How To Know You Missed Your Period

What Are Regular Periods

Early Pregnancy Symptoms | How I Knew I was PREGNANT Before Missed Period

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.

How Late Can A Period Be Without Being Pregnant

Some people have their period every 28 days like clockwork. But most people will experience a late or missed period at least once without being pregnant, and thats perfectly normal.

For many, a late period can trigger thoughts of potential pregnancy. But a late period doesnt necessarily mean that youre pregnant.

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

Read Also: How To Calculate Your Period Cycle

Can I Pill Cause Delay In Periods

Birth control pills can prevent pregnancy and treat many medical conditions, including diabetes and asthma. The pill works by introducing different hormones into your system, so your menstrual cycle can be affected by it. The bleeding may be lighter for some women, and it may be completely absent for others.

Are These Symptoms Reliable Enough To Confirm Pregnancy

Pin on PREGNANCY

The symptoms we mentioned above are only possible indicators and not definitive signs that confirm a pregnancy. So even if you experience one or more of these symptoms, it may not always necessarily mean that you are pregnant. They are only the indicators of a possible pregnancy. Your pregnancy can be confirmed when a pregnancy test shows a positive result.

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A Few Ways To Get Your Period Back On Track

Getting your period back on track might be possible by eliminating the unhealthy stressors in your life. If thats not possible, learning and adopting new coping strategies might work.

If you have experienced delayed periods in the past, it can be quite helpful to track your moods, changes in diet, new medication, or big life events. This will help you better identify what some of your stressors are. The Flo app can help you with this.

Here are a few ways to reduce stress and get your period back on track:

Referral To A Specialist

If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a specialist.

Depending on what your GP thinks is causing the problem, you may be referred to:

  • a gynaecologist â a specialist in treating conditions affecting the female reproductive system
  • an endocrinologist â a specialist in treating hormonal conditions

You may have a gynaecological examination and various tests, including:

  • blood tests â to see if you have abnormal levels of certain hormones
  • an ultrasound scan, CT scan or MRI scan â to identify any problems with your reproductive system or the pituitary gland in your brain

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Youve Missed Your Period

If youâre in your childbearing years, sexually active, and more than a week has passed since the day your period was expected to start, itâs very possible youâre pregnant. If you have an irregular menstrual cycle, have recently experienced significant weight loss or weight gain, or stopped taking your birth control pills, a missed period may not be a reason to worry. However, missed periods are perhaps the most tell-tale sign of a potential pregnancy, so be sure to take a pregnancy test if youâre in this situation. Many pregnant women experience some bleeding around two weeks after fertilization and mistake it for a light period, but a missed period on their next cycle will indicate a pregnancy. â

Is It Possible To Prevent Drug Abuse And Addiction

Pregnancy Tips : How to Know if You’re Pregnant

A number of different prevention approaches are effective in decreasing the risk of drug use disorder. Lifestyle changes, like increased physical activity and using other stress-reduction techniques, help prevent drug use disorder in teens. Programs that are more formal are also helpful. For example, the Raising Healthy Children program, which includes interventions for teachers, parents, and students, helps prevent drug addiction in elementary school children when the program goes on for 18 months or more. Designing research-based prevention programs to meet the specific needs of children by age and specific community strengths and challenges contributes to the success of those programs. The prevalence of easier access to technology led to the development of computer-based prevention programs. Such programs are very promising in how they compare to more traditional prevention programs, as well as how many more people can be reached through technology.

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What If I Miss A Period

A missed period is one of the first signs of pregnancy, but it doesnt always mean youre pregnant. Sometimes you skip a period for no reason at all, especially during the first few years of your period. Lots of other things can throw off your regular cycle and mess with the timing of your period. These include:

  • Using hormonal birth control, like the pill, patch, ring, implant, and hormonal IUD

  • Stress

  • Sudden weight gain or loss

  • Having very little body fat, which can happen if youre an athlete or have an eating disorder

  • Menopause

Take a pregnancy test if you had unprotected sex and then missed your period. Just missing your period isnt a foolproof way to know that youre pregnant a pregnancy test is the only way to find out for sure. You can get a pregnancy test at drugstores or your local Planned Parenthood health center.

Hormonal birth control can affect your cycle, and even make your period stop altogether. If youve been using your birth control correctly or are on a highly effective method , its very, very unlikely that a missed period means youre pregnant. But you can always take a pregnancy test to be sure.

Are Home Pregnancy Tests A Foolproof Indicator Of Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the body produces human chorionic gonadotropin , which can be detected in the urine. A Home Pregnancy Test checks for the presence of this hormone and declares a positive or negative result. While most home pregnancy tests are considered accurate, it is also dependent on the brand of pregnancy test you choose, as well as the timing of the test. Each pregnancy test brand recognises varying amounts of hCG in the urine. Moreover, hCG levels are low during the initial stages, and gradually increase as the pregnancy progresses. In many instances, you may take the test too early or use a less accurate test, prompting a negative result even when you may be pregnant, also called a false negative result. In some cases, certain drugs, medication, or proteins in the body may cause a false positive result. Hence, it is always best to confirm pregnancy by a doctor, via a blood test.

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Dont Plan Your Shower Just Yet

Appearance of these symptoms even when they are unusual, can be exciting and lead you to take an early pregnancy test. Some tests claim they can tell you up to a week before your period whether you are pregnant.

I once got three positive tests before my period, was over the moon and even booked a doctors appointment to confirm. By the time the appointment came around, my period arrived a week late and the tests were no longer positive.

Exercise But Not Too Much

10 Early Signs of Pregnancy That You Must Know

Since amenorrhea is very common among active people who menstruate, at times it may be best to reduce your intensity at the gym. Taking a rest day can not only benefit your reproductive health, but can help with muscle recovery and protects you from injury.

Bottom Line:

Getting in your daily physical activity can do wonders for our health, however over exercising and going overboard at the gym can have a negative effect and put your reproductive health at risk.

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Sore Or Sensitive Breasts

One of the earliest changes you may notice during pregnancy is sore or aching breasts. Your breasts may also feel tender to the touch, or fuller or heavier than normal. This is due to rising progesterone levels in the body.

This symptom may continue throughout your pregnancy or subside after the first few weeks.

Back Pain And Headaches

Pregnant women have historically reported back pain and headaches, though this varies from person to person. The spine can become misaligned during pregnancy due to the increase in weight, and poor posture and pelvic changes can contribute to low back pain and headaches. Reducing stress, stretching the low back, using a warm compress, and correcting postural changes can prevent pain during your pregnancy.

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Timeline Of Early Pregnancy Symptoms

While pregnancy tests and your practitioner can offer definitive answers, these early pregnancy symptoms may be clues that you’re expecting.

Keep in mind, just because youve experienced some of these symptoms doesnt mean youre pregnant. You could also have none of them at all and still go on to have a perfectly healthy pregnancy.

Understanding The Menstrual Cycle

Signs You Are Pregnant Before Your Missed Period

The menstrual cycle is the process by which your body prepares an egg for fertilization, and also the period in time when your body removes the egg to prepare for the next egg. This is sometimes called a “monthly cycle,” and while 28 days is an average menstrual cycle length, it can range from about 24 days to 34 days.

Menstrual Cycle Timeline

  • Day 1: Your menstrual cycle begins with the start of your period. The tissue lining around your uterus breaks down and an unfertilized egg begins to leave through your vagina along with blood. The bleeding of a period usually lasts 4-8 days, averaging 5 days for US women.
  • Day 5: Your estrogen levels rise once bleeding has stopped, and this does several things. These include:
  • The lining of your uterus thickens, preparing it for a new egg.
  • Ovarian sacs that contain eggs grow and mature, preparing one for ovulation.
  • Ovulation: Starting around day 12-14, an egg releases from your ovary. On this day, and up to three days prior, you are most likely to become pregnant if you have sex. There are subtle ways to help detect that you are ovulating, including body temperature and urine tests. If the egg is not fertilized, the cycle begins again with hormones that tell your uterine lining to break down again.
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    Why You Lost Your Period

    Periods are largely regulated by hormones. So, if theres a hormone issue, its expected youll see changes in your period or miss your period altogether. This can be referred to as hypothalamic amenorrhea. Meaning, the hypothalamus stops releasing hormones responsible for starting the menstrual cycle which in turn leads to missed periods.

    Obviously if youre pregnant, breastfeeding or in menopause, youll miss out on your monthly visitor, but what if youre not in that category and youre still not getting your period? There isnt a simple answer to this question, which is why weve put together a bunch of reasons why you might not be getting your period.

    Youre Using Hormonal Birth Control

    Many love the pill because it makes their periods so regular. But it can sometimes have the opposite effect, especially during the first few months of use.

    Similarly, when you stop taking the pill, it can take a few months for your cycle to get back to normal. As your body returns to its baseline hormone levels, you may miss your period for a few months.

    If youre using another hormonal birth control method, including an IUD, implant, or shot, you might completely stop getting your period.

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    What Are The Physical And Psychological Effects Of Drug Use Disorders

    While the specific physical and psychological effects of drug use disorders tend to vary based on the particular substance involved, the general effects of addiction to any drug can be devastating. Psychologically, intoxication with or withdrawal from a substance can cause everything from euphoria as with alcohol, Ecstasy, or inhalant intoxication, to paranoia with marijuana or steroid intoxication, to severe depression or suicidal thoughts with cocaine or amphetamine withdrawal. In terms of effects on the body, intoxication with a drug can cause physical effects that range from marked sleepiness and slowed breathing as with intoxication with heroin or sedative hypnotic drugs, to the rapid heart rate of cocaine intoxication, or the tremors to seizures of alcohol withdrawal.

    According to the DSM-5 , the diagnostic reference that is written and endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association, in order to be diagnosed with substance-related use disorder, a person must exhibit a maladaptive pattern of drug use that leads to significant problems or stress, as manifested by at least two of the following signs or symptoms in the same one-year period:

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