Why Am I Not Getting My Period

Why Did I Miss A Period

I Missed My Periods, But I Am Not Conceiving. Why? | Reasons for not getting Pregnant

Missing a period is not uncommon, and most of the time, it is not a cause for concern. Some of the reasons you might miss a period include:

Normal lifecycle changes

There are a number of changes that happen in the female lifecycle that can result in a skipped period. All of these are normal reasons to miss a period and are not cause for concern.

For example:

Pregnancy

The most common reason for a missed period is pregnancy. If this is a possibility, take a home pregnancy test to see if this is the cause of your missed period. If you skip a period and then have one the next month at the expected time, its possible that a non-viable pregnancy occurred, and the period is actually an early miscarriage.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can suppress your period, depending on how frequently you are nursing. You may get a period while breastfeeding, and then not have another one for several months or more, particularly if your baby is nursing exclusively. You can ovulate before you get your period, so its important to use birth control during this time, if you dont want to get pregnant.

Menopause

A skipped period may be a sign that you are entering menopause and your periods are beginning to become less regular, especially if you are experiencing other symptoms of menopause . If you are 45 or older, there is a good chance this is the cause of a missed period.

Stress

Weight loss

Birth control

Hormonal changes

Medications

Could I Be Pregnant

Its rare to get pregnant while taking birth control pills. However, your body may show some early signs if you are pregnant and the pregnancy is causing you to not have a period. Some of these early pregnancy signs include:

  • Breast tenderness or swelling.
  • Mild cramping or vaginal bleeding.
  • Nausea and/or vomiting.
  • Constipation or other digestive changes.
  • Lower back pain.
  • Increased urination.

If you experience any of these signs, its important to take a pregnancy test before you begin your next pack of birth control pills.

Why Do I Have Period Symptoms But No Period

Whether youve been tracking your period for years or are just starting to pay attention to the nuances of your menstrual cycle, one of the biggest clues that your period is headed your way is the slew of period symptoms that can feel like they are taking over your life. Over 90 percent of women say they get some premenstrual symptoms, which can range in intensity from mild to severe and often include headaches, fatigue, cramps, moodiness, insomnia, and tender breasts.

But what happens when your period symptoms flare up, youve got your tampons ready to go, and then no period shows up? The reflex reaction for most women is to think that they must be pregnant. Even if you havent had sex in weeks, its easy to go straight to that thought.

While it can be alarming if you werent planning on having a baby, pregnancy is only one of the possible reasons that you could be having period symptoms but no blood. If you are pregnant, implantation occurs at roughly the same time your period would come normally. The symptoms? Almost identical to those you have right before you get your period. It can seem like a cruel joke, but the similarities are just your bodys way of processing fluctuating hormone levels.

But before you run to the store for a box of pregnancy tests, call your mom and your best friend, and figure out how youre supposed to have a successful career and a baby , explore what else could be happening in your body. There are several reasons that periods go rogue.

Recommended Reading: How To Know When Your Period Is Coming Again

Reasons For A Late Period That Don’t Mean You’re Pregnant

A menstrual cycle that’s off schedule doesn’t always mean you’re pregnant. Here are seven other reasons your period could be late.

If you’re waiting for a late period, there’s one thought that’s likely going through your mind: Am I pregnant? “Everybody thinks they’re pregnant when their period is late,” says Wendy Goodall McDonald, M.D., aka Dr. Every Woman of Women’s Health Consulting in Chicago and the author of It Smells Just Like Popcorn: The Modern Woman’s A to V Guide to Her Vagina and Beyond.

But mensuration could be late for a variety of reasons, and it doesn’t always point to pregnancy. This could be disappointing to learn if you’re TTC or a huge sigh of relief if you’re not ready for a baby. Before you run to the local pharmacy to pick up an at-home pregnancy test, read about these external factors and conditions that could cause delayed periods.

What To Do If You Miss Your Period

Why Have I Missed My Period? I am Not Pregnant

If you miss your period, you should wait at first. Give it a few days to make sure you didn’t miscalculate or do something to mix up the dates or that you aren’t simply late. Many practitioners at this point, may recommend a pregnancy test.

You can take a pregnancy test at home or your can go into your doctor’s office. If it’s positive, you have your answer: You missed your period because you were pregnant. If it is negative, you may want to wait a bit and try again.

Seeing your doctor if you are worried is never a bad option. If you are planning to get pregnant soon, you can use the visit to start your preconception health plan. This is a great way to get your body on track to be pregnant. This helps you have the healthiest pregnancy possible.

If you are not ready to be pregnant, they can help you determine what your reproductive life plan may look like to stay healthy and avoid pregnancy until the point where you make a decision to have children or permanently decide to not have children.

Also Check: Why Does Copper Iud Cause Heavier Periods

Can I Do The Test Wrong

Its important you read the instructions that come with your test carefully and follow them. This way you can be sure you can trust the result. Some tests are easier to read than others for a test that gives a result in words such as pregnant or not pregnant, is clear whereas visual tests where you have to interpret lines can be harder to read and can leave you wondering whether youre pregnant or not. If you doubt youre reading the result correctly and the uncertainty makes you feel anxious, then get a test that is easy to read, like the Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test, so you can be sure of the result you see.

You can see what a negative pregnancy test result looks like in our infographic below.

What Should I Do If I Have Not Started My Periods

Girls start their periods at a very variable age. So it may be that your friends have been having periods for a while but you have not. Usually this will be normal variation and nothing to worry about. Ask your doctor’s advice if:

  • You are 16 years old or older and still have no periods.
  • You are 14 years old or older and have not developed breasts or pubic hair and do not have periods.
  • You have a pain in your tummy every month but no bleeding.
  • You can feel a lump in the lower part of your tummy.
  • You have had sex without using contraception .

Also Check: Can I Get Pregnant 6 Days After My Period

What To Expect At A Doctors Appointment

When you see your doctor about amenorrhea, your doctor will perform a physical exam and ask you a series of questions. Be prepared to talk about your normal menstrual cycle, your lifestyle, and any other symptoms youre experiencing.

Your doctor will also order a pregnancy test if you havent had a period in three months. If that condition is ruled out, you may need more tests to determine the underlying cause of your missed periods. These diagnostic tests may include:

  • Blood tests, which will allow your doctor to check hormone levels in your body. Prolactin, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone are all related to menstruation. Determining these levels can help your doctor determine or rule out the cause of your absent periods.
  • Ultrasound is an imaging test that uses high frequency sound waves to create detailed pictures of the inside of your body. It enables your doctor to view various organs, such as the ovaries and uterus, and check for abnormal growths.
  • CT scan is another type of imaging test that uses computers and rotating X-ray machines to create cross-sectional images of the body. These images allow your doctor to look for masses and tumors in your glands and organs.

When Will I Get My First Period

What to Do if You’re Not Getting Your Period

Find out if you’re displaying the common signs of starting your period.

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As they approach their teenage years, most girls start to wonder when their periods might start. Some look forward to this moment as a sign that they are really growing up. Others are a little nervous about how they will feel, or how they might manage their period. Either way, it can be good to know whether you are likely to get your period soon.

With periods usually starting between the ages of 10-16 years, it can be hard to predict when your first period will arrive. However, your body will probably start to show some tell-tale signs when your first period is on its way. “Puberty has a predictable pattern,” explains GP Dr Jeff Foster. “Understanding the significance of different signs such as breast development, vaginal discharge, pubic hair and underarm hair can give us an indication about whether a first period is likely to occur soon.”

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Amenorrhea Treatment And Home Care

Treatment for amenorrhea will focus on the condition that causes it. Hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills can help start your menstrual cycle again. A thyroid or pituitary disorder can be treated with medication. Physical abnormalities may need surgery.

If something such as stress, weight gain or loss, or depression is affecting your menstrual cycle, you can take an active role in your treatment by taking steps to manage it. Friends, family, or your doctor may be able to help you.

You can help your doctor trace the cause of your amenorrhea by tracking changes in your cycle and symptoms and sharing this information with them. Tell them what medications youâre taking, and about changes in your diet, exercise habits, and stress levels.

You Asked: What Is Stress Doing To My Body

Stress is often referred to as the health epidemic of the 21st centurythe culprit behind frazzled and exhausted populations worldwide. With at least 70 percent of people in the United States experiencing the physical and psychological effects of stress, its become somewhat of a personal pathogen. In fact, repeated bouts of stress may even take years off your life. A Texas A& M Health Science Center College of Nursing expert explains the damaging side-effects of the chronically over-stressed.

According to the World Health Organization , a little stress is actually good for you. Little bursts of stress during working hours or during your day can help you to focus more and perform better, said Raquel Reynolds, M.S.N., RN, PHCNS-BC, PhD a clinical assistant professor in the Texas A& M College of Nursing, who studies workplace stress. When the stress is repeated over and over again, and translates to chronic stress, is when detrimental health effects happen.

Forty-eight percent of people report stress has a negative impact on both their personal and professional lifewith 40 percent of workers suffering on the job. Individual factors like stress from your personal or social life play in, but, according to Reynolds, situational stressors are far and above the major reason so many peoples bodies are over-worked and pushed to their limit.

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What Are Irregular Periods

Even though girls get their periods on a cycle, that cycle can take different amounts of time each month. For example, a girl might get her period after 24 days one month and after 42 days the next. These are called irregular periods.

Irregular periods are very common, especially in a girl’s first few years of getting her period.

I Got My Period A Week Early What Does It Mean

Why Am I Not Getting My Period? Amenorrhea Causes

If your period occurs early, then it may be due to non-pregnancy causes like stress or hormonal changes in your body. Early signs of menopause can cause an early period too. However, period that occurs a week early is likely due to pregnancy.

Now its your turn. Do you have early menstruation? Let us know your symptoms and if we could help.

Read Also: Birth Control Pills To Stop Period

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

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.
  • Thinning 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:

Youth

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