How To Know If Your Period Is Late

How Long Does It Take To Miss A Period After Conception

Am I pregnant or is my period late

Most people miss their period around two weeks after conception. Thats because conception tends to happen around day 1214 before your next period starts, which is when you ovulate. Two weeks after that, youre on approximately day 28 of your cycle, which is when you would normally expect your period to come.

Youve Upped Your Workout Intensity

A strenuous exercise regimen can also cause missed periods. This is most common in those who train for several hours a day. It happens because, whether intentionally or not, youre burning way more calories than youre taking in.

When you burn too many calories, your body doesnt have enough energy to keep all its systems running. More strenuous workouts can increase hormone release that can affect your menstruation.

Periods typically go back to normal as soon as you lessen training intensity or increase your caloric intake.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a set of symptoms caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. Many people with PCOS do not ovulate regularly.

As a result, your periods may:

  • be lighter or heavier than standard periods
  • arrive at inconsistent times

Other PCOS symptoms can include:

  • excess or coarse facial and body hair
  • acne on the face and body
  • thinning hair
  • weight gain or trouble losing weight
  • dark patches of skin, often on the neck creases, groin, and underneath breasts
  • skin tags in the armpits or neck

When Should I Test

Home pregnancy tests can be very accurate , especially if you wait to test until after your period is officially late. Some tests claim to accurately detect pregnancy up to a week before your missed period, so if you’re experiencing some pregnancy symptoms and are champing at the bit, go for it.

You’re more likely to get an accurate test result if you wait until your period is late, according to the Mayo Clinic, because the hormone that’s detected in home pregnancy tests, hCG, doubles every two to three days after an embryo attaches to your uterus, meaning there’s more to detect in your urine if you wait a few days.

Because this hormone can sometimes take a while to build up, false negative results aren’t uncommon in early pregnancy. It’s much more rare to get a false positive. If you get a positive test result, you are very likely pregnant, or experienced a recent pregnancy loss, and can confirm the pregnancy through a blood test or ultrasound.

Our Health & Wellness newsletter puts the best products, updates and advice in your inbox.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Recommended Reading: New Hire 90 Day-probationary Period Template

Reasons For A Late Period That Don’t Mean You’re Pregnant

A menstrual cycle that’s off schedule doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. Here are seven other reasons your period could be late.

If you’re waiting for a late period, there’s one thought that’s likely going through your mind: Am I pregnant? “Everybody thinks they’re pregnant when their period is late,” says Wendy Goodall McDonald, M.D., aka Dr. Every Woman of Women’s Health Consulting in Chicago and the author of It Smells Just Like Popcorn: The Modern Woman’s A to V Guide to Her Vagina and Beyond.

But mensuration could be late for a variety of reasons, and it doesn’t always point to pregnancy. This could be disappointing to learn if you’re TTC or a huge sigh of relief if you’re not ready for a baby. Before you run to the local pharmacy to pick up an at-home pregnancy test, read about these external factors and conditions that could cause delayed periods.

Why Is Menstrual Period Important To Track

10 Reasons for a Missed Period

It is important to track menstrual period and the cycle for some reasons. The more you understand about your body and the menstrual cycle, the more quickly you can know if something is amiss. A change in menstrual cycle is often a symptom of a variety of health issues in women.

It is also important to track the menstrual periods if you are planning to conceive or if you are trying to have a safe sex to avoid pregnancy.

The primary goal of tracking your monthly periods is to estimate the length of the menstrual cycle and assume the possible time of ovulation. If you are trying for pregnancy, you can have an intercourse around the ovulation time, and if you want to avoid pregnancy, you should abstain from sex for some days before and after ovulation.

Also when your periods become irregular, it may indicate health conditions such as thyroid issue, hormonal fluctuations, diabetes, liver problems, gaining or losing a significant amount of weight, extreme stress or adopting a new exercise routine. If irregular menstrual periods is coupled with any other symptoms, you should check with your OB-GYN.

Don’t Miss: Employee Probationary Period Template

An Early Pregnancy Sign

Pregnancy is the most typical cause of absent or delayed period in women.

How does pregnancy occur?

If you have intercourse during your fertile days, there is an increased chance you will get pregnant. Your ovaries let out an egg every menstrual cycle which is fertilized by the sperm, forming the embryo.

This embryo will have to be attached to the endometrium. During implantation, there is minor bleeding that occurs and usually seen as spotting before period. This is a very early signal that you are pregnant and may be confused as an early light period.

Other signs of pregnancy are

  • Soreness of the breast

If your period is 5 days late with these symptoms, it is likely youre pregnant.

What to do?

Its important you get a pregnancy test performed to help you confirm if you are pregnant or not. The first response pregnancy test kit can detect pregnancy 5 days after period.

If your pregnancy test is positive, it is best to tell your medical professional right away. On the other hand, if negative, you will need to wait for some time to check again.

A pregnancy test is best performed seven days after missed period.

Why Am I Not Getting My Period At All

The medical term for absent periods is amenorrhea, and is considered to occur when a woman who has previously had normal periods stops menstruating for six months or more. Many of the causes of amenorrhea are the same as those for a skipped period. Your period can be absent for a number of reasons:

Pregnancy

The most common reason to not get your period is because you are pregnant. A home pregnancy test can quickly tell you if that is the reason.

Menopause

Most women stop getting their periods in their late 40s or early 50s. The average age is 51 years old.

Breastfeeding

If you breastfeed frequently, including at night-time, you may not get a period for many months. Be aware that you will ovulate prior to getting your period back, so birth control is important if you are not ready to be pregnant again.

Stress

While a sudden stressful life event can result in a single missed period, ongoing, high level stress and anxiety can cause your period to stop altogether. Managing stress though self-care, counselling, changing your life circumstances, medication, or other strategies can help you return to having normal periods.

Weight loss

Ongoing, dramatic weight loss, from low intake, excessive exercise, gastric bypass surgery, or eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia can stop your period. This happens because the hormones required for ovulation are not produced.

Underweight

Obesity

High levels of prolactin

Ashermans syndrome

Absent uterus

Premature ovarian failure

Don’t Miss: Usaa New Car Insurance Grace Period

Get A More Accurate Test At Your Doctors Office

Even though your trip to the bathroom has made you pretty certain youâre pregnant, getting it confirmed by a medical professional is critical.

Most doctors are able to offer patients both urine tests and blood tests to check for pregnancy. While the results of the urine test are typically available within just a few minutes, lab results may take several hours or days to get back. Unlike a simple urine test, blood tests are able to give you and your doctor a better sense of where youâre at in your pregnancy and how things are developing. Itâs possible your physician asks you to do more than one of these tests over the course of your pregnancy to determine how things are changing over time.

The Source has clinics across Texas and provides free pregnancy tests. Click the button below to schedule a 30-minute appointment with one of our doctors today.

What Should I Do If I Have Missed My Period

My period is late am I pregnant?

Don’t panic! In most cases there is nothing serious going on. The most important thing to do is to do a pregnancy test if there is any chance at all you could be pregnant. If you otherwise feel well in yourself, and you are not pregnant, then the chances are your periods will start up again in due course.

You should consult a doctor if:

  • You have not had a period for three months and your periods were previously regular.
  • You have not had a period for 6-9 months but your periods have always been infrequent.
  • You could be pregnant.
  • You wish to become pregnant.
  • You have hot flushes or night sweats and are under the age of 45.
  • You have lost weight or your BMI is 19 or less.
  • You or someone close to you is concerned about your eating or weight.
  • You have milk leaking from your breasts and are not breastfeeding.
  • You feel unwell in yourself .
  • You have not had a period for six months after stopping the contraceptive pill .
  • You are worried about your lack of periods.

Recommended Reading: 90 Probationary Period Employment Form

Can You Miss A Period And Not Be Pregnant

Yes! Pregnancy isnt the only thing that can cause a missed period. Hormonal imbalances, such as those caused by polycystic ovary syndrome or follicular cysts, can make you miss your period. Stress, hormonal birth control, excessive exercise, malnutrition, breastfeeding, chronic diseases, and certain drugs can all cause you to miss a period.

You Know Youre Not Pregnant So Whats With The Missing Period

Its the 16th of the monthor whenever you expected to start your periodand still not a drop of blood in sight. We all know that pit-of-your-stomach feeling. Is it time to run to the nearest pharmacy for a pregnancy test? Perhaps. But maybe not.

If youre definitely not having sex and your period is late or absent, dont sweat it: Youre not pregnant with a ghost! There are a number of different reasons your period could be late that have nothing to do with semen. From hormonal imbalances to simply not sleeping enough, here are 10 common reasons for a late or irregular period.

am i wet for no reason or did i just start my period a memoir

olivia gatwood May 17, 2018

Don’t Miss: Usaa Grace Period Auto Insurance New Car

Normal Cause Of A Missed Period During The First Year

  • Skipping periods is common during the first 1 to 2 years after they start. This is due to not releasing an egg each month.
  • This is most likely the cause if less than 2 years since the first period
  • Has missed periods in the past or has had only 1 or 2 periods
  • Otherwise healthy
  • No signs of pregnancy such as breast tenderness, breast swelling or nausea

Firstly There Are A Few Underlying Reasons Why Your Period Might Be Late Or Missing:

21 Things You Never Knew About Your Period
  • You are currently pregnant – this is always worth checking, especially if you have a regular cycle which is suddenly late. Pregnancy tests generally only show positive results from around 12-14 days after ovulation, so it may be worth re-testing in a few days if you initially get a negative result

  • You are breastfeeding – once cycles return in the postpartum period, its common for there to be fluctuations in cycle lengths as your body returns to regular ovulation

  • You have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – irregular and late periods are a common feature of this condition.

  • You are entering peri-menopause or menopause – changes to the regularity of your menstrual cycles are common in the transition to menopause which usually occurs around ages 45-60

  • You recently stopped taking hormonal birth control – some women find that it takes several months for their natural hormone levels to return to baseline after coming off a hormonal contraceptive that suppresses ovulation . If you had regular cycles before going on hormonal contraception, your cycles will likely return to their regular pattern within 3-12 months. If this is not the case, you may have an underlying hormonal imbalance – check out what to do about that in my blog post here

  • If you dont fit any of these underlying causes above, the most likely reason your period is taking its sweet time to arrive is stress.

    Recommended Reading: 90 Day Employment Probationary Period Template

    How Soon Can You Tell If You Are Pregnant

    Most health care providers recommend that you wait until the first day of your missed period to take a pregnancy test, because taking a test too soon after conception can lead to a false-negative result. However, some tests are more sensitive than others and can be taken as soon as 7 to 12 days after conception. The most precise way to determine pregnancy is to take a blood test to measure your level of hCG.

    Nutrient Deficiencies Or Chronic Disease

    Underling nutrient deficiencies or chronic disease are a third reason your body may decide to delay or halt ovulation, making your period late. When these conditions go unaddressed, your body can perceive this as yet another form of stress.

    Being malnourished or suffering from an unmanaged condition like an autoimmune disease are common reasons for irregular cycles or missing periods.

    If your period has been missing or irregular for some time, it is always a good idea to visit your primary healthcare provider for a full checkup including lab work. Some blood tests to discuss with your doctor include:

    • Iron studies

    • Follicle Stimulating Hormone and LH

    Recommended Reading: Dark Brown Discharge Instead Of Period

    What Are Regular Periods

    Most girls get their first period between the ages of 10 and 15, but some get it earlier and some later. The first period is known as menarche .

    A girl’s monthly cycle is the number of days from the start of her period to the start of the next time she gets her period. You often hear this is a 28-day cycle. But 28 is just an average figure that doctors use. Cycle lengths vary some are 24 days, some are 34 days. And a girl may notice that her cycles are different lengths each month especially for the few years after she first starts getting her period.

    Early in a girl’s cycle, her ovaries start preparing one egg. At the same time, the lining of the uterus becomes thick to prepare a nesting place for a fertilized egg in the event that the girl becomes pregnant.

    About 2 weeks before a girl gets her period, the egg is released from the ovary . The egg travels through the fallopian tube into the uterus. If the egg isn’t fertilized by sperm, it starts to fall apart. Then the lining and egg leave a girl’s body as her period and the whole thing starts all over again that’s why we use the word “cycle.” The first day a girl’s period comes is Day 1 of her cycle.

    It’s also normal for the number of days a girl has her period to vary. Sometimes a girl may bleed for 2 days, sometimes it may last a week. That’s because the level of hormones the body makes can be different from one cycle to the next, and this affects the amount and length of bleeding.

    Related Posts

    Popular Articles