Today's practice of counting is sourced in an ancient humrah/stricture (see below for in depth analysis), that was added by righteous women in Mishnaic Times. It is a universally accepted practice.

In effect: It requires a women to count seven (spotless) clean days and dunk (in a kosher Mikvah/Miqwah) on the eighth - in order to return to a state of taharah (ritual purity). Before counting, most women perform some type of hefsek taharah - to ascertain that all bleeding has ceased. She must then ascertain that bleeding has not recurred during the following seven days, before she may immerse in the mikveh. These days are known as the shivah neki'im, which is literally translated as "seven clean days." Since the status of niddah has nothing to do with physical cleanliness, "seven blood-free days" may be a better term. A woman during this time period is said to be "counting the shivah neki'im," even though she is not obligated to actually enumerate each day.

The count starts right after the bleeding stops. There is no waiting of time - after the bleeding stops. According to the stricture, the count begins "right after" the bleeding stops. It's simply this: Count/wait 7 clean days after the bleeding stops, and dunk on the 8th.

The Stricture of Counting Seven Days (after blood stops) - As Niddah Procedure

The stricture added by the women is very unique (as far as chumrahs go) for a few reasons:

1- It didn’t really add on “that much more” than was already decreed by Rabbi Yehuda haNassi in Niddah 66b:

"R. Joseph citing Rab Judah who had it from Rab stated: Rabbi ordained at Sadoth, If a woman observed a discharge on one day she must wait six days in addition to it. If she observed discharges on two days she must wait six days in addition to these. If she observed a discharge on three days she must wait seven clean days. R. Zera stated: The daughters of Israel have imposed upon themselves the restriction that even if they observe a drop of blood of the size of a mustard seed they wait on account of it seven clean days. "

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/b/l/l61.htm 

2- It was apparently already known by the rabbis of the Gamara – and is recorded by rabbi R. Zeira. Thus, this is an ancient, universally accepted chumrah. This had nothing to do with differing traditions. 

3- Also, I have rarely (if ever) seen Rambam speak of a Chumrah in such halakhic terms - as he does in Chapter 11. Note the language here in 11:17  http://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/5111.htm#17

4- The motive of the women was to avoid a serious and real halakhic doubt. This wasn’t a typical “let’s keep adding a million chumras to Torath Moshe, and turn it into Essenism, type of chumra).

5- I don’t believe that Rambam recorded the original 7/11 (legislation) - to be followed at his time (or ours). Like the laws of the offerings (also halakha l’Moshe mi Sinai), he recorded it to preserve the entire Torah. The Mishneh Torah records the entire Torah. That’s what Rambam has always done – when situations arise that prevent our performance of miswoth. Most probably, it could be (authentically) followed again (one day).

Rambam himself (and many others) says that it became "very difficult" to keep track of the counting of the dates. And that during the days of Chakhamei ha Gamara, many doubts arose regarding the appearance of blood and the reckoning of patterns. But many times, the ability to track remained confused. This forced the sages to strictly assume that everyone was Zivah. This was universally accepted. As I am sure you have studied chapter 11, you already know all this. You also know that benoth Yisrael (the daughters of Israel) added a universal humrah (stricture), that requires the counting of 7 spotless days (שבעת ימים) after the bleeding stops. She immerses on the 8th day (like a major Zavah), even thought she may not be Zavah. The rule varies on birth blood. This stricture was apparently (universally accepted), and thus carries the weight of law.

Talmudic Source: R. Joseph citing Rab Judah who had it from Rab stated: Rabbi ordained at Sadoth, If a woman observed a discharge on one day she must wait six days in addition to it. If she observed discharges on two days she must wait six days in addition to these. If she observed a discharge on three days she must wait seven clean days. R. Zera stated: The daughters of Israel have imposed upon themselves the restriction that even if they observe a drop of blood of the size of a mustard seed they wait on account of it seven clean days. (Niddah 66a)

Why The Change?

Rambam himself (and many others) says that it became "very difficult" to keep track of the counting of the dates. And that during the days of Chakhamei ha Gamara, many doubts arose regarding the appearance of blood and the reckoning of patterns. But many times, the ability to track remained confused. This forced the sages to strictly assume that everyone was Zivah. This was universally accepted. As I am sure you have studied chapter 11, you already know all this. You also know that benoth Yisrael (the daughters of Israel) added a universal humrah (stricture), that requires the counting of 7 spotless days (שבעת ימים) after the bleeding stops. She immerses on the 8th day (like a major Zavah), even thought she may not be Zavah. The rule varies on birth blood. This stricture was apparently (universally accepted), and thus carries the weight of law.

In my opinion, this stricture was significantly caused by changing pattern lengths. I think that one could argue that most (fixed pattern) veset charting (described early on) no longer exists - תועות - veset she'aino kavuah - in our times. A steady (fixed pattern)  veset kavua is virtually unheard of nowadays.

To practice, it's seven (spotless) clean days (not 7/11 days) after the bleeding stops (according to Rambam in chapter 11). There need not be a minimum of 5 or 4 days after the bleeding starts before counting (either). It's simply 7 days after the bleeding stops. Dunk on the 8th.
 

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Niddah In Arabic

The Yemenite can find an Arabic work (in Hebrew letters) on the subject of Niddah in the Tiklal Etz Hayim (Baladi-rite) Prayer Book written by Maharitz. It's at the end of one of the four volumes published by Shimon Saleh.

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