, you should be seen by a physician to see if they can discover why you are not ovulating. Women, in general, will have one crazy cycle per year, so the appearance of such a cycle may cause anxiety but don't be concerned unless a pattern develops.

My favorite way of checking ovulation is checking a blood progesterone level from 6-8 days before the first day of menses is expected. A value above 3.0 is usually ovulatory. If the menstrual cycles are all over the board, checking a progesterone level is probably not very useful and an evaluation for an ovulatory dysfunction will be more productive.

Could you have been pregnant? Sure, but no way to know right now. If you have a delay again, checking a blood pregnancy test is one way to be more certain.

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