What Should I Do If I Have Missed My Period
Dont 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.
I Have White Discharge After Missing Period For 5 Days
If your period is 5 days late with increased white discharge, its likely you are pregnant.
During pregnancy and due to increased hormones estrogen and progesterone, women experience increased vaginal discharge that may be milky white or creamy white discharge.
During your period cycle, vaginal discharge is usually dry just before your period and after your period ends. If your period is 5 days late with heavy vaginal discharge, then its likely you are pregnant.
to learn other causes of increased white discharge.
Diagnosis And Tests For A Late Period And Pregnancy
There are both at-home tests and blood tests available to determine if pregnancy has occurred. Both are considered safe methods of detecting pregnancy.
- At-home tests: These test your urine for a pregnancy hormone called hCG. At-home tests are easy, quick, and convenient. However, they are not able to detect pregnancy as early as blood tests. They are most accurate if you wait one week after a missed period to use them.
- Blood tests: Blood tests require a visit to your doctor. But they can detect pregnancy much earlier than at-home tests.
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Are There Any Cure For Delayed Period
If you have a delayed period, then it may not mean you are pregnant. Your delayed period if dues to stress and exercise can be treated with basic lifestyle changes. Also, delayed period due to PCOS can be treated with losing weight, metformin, and oral contraceptive.
In addition, home made therapy can help cure your delayed period. Use of garlic and honey can help regulate your cycle.
Final Thoughts: Things To Keep In Mind
The bottom line is that without a blood test, its nearly impossible to know for sure whether youre pregnant or experiencing a late period. Even home pregnancy tests can sometimes give a false negative, if taken too early, so its really smart to wait to take a test until or after your expected period.
If youre paying attention to your symptoms, just know that it can get a little stressful for some women. So if you find yourself symptom spotting, try to be aware of how often you do it, and how you feel does it distract you or stress you out? If it starts to get emotionally taxing for you, look for ways to stop paying attention to your symptoms.
Finally, make sure youve scheduled a pregnancy blood test, and keep taking your prenatal vitamins! Whether its sooner or later, when you get that BFP, youll be glad you did!
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You Are Taking Contraceptive Or Inserted Iuds
Did you start any pill to prevent pregnancy? or recently inserted an intrauterine device ?
Contraceptive pill and IUDs can cause no period in women. If pills are taken continuously without a break you will possibly not have to bleed at all.
It is very important to let your health professional know about your late period. The reason being that, there are newer generation pills that can delay period for a few months.
However, your 5 days late period while on contraceptives may still be due to pregnancy.
Did you miss your COC pills for days without using other forms of contraception? Do you have signs of pregnancy body fatigue, pain in your breast or spotting before your period?
You have to check for pregnancy to be sure.
Other reasons your period is 5 days late are
Doing Too Much Exercise
The stress that intense physical activity places on your body can affect the hormones responsible for your periods. Losing too much body fat through intense exercise can also stop you ovulating.
You’ll be advised to reduce your level of activity if excessive exercise has caused your periods to stop.
If you’re a professional athlete, you may benefit from seeing a doctor who specialises in sports medicine. They’ll be able to give you advice about how to maintain your performance without disrupting your periods.
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Period Pads For Swimming
If menstrual cups arent an option, you may still be wondering how to swim on your period without a tampon.
Getting into the water with a pad is a bit trickier when compared to using tampons or a menstrual cup. Pads are super absorbent if they come into contact with water, they will become useless.
When disposable pads get wet, they can slip out from under your swimsuit.
A pad without wings will be the most discrete, as it wont peek out from your clothes. Instead of getting your whole body wet, you may decide to sit at the edge of the pool with your feet dangling in the water. If youre at the beach, you can wade through the water, which will keep your pad dry.
If you do choose to get in the water, you can wear dark-colored shorts over your swim bottoms. This will make the pad less obtrusive and hide any leakage.
Late Period: Everything You Need To Know
Having a late period might come as a surprise, especially if youre not trying to get pregnant. Should you take a pregnancy test? The truth is, there are many reasons for late periods other than pregnancy. Your health, age, diet, stress, and exercise can all affect the regularity of your menstrual cycle. In this article, well look at the most common late period causes and go over some common questions about delayed menstruation.
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You Took Emergency Contraception
If you had unprotected sexual intercourse and took emergency pills, your period can be delayed for days.
Emergency pills function by preventing ovulation from taking place. If taken as soon as possible and prior to ovulation, your chances of becoming pregnant are slim.
However, you could still get pregnant if pills are not taken properly.
What can you do?
If you are worried about pregnancy, you shouldnt. Pills, when taken within 24 hours of intercourse, have an increased chance of protection. However, if you took your pills very late or have symptoms of pregnancy, you can confirm your pregnancy status by testing.
Does A Missed Period Mean You’re Pregnant
Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.
When you don’t get your period as expected, you might start to worry. The absence of your normal menstrual cycle can be concerning since it can indicate a pregnancy or it may be related to an illness or stress. It is considered one of the major possible signs of early pregnancy.
People have different names for it such as a late period, skipping a cycle, or a missed period. In essence, it simply means that your normal menstrual cycle or period didn’t happen when it should have happened. Throughout your lifetime, you may have a missed period for a variety of reasons. It may also just be delayed.
Many women will go through various cycle abnormalities in their life due to various factors. This is not necessarily a problem for all women, but can also indicate a larger health concern for some. A missed cycle can also make trying to get pregnant or confirming early pregnancy more difficult for others.
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Stress And Eating Disorders
Stress and eating disorders can affect hormones that control your period. The hypothalamus regulates LH and FSH that is secreted by the pituitary gland.
Both hormones LH and FSH, regulates your ovulation and period.
If youve had demanding weeks and sleepless nights with 5 days late period, then reducing your stress level and engaging in regular exercise with help.
When Will A Pregnancy Test Appear Positive
If you are trying to get pregnant and you miss a period, you are naturally excited, yet there is no way to know for sure until you take a pregnancy test. However, there are several symptoms that are suggestive of pregnancy, including breast tenderness, nausea, and bloating. Keep in mind, these can also be premenstrual signs.
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Is It Possible To Miss Period For A Month
It is possible to miss your period for months. The right question is: What causes missed period for months? The commonest cause is pregnancy. If you are pregnant, you will not see your period coming out. Birth control pills, drugs, premature ovarian failure, polycystic ovaries and stress can also make you miss period for months.
Reasons For Missed Periods
There are many reasons why you may have missed your period. Some women miss periods regularly because they don’t ovulate regularly. You might also miss a period if you have a change in your sleep patterns, for example, or if you start working night shifts which can throw your cycles out of whack as your body learns to adjust to it.
You can also miss your period if your weight is too low. After a certain amount of body fat, you may not have the hormone production to sustain your periods. This is often true if you’re a very competitive athlete or suffer from disordered eating like anorexia or even bulimia.
Sometimes stress can be a reason that your period is missing. This can usually be determined easily by a discussion with your doctor.
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Could You Be Pregnant
If you missed your period, answer these 4 questions:
If you answered “yes” to all questions, there is a high chance that you are pregnant. But only a positive pregnancy test will confirm your suspicion.
When To See A Doctor
A person should see a doctor if they miss more than two periods.
Sometimes, a slight change in hormones can cause changes in the natural menstrual cycle. This is not typically a cause for concern.
At other times, symptoms such as a missed period and gassy stomach may be signs of a more serious condition that needs treatment.
If symptoms continue or get worse, a person should visit their doctor. Likewise, anyone who misses more than two periods should see a doctor for a diagnosis.
Anyone experiencing the following symptoms, along with signs of ectopic pregnancy or other potentially serious issues, should see a doctor immediately:
- pain in the lower pelvis
- abnormal vaginal bleeding, such as dark-colored blood
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When Do Pregnancy Symptoms Start
“Usually 1-2 weeks following the missed period,” says Dr. Trolice. “This is 5-6 weeks estimated gestational age.”
Did you know that when you’re pregnant, your first week is the first week of your last period?
It may seem confusing, but healthcare professionals have tracked pregnancies beginning with the first day of the last menstrual period. Forty weeks after that is when birth occurs on average. They did not and do not track from the moment of conception, simply because it is nearly impossible to determine the actual date and time of conception when the sperm meets the egg. Sperm can live from 3-5 days inside of a woman’s body after intercourse, so there’s no way to know exactly the moment of conception.
In the time after your last period, your body is preparing itself for a pregnancy. In a 28 day cycle, an egg will be released from the ovaries around the 14th day of the cycle, in a process called ovulation. That time is considered your most fertile time when there’s potential for sperm to fertilize an egg if you had intercourse. If they do meet and the egg becomes fertilized, it is considered conception.
Consider Taking A Home Pregnancy Test
If your period is more than two weeks late, then you can consider taking an at-home pregnancy test. These can be purchased from most drug stores , and usually arent too expensive. Make sure to read and follow the directions when you take the test. If it comes back negative, then you may not be pregnant. If it comes back positive, then
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Will Swimming Worsen Cramps
When you think about it, swimming seems like it could aggravate cramps in your lower back and tummy. Instead, studies have shown that physical exercise including swimming can help take your mind off the discomfort and actually relieve soreness.
So, if youre still wondering, Will swimming worsen my cramps? here is the explanation. The soothing lapping of the water over your body and the waters buoyancy have a calming effect on your muscles. This can reduce pain and bloating that may be associated with your periods.
Changes In Body Weight
You may notice changes in your period, as well as delays, if youve lost or gained a lot of weight. You should know that adipocytes play a role in hormone production and they can put your cycle out of whack.
Obese women produce more estrogen than normal and really thin women produce less. To reverse this problem, you should find out how much you should weigh and strive to reach that target.
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