Home Urine Pregnancy Tests
- Home urine pregnancy tests do not cost very much. They are easy to use. Most drugstores sell these tests. No prescription is needed.
- Urine pregnancy tests are very accurate. They can turn positive as early as the first week after a missed period.
- It is best to do the pregnancy test first thing in the morning. Reason: hormone levels are higher in the morning urine.
- Sometimes, a home test is negative even if you think you might be pregnant. In this case, repeat the test. Do the repeat test in 3-5 days. You can also go to a doctor’s office for testing.
- A pregnancy testing fact sheet can be found at www.womenshealth.gov. Search “pregnancy tests.”
Your Uterus Might Be In A Flexed Position
According to my friend Barbara Loomis, LMT, RES, one theory is that if the uterus is flexed on itself it could stop the flow mid-period, however this doesnt explain why it would always stop on the third day of bleeding, which is what I hear from women . Anyway, if the uterus is in a flexed position , it would affect its tone and ability to release smoothly.
Nicoles take: Just so you have a better understanding of this, your uterus can actually be malpositioned, yup you could have a wandering womb. It then makes sense that if your uterus isnt in its correct position, you could have problems with period flow. Barbara talks about solutions for that below and on her amazing blog!
When To Seek Help
If this period that keeps coming and going has occurred several cycles in a row or you have any other symptoms like increased pain, bleeding or spotting outside of your menstrual window, its best to visit your primary health care provider or gynaecologist for a check up to make sure nothing else is going on. With other more serious causes ruled out, focus on the strategies above to gently bring your body back into balance.
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Spotting Vs Period Differences
- Spotting refers to very light vaginal bleeding or brown discharge that occurs mid-cycle between menstrual periods.
- Menstrual periods are the monthly bleeding that occur in women of reproductive age.
- Spotting may be due to a number of causes. You should call your doctor or other health care professional if you are pregnant and experience spotting or bleeding of any kind.
- Implantation bleeding in early pregnancy is a common cause of spotting and is not abnormal.
How Will I Know If I Am Starting The Transition To Menopause
Sometimes it can be hard for you and your doctor to tell whether you are in perimenopause, the transition to menopause:
- Symptoms: Tell your doctor or nurse about any menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes or trouble sleeping.
- Irregular periods: Track your periods. Irregular periods may be your first sign of menopause.
- Hormone levels: Your doctor may test the amount of hormones in your blood if your periods stopped at an early age . Doctors dont usually recommend this test unless there is a medical reason to do so. This is because, for most women, hormone levels go up and down in an unpredictable way during the transition to menopause. So it is difficult to tell for sure whether you have gone through menopause or are getting close to it based on this blood test.
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When Your Period Signals A Problem
By Stephanie Watson. Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD. This information was provided by WebMD.
As you probably learned back in middle school, menstruation is the monthly shedding of your uterine lining. Though it can be uncomfortable and sometimes inconvenient, your period is your body’s way of telling you that your reproductive system is working properly.
Just as every woman is unique, every woman’s period has its own personality. Some periods are short, others are long. Some periods are heavy, others are light.
After a few years’ worth of monthly bleeding, most women start to get a feel for their period’s frequency, duration, and flow. When something out of the ordinary happens — such as spotting between periods or an exceptionally heavy flow — it’s natural to wonder what’s going on.
How Long Does The Transition To Menopause Last
Perimenopause, the transition to menopause, can last between two and eight years before your periods stop permanently. For most women, this transition to menopause lasts about four years. You will know you have reached menopause only after it has been a full year since your last period. This means you have not had any bleeding, including spotting, for 12 months in a row.
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How Do I Fix My On And Off Period
Periods that keep coming and going have many causes, but mostly are just a sign that your body and hormones need a little extra support. The cause of your stop-start period will determine the best treatment to restore a normal bleed. Below are some suggestions for a healthy period to try:
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Restore blood flow to the pelvic area: in the days leading up to your period and once you start bleeding, use a hot water bottle over your pelvis to encourage healthy blood flow
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Consider seeking out a Maya Abdominal Massage Therapist, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner or acupuncturist
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Explore potential hormone imbalances and correct them naturally through diet changes and supplements
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Explore your emotional connection to your cycle. Is there anything you are holding on to that you need to let go of? Menstruation is the perfect time to go inwards and reflect on the previous month. What worked for you? What didnt? Where would you like to focus your energy in the upcoming month? Learn more about living in sync with the seasons of your cycle in this guest blog I wrote on Nicole Jardims website
What Is An Abnormal Cycle
A period that is abnormal is one that is in some way different from a typical, normal periodbut this can mean different things for different people.
A normal menstrual cycle lasts between 21 and 35 days. On average, you might have spotting or bleeding for three to seven days.
Your cycles will typically look very similar. If you normally have periods with three days of spotting and two days of bleeding, an abnormal period might only be two days of spotting and no bleeding.
During an abnormal cycle, your period could be longer or shorter than usual. It also might come earlier or later than anticipated. It could also differ in the amount of flow you have. Your flow might also stop and start but still last the same number of days overall.
You might experience bleeding in between your periods when you would normally not expect to bleed. You might also have more cramping than you normally do.
When it comes to your period pay attention to anything that does not feel or look like whatever “typical,””usual,” or “normal” means for you.
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Change In Normal Routine
Changes in your normal routine can affect your hormones and cause your period to come early or late. For example, some research suggests that people who switch between day and night shifts, like nurses, often experience irregular periods. Switching time zones may have similar effects.
Researchers dont know exactly why this happens, but it may be related to a disruption in your circadian rhythm. This may, in turn, disrupt the sleep hormone melatonin.
More research is needed to explore a connection between melatonin and reproductive hormones.
Reasons For Missed Periods Or Absence Of Menstruation
Some peoples periods arrive each month like clockwork. For others, periods are unpredictable and may come as a surprise. Sometimes, they dont happen at all! This doesnt necessarily mean youre pregnant.
Missed or late periods may happen for a variety of reasons apart from pregnancy. Common causes of missed or irregular periods range from hormonal imbalances to medical issues. Lets discuss the main reasons for a missed period and when its time to contact a health care provider.
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Known as prolactinoma, this small, benign growth in the brain’s pituitary gland is fairly common, especially in women, and most won’t experience symptoms. But if the tumor starts to secrete the hormone prolactin, it can affect other hormones that cause your period to skip or stop. It also results in a milky discharge from your breasts, since prolactin is the same hormone that causes you to lactate post-baby, explains Dweck, as well as vision changes. If you aren’t nursing, check in with your doctor, who may order a blood test and brain imaging. In many cases, medications can shrink the tumor and regulate your period.
If your BMI dips below 19 or if you’re working out like a maniac, your period might go MIA. “Preventing ovulation is your body’s way of reacting to ‘terrible stress’i.e., starvation,” explains Dweck. “I explain it as nature’s way of preventing you from getting pregnant if you’re under distress.” Your doctor will work with you to reach a healthy weight as well as check for any other issues that could be affecting your cycle.
“We’re not talking a stressful day at work,” says Dweck. “This is more going off to college, or losing a family member.” Check in with your doctor, and take steps to manage your stress yoga, meditation, talking to a therapist.
Sometimes, abnormal growths in your uterus can cause your period to go wacko. These include:
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
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Whats Considered A Normal Menstrual Cycle
A normal menstrual cycle happens about once every 28 days, but this often varies. Some women have periods every 21 days, while others have periods that are 35 days apart.
When it comes to periods, every woman is different. Most women have periods that last around three to five days each month. But a period that lasts only two days, or goes on for seven days, is also considered normal.
If your period typically lasts several days and suddenly becomes much shorter, it could be due to a variety of causes.
Pregnancy may be the reason for a period that lasts only one or two days.
When a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, implantation bleeding can happen.
This type of bleeding is usually lighter than a regular period. It most often lasts about 24 to 48 hours. Its typically light pink to dark brown in color.
Implantation bleeding usually occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception. Not all pregnant women will experience it, though. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, implantation bleeding only happens in about 15 to 25 percent of pregnancies.
An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg attaches to the fallopian tubes, ovary, or cervix instead of the uterus. Its commonly called a tubal pregnancy.
One of the first signs of an ectopic pregnancy is vaginal bleeding along with pelvic pain.
Seek medical help right away if you experience symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, such as:
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
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Cervical Polyps Or Cancer
Cervical polyps are growth that hangs into your cervix. This can cause bleeding in women during intercourse and may be confused with period. Also, women with cancer of the cervix can have vaginal bleeding.
If you are more than 40 years and notice irregular bleeding, then it may not be period. Inform your doctor ASAP as it may be due to endometrial cancer.
It Isnt Just Pregnancy That Can Halt Your Monthly Flow
If your period should suddenly stop it can cause a bit of panic. Does it suggest youre pregnant? What does it mean? Is it a sign of poor health? However, theres no point in letting your thoughts run ahead of themselves without knowing the facts first. Periods can stop for a whole variety of reasons so if you miss one it doesnt necessarily mean youre pregnant. That being said, if youre concerned that this might be the case then Id definitely recommend doing a pregnancy test just to check. Once this has been ruled out, here are a few other things that can result in a missed period
Emma Thornton
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How Will Menopause Affect Me
Symptoms of menopause may begin suddenly and be very noticeable, or they may be very mild at first. Symptoms may happen most of the time once they begin, or they may happen only once in a while. Some women notice changes in many areas. Some menopausal symptoms, such as moodiness, are similar to symptoms of premenstrual syndrome . Others may be new to you. For example:
- Your menstrual periods may not come as regularly as before. They also might last longer or be shorter. You might skip some months. Periods might stop for a few months and then start up again.
- Your periods might be heavier or lighter than before.
- You might have hot flashes and problems sleeping.
- You might experience mood swings or be irritable.
- You might experience vaginal dryness. Sex may be uncomfortable or painful.
- You may have less interest in sex. It may take longer for you to get aroused.
Other possible changes are not as noticeable. For example, you might begin to lose bone density because you have less estrogen. This can lead to osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become weak and break easily. Changing estrogen levels can also raise cholesterol levels and increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Talk to your doctor about possible for your menopause symptoms if they bother you.