Why Is My Period Late
Variation in your menstrual cycle is completely normal, especially if you have just started getting your period, are breastfeeding or nearing the menopause. There are lots of reasons for a late period lifestyle factors such as stress and diet can affect your cycle.
The medication you’re on or a new contraceptive can influence the length of your period and the length of your cycle, so you may experience a delayed period from time to time. Many women have irregular periods the date they start can change as well as how long they last and how heavy they are.
When Should You See Your Doctor
There are several cases when consulting a doctor is advised so they can perform blood tests and assess you for various health conditions:¹²¹³
- No period for months
- Typically regular periods suddenly become irregular
- Menstrual cycles last less than 21 days or more than 35 days
- Bleeding lasts more than seven days
- Heavy bleeding or passing large clots during periods
- Breakthrough bleeding between periods
- Periods become extremely painful or cause nausea and vomiting
- Experience symptoms of toxic shock syndrome after using tampons
Reasons Your Period Could Be Late Besides Being Pregnant
Whether you get your period every 28 days like clockwork or have a flow that prefers to come and go as it pleases, having a period go MIA often feels like cause for alarm. Your mind runs wild with thoughts of pregnancy tests and ultrasounds and watching your baby graduate college – an imaginary life that youve created and nurtured and helped grow all because that little bit of blood you were hoping to find this morning didnt make its appearance. Whether pregnancy right now is your goal or youre holding off temporarily or forever, a fetus in utero is certainly not the only cause of a period gone rogue. Here are 6 reasons, besides being pregnant, that your period could be late.
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Referral To A Consultant
If your GP thinks a medical condition might have caused your periods to stop, they may refer you to a consultant who specialises in the condition.
Depending on what your GP suspects is causing the problem, you may be referred to:
- a gynaecologist a specialist in treating conditions that affect the female reproductive system
- an endocrinologist a specialist in treating hormonal conditions
You may have a full gynaecological examination and various tests, including:
- blood tests to see whether you have abnormal levels of certain hormones
- an ultrasound scan, CT scan or MRI scan to identify any problems with your reproductive system or the pituitary gland in your brain
Is A Late Period Reason To Take A Pregnancy Test
There are many reasons for a late period besides pregnancy. When you stop having periods, it could be related to lifestyle factors such as stress, a strict diet, or extensive physical activity.
It might also result from the use of birth control pills, various diseases, hormonal abnormalities, or problems with your reproductive organs. Finally, it could be due to pregnancy.
Home pregnancy tests allow you to determine if youre pregnant at a very early stage. These tests detect the presence of the pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine. Your body makes this hormone when a fertilized egg is implanted in your uterus.
Is your period five days late or more? Take the test for the most accurate results. Some tests might be more sensitive than others.
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Late Period And Brown Or Pink Discharge
If your period is late and you have brown or pink discharge, these may be early signs of pregnancy. If you are pregnant, this coloured discharge can be caused by implantation bleeding when the fertilised egg attaches to your uterus lining. Implantation bleeding can happen 1 to 2 weeks after the egg has been fertilised.
You should consider when in your cycle you have had unprotected sex. You’re most fertile when you ovulate as this is the time your egg is released from your ovaries. You are most likely to get pregnant around 12 to 14 days before your next period starts. Although possible, it’s unlikely that you’ll get pregnant just after your period. You should take a pregnancy test if youâve had unprotected sex, your period is late and you have brown or pink discharge.
Women have some vaginal discharge nearly every day. Itâs often clear or white. It can turn pink or brown when it mixes with blood. This coloured discharge does not necessarily mean you are pregnant. It can also happen for other reasons. Most commonly, it can occur after a vaginal exam, following strenuous sex, or if you’re taking birth control pills. It can also be a sign of another medical condition such as PCOS or perimenopause.
Late Period Negative Pregnancy Test: Causes And Is It Common
Many people who miss a period will take a test to check for pregnancy. If the pregnancy test is negative, various conditions and factors may be responsible for the lack of menstruation.
The ovaries release an egg during ovulation, approximately every 28 days. If no sperm fertilizes the egg, a persons period will usually start about 14 days later.
While a missed period is one of the first signs of pregnancy, there are various other reasons why it can occur.
Menstrual irregularities, such as missed or late periods, occur in of women of childbearing age. They can result from a range of conditions besides pregnancy, including hormonal imbalances, hormonal birth control, stress, weight loss, trauma, and certain health conditions.
This article discusses what can cause a person to miss their period and how common this is.
Amenorrhea is the absence of menstruation during a persons reproductive years. Someone may have this condition if they miss their period for 3 months in a row or have not had their first period by the age of 15.
This condition affects 34% of women.
Amenorrhea usually happens when the ovaries stop making enough of the hormone estrogen. A range of factors can cause a lack of estrogen.
Several health factors and conditions can cause a person to miss their period.
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How Long Does It Take To Miss A Period After Conception
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.
Is It Common After Taking Plan B
People take Plan B to prevent pregnancy following sex without contraception.A person should take the medication within 72 hours of sex, as the efficacy of the drug decreases over time. It contains only levonorgestrel, a synthetic version of the hormone progestin.
After taking Plan B, a person can expect to get their period at the usual time, but there may be a delay of up to 1 week.Also, some people experience spotting or bleeding between taking Plan B and getting their period.
It is important to note that Plan B is not 100% effective. If a person does not get their period within a week of taking the drug, it is probably a good idea to take a pregnancy test.
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Possible Causes For A Late Period
If your period is late, you are advised to perform at least 2 pregnancy tests, with a 7-day interval between each test. If both of these yield negative results, likelihood of pregnancy is low, and the delay in period can be a result of other situations like:
These situations can lead to the absence of your menstrual cycle for more than 3 months . You are advised to see your doctor if this happens.
Menstruation is also considered to be delayed when a girl who has reached the age of 16 has not yet menstruated for the first time. This is also known as primary amenorrhea and should be investigated by a gynecologist. This delayed period may be related to problems such as head trauma, prematurity or defects in the reproductive system such as an imperforate hymen, vaginal septum, or absence of a uterus.
How Early Can I Know My Symptoms Of Pregnancy
Each woman’s early pregnancy symptoms are usually unique. You may notice the first signs of pregnancy within a week or two of conception, whereas others may not notice anything for months.
It depends on your ability to detect changes in the body and how sensitive you are to those.
A blood test, which can detect pregnancy as early as one week after conception, is always an option.
During studies, women trying to conceive kept daily records of their symptoms from the time they stopped using birth control until they were eight weeks pregnant. This was based on the first day of their last menstrual period. The outcomes were:
- By the time they were five weeks pregnant, half of them had some pregnancy symptoms
- A missed period is usually the first sign of pregnancy
- Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, and breast tenderness and swelling are the most common symptoms these symptoms can range from mild to severe
Some pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, can appear as early as a few days after conception, even before a positive pregnancy test.
Spotting or cramping
- Implementation spotting and cramping may occur 6 to 12 days after sexual intercourse according to the American Pregnancy Association.
- It is the process by which the embryo implants on the uterine wall.
- Implementation bleeding can appear to be a lighter or shorter period. This symptom, however, is not common in all women.
Hormonal changes
Morning sickness and tiredness
Raised basal temperature
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Youre In Early Menopause
Early menopause, also known as premature ovarian insufficiency, happens when your ovaries stop working before you turn 40.
When your ovaries are not working the way they should, they stop producing multiple hormones, including estrogen. As your estrogen levels drop to all-time lows, you will begin to experience the symptoms of menopause.
Late or missed periods may be an early sign. You may also experience:
When To See Your Doctor
If your periods seem irregular, or youve missed a period but know youre not pregnant, its a good idea to talk with your doctor ASAP, as there are many reasons and conditions that could be causing the issue.
Your doctor can properly diagnose the reason for your late or missed period and discuss your treatment options. If you can, keep a record of changes in your cycle as well as other health changes. This will help them make a diagnosis.
If you have the following symptoms, contact a doctor immediately, or call 911:
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How Many People Have Irregular Periods
In a South Korean study published in PloS One in March 2019, over 14 percent of 4,709 adult women ages 19 to 54 reported having irregular menstruation. In another, occupational status was found to have an effect: Service, manual overnight shift and sales workers, and unemployed women had higher risks of developing irregular menstrual cycles.
Using A Dilute Sample Of Urine For Taking The Pregnancy Test
In the early stage of pregnancy, your body produces very low levels of hCG. hCG level keeps doubling as your pregnancy progresses.
After reaching the peak level, the hCG level then starts declining. The hCG hormone comes out in your urine. It takes the time to achieve a high concentration.
Your urine gets concentrated if you dont excrete even when you feel a full bladder. The water gets reabsorbed, and other waste components add. Even hCG gets concentrated. So one needs to take a concentrated urine sample to have enough hCG in it. Otherwise, the hCG will not be detectable.
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Faint Line On Pregnancy Test
Did you see two lines on the pregnancy test, but one of them was faint? Guess what? Thats a positive result. Its possible that your levels of hCG arent strong enough yet to produce a stronger colored line. If youre concerned about it, take a second test in a few days or ask for a blood test to determine pregnancy.
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Late Period But Negative Pregnancy Test With White Discharge
Late period negative pregnancy test with white discharge hints that you may be pregnant. The pregnancy may be at a very early stage, so you are getting late period false negative pregnancy test.
Late period negative pregnancy test with spotting and cramping is also a sign that you can be pregnant. Wait for a week and then retake a pregnancy test.
Negative pregnancy test and missed perioddont always mean that you are pregnant. If you have late period negative pregnancy test with no symptoms then indeed you are not pregnant.
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My Period Is 20 Days Late
Hello To All,
I am just about going crazy and heres why: my period is going on 20 days late. A late period is something most people dismiss it could be late for any number of reasons- as ALL of us here know. I really want to be a mother, perhaps more than anything. I spent countless hours a day googling forms, watching journeys and dreaming. But this month, I really just am living and let live. The unknown is awful to me… which is what the last month has been to me.
I had my last menstrual cycle June 10-15. In May, it was 15th to 18th and in April, the 17th to 20th. So, for reference, all periods before this have been quite regular. But this month, July, it was forecasted for the 7th to 10th which is completely unusual to me, but my period seems to be accurate with the forecast… except… it isnt, at least not this month. Theres about 5 days until July comes to a close and I have yet to get a menstrual period!
Ive taken 3 test, all with first morning urine and I feel I can see a line, so faint that it can only be seen under direct light… which I would consider a negative and or a leak from the blue dye.
I asked a Planned Parenthood representative what I should do, whether I take an at home test or a blood test- she recommended any test from the drug store should work. Well, like I said, I got a negative.
Ladies, let me know how late your period was with a negative tests before you actually got a period!
High Levels Of Stress
High levels of stress are an underrated cause of diseases. Stress is a risk factor for almost every disorder. High levels of stress can affect the microbes in your gut and can even make you infertile.
Mental or physical stress will neither let your menstrual cycle be normal nor will it allow you to conceive. So you will get late erratic periods and negative pregnancy test if you have high levels of stress.
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When To See A Gp
You don’t need to get medical advice if you have always had slightly irregular periods or you’re still going through puberty.
But see a GP if:
- your periods suddenly become irregular and you’re under 45
- you have periods more often than every 21 days or less often than every 35 days
- your periods last longer than 7 days
- there’s a big difference between your shortest and longest menstrual cycle
- you have irregular periods and you’re struggling to get pregnant
There might not be anything wrong, but it’s a good idea to get checked out to see what the cause might be.
You might be referred to a specialist called a gynaecologist if you need any tests or treatment.
Things That Delay Your Period
A missed period is often the first sign of pregnancy, but there are other reasons for lateness, too. Here are some other factors that can delay your monthly flow:
Extreme diet and exercise
A healthy diet and regular exercise can do wonders for your health. But if you overdo it, you might say bye-bye to your periods, at least temporarily.
Athletes who train really hard or who dont get enough calories may stop menstruating, Dr. Higgins says. Its the bodys way of telling you that it doesnt have enough resources to support a pregnancy.
When your periods stop due to weight loss, diet or exercise, youre experiencing secondary amenorrhea. This means you previously had periods, but they have stopped. Secondary amenorrhea might happen to you if you:
- Eat an extreme, calorie-restricted diet.
- Have an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia.
- Lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
- Undergo hardcore exercise training, such as for a .
Polycystic ovary syndrome
PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that interferes with the release of an egg . When you dont ovulate, you usually dont have a period. Many people with PCOS have irregular, late or missing periods. Other symptoms of PCOS include:
- Excess facial or body hair.
- Weight gain or trouble losing weight.
Doctors diagnose PCOS by checking your symptoms and performing medical tests when needed. Medication and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms.
Stress
Some examples of major stress include:
Hormonal contraceptives
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