Irregular Bleeding Between Periods: Causes & What to Do

Question
My fiance started her period on the 29th of aug and ended on the 3rd or 4th of sept. and now about 15 days later on the 19th she starts bleeding again. what could this mean? she was sick the week of her period, could this be the reason. please help me we have been trying to get pregnant since march of this year.

Answer
Dear Dustin,

The medical term for irregular bleeding or spotting between periods is metrorrhagia and it can be caused by a variety of things. Some of the more common reasons are:
-Hormonal fluctuations
-Beginning or stopping oral contraceptives or estrogens
-Low thyroid levels
-Stress
-Injury/inflammation of the vagina or cervix from insertion of objects or from vaginal infections
-Vaginal dryness

It also could be a bit of ovulation bleeding or even implantation bleeding, but I can't really assess the possibility of either of those situations without knowing the normal length of her cycles.

The most common cause is a bit of a hormonal imbalance. As long as she stays on track with normal periods, this mid-cycle bleeding is probably an isolated, insignificant occurrence unless it continues with each cycle and/or begins to be accompanied by other symptoms such as a foul odor or unusual vaginal discharge. Otherwise, keep trying to conceive as you would be normally - I usually suggest every other day from cycle day 11-21.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you both well.

Brenda