Started the pill recently. halfway thru my 2nd pack but i'm having heavy spotting & mild cramps, almost like a period. could it have started early?

Irregular periods: It is very common for women who have just started oral contraceptives to have irregular cycles during the first 2 or 3 packs of pills, while your body's hormones adjust to the pills. If you are sexually active, it is always reasonable to check a pregnancy test, just to make sure, but it is most likely just the adjustment to the pills. Give it a couple more packs and it should straighten out.