No Period After Stopping Birth Control Negative Pregnancy Test

No Period Not Pregnant

In a regular and healthy menstrual cycle a female generally has anywhere between 11 to 13 periods/ menstrual cycles each year. In a similar fashion, the average length of the period varies from three days to five days but sometimes can exceed to seven to ten days. A missed period is generally considered as an indicative of pregnancy but it does not always mean that pregnancy has taken place. There are some other conditions in which the notion of no period, not pregnant holds true i.e. there is absence of periods without pregnancy.

Here’s How To Get Your Period Back After Going Off Birth Control

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Oral birth control prescriptions are handed out to teenagagers and young adults for a variety of reasons, from hormonal acne and painful periods to preventing pregnancy. Years pass and these same individuals start thinking about having kids, or maybe just want to know how their bodies will feel without the constant influx of synthetic hormones. They stop taking the pill and are surprised to find that their period doesnt come back right away, sometimes for months.

This isnt everyones story, of course. Some bounce right back and begin ovulating again immediately, or within a few months. But as more and more individuals who have been on the pill for upwards of 10 years start to come off of it, theyre caught off guard by what is technically called secondary amenorrhea, or not getting a period for three months or more after having had one previously.

Because secondary amenorrhea is such a common problem, theres quite a bit of advice floating around social media on getting your period back, particularly among wellness influencers. Supplements seem to work for some, while others end up seeking the help of doctors to trigger a period for them.

If this is something youre struggling with, a conversation with your doctor is always a good first step. Below, find some other actionable things you can do.

Recap: The 4 Reasons Why You May Have Missed Your Period On Birth Control

We talked about 4 solid reasons why you may have missed your period this month, even though you’re taking birth control. Here they are again:

The main message is generally not to worry about being pregnant if you’ve been taking your pills and have no other concerning symptoms. But if you’re concerned, you can always ask your health care provider.

Also Check: Why Does My Period Come Twice A Month

Do I Have To Gain Weight To Get My Period Back

Energy balance is the key for you to support both your running and your periods. You need to consume enough calories to support all your body functions, including your periods, and your daily physical activity, including your running. So your mother is correct, although you may not have to regain all the weight.

Does Birth Control Stop Periods

Technically speaking, yes. The period that you get when youre on birth control isnt the same as a regular period. Without hormonal birth control, the lining of your uterus gets thicker to prepare for possible pregnancy and then sheds during your period if youre not pregnant. Your body doesnt ovulate or go through this regular menstrual cycle when youre taking oral contraceptives. Instead, what you experience as a period on birth control is called withdrawal bleeding.

This bleeding occurs as a response to your body not receiving the same hormones during the rest week at the end of your 21-day pack. That means that if you continue taking the pill and skip the rest week, you can skip your periods too. Make sure to talk to your health care provider about whether this is a good option for you.

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Number : Because Of Pregnancy

Okay, this is the reason we’ve all been waiting to hear. Note that doctors say that it’s common for women on birth control to have irregular or no periods, and further evaluation usually isn’t needed unless there are concerning symptoms. That said, every contraceptive has a failure rate. If you’ve missed birth control pills during the month and had unprotected sex, you should consider this possibility.

Here are a few common symptoms the Mayo Clinic says women experience in early pregnancy:

• Missed period

• Cramping

• Constipation

If you’re wondering more about when to take a pregnancy test, click here for more info.

Note that if you’re breastfeeding, that could also be a reason you’re missing your periods on birth control. Entering menopause will also do that to you!

When To Call Your Healthcare Provider

Missing a period every once in a while is usually not cause for concern. That said, you should see a healthcare provider if you miss more than one period, or your missed period is accompanied by new or unusual symptoms.

Seek medical attention right away if you also experience any of the following:

• New or worsening headaches

Don’t Miss: How Much Period Bleeding Is Too Much

False Negative Pregnancy Test

A false negative pregnancy test is when you are pregnant but the test comes up negative. The most common reason for a false negative is that you took the test too early. Even if your period is late according to your typical cycle, you might have ovulated later in the month. It’s not uncommon to occasionally have an off or irregular cycle. Additionally, your count of when your last period occurred could be a few days off.

No matter how sensitive the test, you won’t get a positive home pregnancy test until enough days have passed since ovulation and conception and your body has had time to build up enough of the hormone the test detects.

If ovulation occurred later in the month, you will need to test later. There are many reasons you might ovulate later than you typically do.

Pregnancy tests look for the pregnancy hormone hCG, which increases as a pregnancy progresses. The normal range for hCG levels in pregnant people can vary widely. It’s possible that your levels arent yet high enough to be detected .

An early pregnancy test might pick up very low amounts of hCG. However, its possible that you dont have enough circulating hCG to get a positive result even on a sensitive test.

This doesnt mean anything is wrong. How much hCG you have isn’t important rather, it’s how quickly your levels double and increase .

Irregular Cycles And Amenorrhea

Pregnancy isn’t the only reason you might not get your period for an extended length of time. While most people experience menstruation on a fairly regular schedule, for some, irregular timing is the norm. This can make it hard to know when a period is actually late. You might also miss a period altogether .

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Whats The Short Answer

Its common not to get a period after stopping the pill, explains Gil Weiss, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Illinois.

The phenomenon is called post-pill amenorrhea, Dr. Weiss continues. The pill suppresses your bodys normal production of hormones that are involved in your menstrual cycle.

He says it can take several months for your body to return to its normal production, and therefore several months for your period to return.

But, in some cases, there is another reason for late or missed periods.

It can be something as simple as lifestyle factors like stress or exercise. Or it could be an underlying condition like hypothyroidism.

Discover other factors that could be causing your post-pill period problem, and how to get your cycle back on track.

Stress can affect the delicate hormonal balance that controls your menstrual cycle.

Stress induces the hormone cortisol, says Kecia Gaither, MD, who specializes in OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine.

This, she says, can interfere with the hormonal regulation of menses via the circuit between the brain, ovaries, and uterus.

Other symptoms of stress to look out for include muscle tension, headaches, and sleeplessness.

You may also experience signs of stomach discomfort such as bloating, or mood problems like sadness and irritability.

While small amounts of stress are unlikely to cause changes, long-term or significant stress levels can stop periods.

Does It Matter Whether You Get Your Period

Not necessarily. Some women dont get their period for a few months after they stop hormonal birth control. Thats because these forms of birth control impact your hormonal balance, and it may take your body a little while to go back to a pre-birth control-state.

But you can get pregnant before you have your period. In fact, if you started ovulating right after you stopped birth control, and had unprotected sex, you may have gotten pregnant — which would keep you from having your period. If you havent had a period since going off your birth control, and youve recently had unprotected sex, take a pregnancy test.

Whether you ovulate is far more important than whether you get your period. You cant get pregnant unless one of your ovaries releases an egg.

Continued

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Ovulation After Stopping The Pill

17 January 2020

If you are considering stopping the pill, chances are your goal is to get pregnant. How soon ovulation after stopping the pill will occur has probably crossed your mind. Ovulation in the first cycle after stopping the pill can vary from a few weeks to several months, according to the University of California at Davis Student Health and Counseling Services. There are several factors in the time that it can take to return. Your personal health, the type of pill you take and how long you have taken it are all things to consider.

Generally speaking, ovulation will resume two to four weeks after you stop the pill. It may take a bit longer for older women and women who have been on the pill for a long time, according to Columbia Health. In some cases, re-establishing a regular ovulation cycle can take a few months. It will be difficult to calculate the exact return of the first cycle, so it is possible, though unusual, to become pregnant without ever having a regular period.

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Dear Birth Control Pill Wheres My Period

Dear Birth Control Pill, Where’s My Period?!

I’ve been on the pill for about a year. I follow instructions, take it at the same time every day and all that, but for the past few months, I either haven’t gotten my period or I’ve gotten a REALLY small amount of bleeding at the end of the pack – like hardly anything at all. My doctor says it’s because I’m on a low-dose pill and getting a barely-there period or no period is pretty common, but I’m freaking out and running to the drugstore every month for a pregnancy test. What gives? Where’s my period?

–Sincerely, Anxious and On The Pill

Dear Anxious,

I get it. I really do. You take your pill every day, you have sex, you cross your fingers and hope the pill does its job, and at the end of the month you breathe a giant sigh of relief when your period comes. But WAIT! No period or a super-light period?! UNACCEPTABLE. Mini panic attack and a trip to Target for a pregnancy test.

LET’S TAKE A STEP BACK, SHALL WE? Let’s talk about what the pill is and what it does. The combination oral contraceptive pill , contains estrogen and progestin. These hormones in the pill work in the following ways to prevent pregnancy:

• Stops ovulation . No Egg = No Baby.
• Thickens cervical mucus, which acts like a roadblock to sperm.
• Thins the lining of your uterus so a fertilized egg would not be able to implant.

THE PILL AND PERIODS.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE PILL?

HOW DO I AVOID MY MONTHLY FREAK OUT IF I DON’T BLEED?

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On Birth Control No Withdrawal Bleed Negative Pregnancy Test

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Reasons For A Missed Period After Stopping Birth Control

A missed period after getting off the pill can be expected as your cycle regulates itself again. But how many is too many? Here are a few reasons why you may not be getting your period on the regs quite yet.

Birth control pills are widely touted as the answer to a pesky irregular cycle. Once you start taking them, voilathings even out and you get your period as soon as those placebos start each month. Doctors sometimes prescribe birth control pills as a way to balance hormones and kick-start your body into a more predictable cycle. What’s more, some studies indicate they can actually boost your fertility, partly because they can decrease your odds of fertility-inhibiting conditions like endometriosis.

But while those same studies indicate that normal fertility can return immediately after stopping birth control, what happens when that’s not the case? We asked experts to weigh in on how birth control pills can affect your monthly cycle and explain the reasons why you might miss periods once you stop taking it.

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Reasons Why You May Have A Missed Period On Birth Control

• Reviewed By: Shannon DeVita DNP, FNP-BC, CPNP-PC, Julie Lamonoff, CNM, OBGYN-NP

Is something wrong if you don’t get your period while taking birth control pills? Maybe, but more likely there’s a reasonable cause for it.

We know that it’ll take some convincing, though, because, let’s face it – you’re taking birth control to prevent pregnancy, and this is an important question.

What About Periods On Other Types Of Birth Control

Okay, so you should also know that different contraceptive methods can lead to various bleeding changes. For example, this means that you may completely stop getting your period on some methods like the IUD.

Let’s quickly go into the various methods and how they can change your monthly menstruation patterns:

As you can see, different methods of hormonal birth control can cause different menstruation patterns, but it’s all pretty commonplace for birth control methods to “have their way” with withdrawal bleeding.

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