Return to Normal: 04/27/07
Two more weeks, on and off, of bleeding and by yesterday I was at my wit's end. The problem is, I don't remember it being this bad after Sean. While it certainly wasn't the most painful or heaviest I've ever experienced, it was the longest. I looked in all of my medical books or on any of the online medical sites information of what the duration for the first period from start to finish should be (or can be).

So I called my doctor. Rather, I called the advice nurse and she sent an email to my doctor who then called me back. Why am I putting this on my blog? I'm hoping to help a future confused woman who may end up going through this too.

Here's what I learned: ten days of bleed is typical but longer isn't necessarily a problem if the bleeding isn't heavy enough to soak a pad through (top to bottom) in an hour for four hours in a row.

Warning signs to look out for:

• heavy bleeding (filling a pad in a hour)
• lightheadedness or nausea (a sign of anemia)
• excessive thirst (a sign of anemia)
• intense abdominal pain

So what to do:

If you plan to "wait it out" as my doctor put it, take your prenatal pills (mostly for the iron), drink eight oz. of water an hour to stay hydrated and take an OTC painkiller for the cramping.

You can also discuss your symptoms with your gynecologist and have hormones prescribed to stop the bleeding. That's ultimately what I opted for. I've taken the first two doses today and I feel like a car that has gotten a new clutch and can finally get itself into gear. Plus the bleeding is finally slowing down. It looks like an end is in sight!

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