Why Did I Get My Period Early

Why Do I Have An Early Period On The Pill

If you are using oral contraceptives then you should not be alarmed with frequent breakthrough bleeding . It usually has a brown color, which is a sign of old blood and is perfectly normal. However, if bleeding does not stop then it is better to visit a doctor and rule out the possibility of infection.

Early period on the pill can occur occasionally and it means that there has been a drop in your hormone level. You can continue taking the pill but if you wish to remain protected from being pregnant then it is best to make use of condoms too during this period. Call your doctor if the bleeding continues to happen, as you might have to change the birth control pill you are using. Another reason for the bleeding can be a small infection or inflammation.

When Is It Serious?

Vaginal bleeding while being on the pill can be caused because of a sexually transmitted disease like Chlamydia or gonorrhea as well. You can contract an STD if you have unprotected sex with someone who has tested positive for either of these diseases. Vaginal bleeding can also be caused because of other disorders like fibroids or tumor as well. Tumors need to be checked out immediately because it is quite possible that it is cancerous.

The Likeliest Cause: Ovulation

You ovulate about day 14 of your cycle. For many women, the day around ovulation goes completely unnoticed. But for some, ovulation is an event they may feel and notice other symptoms around. Those symptoms can include light spotting.

During reproductive ages, the ovary releases an egg every month. This event occurs when the ovary follicles rupture and release the oocyte which travels to the fallopian tube and becomes an ovum or egg. The rupture of the ovary follicles can cause some light spotting and some women can even feel it happen.

That feeling usually manifests as a slight twinge or pain on one side of your abdomen. This pain is called Mittelschmerz. It translates literally as middle pain. Its the name for the slight twinge or cramp that some women experience when the follicle releases the egg.

Learn more about what happens when you ovulate.

The best way to understand whether your bleeding corresponds with ovulation is to track your cycle using an app or diary. If youre experiencing bleeding that does not coincide with ovulation, there are many other possible causes.

How To Avoid Being Surprised By Early Period Symptoms

To avoid stained underwear from an unexpected period or spotting, a lot of girls wear pantyliners likeâ¯ALWAYS Dailies Fresh & Protectâ¯a few days before theyâre scheduled to get their period. This way, if your period is a little early, youâre still protected.

Also, keepingâ¯TAMPAXâ¯on hand means youâll be prepared if your period sneaks up on you.â¯TAMPAX Pearl Compak are little and easy to stash in your bag. Plus, they use LeakGuard technology to keep you up to 100% leak free. So, next time your period is a week early, you can confidently go about your day without worrying about having an embarrassing period accident. We call that a win.

Also Check: Can I Take Birth Control To Stop My Period

Recap: Your Period On Birth Control

We get it: We’ve been taught that getting your period is a natural sign of femininity and means that everything is working normally for having babies. But the truth is that having your period on birth control is not the same thing as natural menstruation. Instead, it’s a different beast altogether.

*Editor’s Note: If you’re having irregular periods or spotting and you’re NOT taking birth control, then you should follow up with your doctor.

You should know that:

As always, if you have bothersome irregular bleeding, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor. There may be a way to change your method, or they can let you know if it’s something that will go away anytime soon. It’s super helpful to track what’s going so you can present that to your doctor. Believe us, they like data, so record the dates it’s happening and what it looks/feels like. You’ve got this!

Starting Periods At A Young Age Is Linked To Early Menopause

Girl talk: puberty hits younger and younger

Women are more likely to go through menopause early if they started menstruating before their 12th birthday.

This is the conclusion of the largest study of its kind, involving 50,000 postmenopausal women in the UK, Australia, Japan and Scandinavia.

On average, a first period arrived around age 13 and the last when the women were 50. But 14 per cent had their first period before they were 12, and 10 per cent had their last period before they turned 45.

To investigate whether there was a link between early menstruation and early menopause, Gita Mishra at the University of Queensland, Australia, and her colleagues performed a statistical analysis, adjusting for possible confounding variables like weight and smoking.

They found that women who began menstruating before the age of 12 were 31 per cent more likely to have an early menopause between the ages of 40 and 44.

Of the women who had their first period when they were 13, only 1.8 per cent had premature menopause , and 7.2 per cent reached menopause early. But in women who had their first period when they were 11 or younger, 3.1 per cent had premature menopause, and 8.8 per cent went through it early.

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Definitions: So How Do You Define Bleeding

It’s nice that researchers like to define things. Here’s what they mean by spotting, bleeding, bleeding that’s too long, etc.

Bleeding: When we refer to menstrual “bleeding,” it means blood loss that requires you to wear sanitary protection like a tampon, pad, or pantiliner. The period blood might look red in color, as it’s probably fresh blood.

Spotting: When we say “spotting,” it means that the blood loss is so small that you wouldn’t have to wear any type of sanitary protection – not even pantyliners. The spotting could look like a brown discharge, the kind that appears towards the end of your period when the blood is “older” since it’s been there longer.

An episode of bleeding/spotting: You may have irregular spotting or bleeding during the month on birth control. Here’s how you can define an “episode” of the spotting or bleeding: The episode is preceded by 2 regular days without any spotting/bleeding and followed up by 2 days straight without any spotting/bleeding.

Infrequent bleeding: Fewer than 3 bleeding or spotting episodes in 3 months

Prolonged bleeding: Here’s something to note. If you’re thinking your period on birth control is going on too long, “prolonged” bleeding is defined as any bleeding/spotting episode lasting more than 2 weeks in 3 months.

Frequent bleeding: More than 5 bleeding or spotting episodes in 5 months.

Amenorrhea: This the medical term for when you don’t have your period in 3 months.

You Used An Emergency Pill After Sexual Intercourse

Its possible you could spot after taking an emergency contraceptive pill. Emergency pills after sexual intercourse work by stopping ovulation or delaying it from coming. These pills could have serious effects on your hormones.

Depending on when pills are taken, either before or after ovulation, it may result in an early period, late period or spotting.

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What Is Implantation Bleeding

Most women ovulate halfway through their menstrual cycle, and if you dont get pregnant then, youll get your period about two weeks after that. If a sperm does successfully fertilize the egg you released at ovulation, you have conceived. This newly created embryo will then travel to your uterus and burrow itself into the lining, if all goes according to plan. When this occurs, the embryo may agitate the blood cells in your lining and cause blood to be released from your body. The apparent release of that blood is known as implantation bleeding and it is an early pregnancy symptom.

There are a few ways you can distinguish implantation bleeding from your period:

• Timing: Implantation bleeding happens six to 14 days after conception. It typically happens before your period would normally arrive.
• Color: Implantation bleeding is often pink or brown, instead of bright red.
• Amount of blood: Implantation bleeding produces spotting, not a heavy flow. It usually lasts one to three days. Thats because the embryo has displaced only a small portion of your uterine lining. When you get your period, on the other hand, you shed the whole thing.

My Period Is A Week Early Could I Be Pregnant

An early period that occurs exactly a week to your next period can be due to implantation. However, it can also be your period just coming earlier than normal.

To differentiate between implantation spotting and an actual period, here are the differences

• Intensity of cramps

With implantation, the cramps are mild and will last for a few hours or two days at most. While some people may need a painkiller or other remedy to reduce the pain, some may not feel the pain at all.

For an actual period, the cramps will be more painful and will last for the whole time when you have the period which is an average of four days. Every woman who experiences periods also experiences cramps.

• Period of discharge

For implantation, the discharge will go on for about two days then subside. A period will most likely go beyond the two-day period to at least four days.

• Color of discharge

The implantation discharge is often of a light pink to a light brown color and rarely dark brown. On the other hand, the menstrual discharge is a dark brown to red color.

• Viscosity of discharge

An implantation discharge is of a light nature and is even watery and inconsistent in its flow. The period, on the other hand, is thicker and more consistent in its flow.

• Amount of discharge

You will know you are pregnant if the discharge you experience a week before your next period is little and barely requires the use of tampons or pads.

Also Check: What Are Signs Your Period Is Coming

What To Do If You Are Not Sure If You Are Spotting Or Having Your Period

Talk to your doctor or other health care professional if you are not sure if it is your period, or if you are spotting.

Remember, spotting is light bleeding that does not get heavier like a typical menstrual period. The normal menstrual period usually is associated with some other symptoms like breast tenderness or cramps as described previously, and often is accompanied by heavy flow. During the first day of your period bleeding may be light, but it typically becomes heavier over the next few days.

Light bleeding that does not worsen and is not associated with the symptoms of a your period is likely to be spotting.

A home pregnancy test can be helpful if you believe you are spotting due to early pregnancy, or you may experience early signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

You should always contact your doctor or other health care professional if you experience any vaginal bleeding, spotting if you are pregnant or if you have reached menopause, or any time you have unusual bleeding that concerns you.

Breakthrough / Spotting Bleeding

This is something that can common happen to women who take some form of birth control. The contraceptive pill, for example, injects hormones into the body that would normally be there anyway, just in different amounts. It is the manipulation of your hormones that stops you from getting pregnant. By injecting one or two hormones , the hormone responsible for fertilizing and implanting your baby is reduced.

When you first start to take the pill, spotting or breakthrough bleeding is very common as your body adjust to the new balance. If it continues for a long time, it could be a sign that the contraceptive youre using isnt right for you but doctors would normally advice that you give it a shot for three or six months before making a decision, and in some women it can take even longer still.

If you miss your contraceptive dose, you can also experience breakthrough or spotting bleeding. The missed level of hormones causes a chain reaction in the body which can lead to some light bleeding. When you take your pill regularly again, you will usually find the problem goes away.

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Youre Really Stressed Out

Stress can screw with just about everything in your life, so its hardly shocking that it can mess with your cycle, too. High levels of stress can cause an increase in the production of cortisol which in turn can cause a disruption in the way our bodies function normally, Dr. Wider says.

Under normal times, your brains hypothalamus produces chemicals that trigger your pituitary gland to signal your ovaries to release estrogen and progesterone, she explains. With an increase in cortisol from stress, that axis can get messed up and the menstrual cycle can become irregular, Dr. Wider says.

The less estrogen, the less stimulation of the lining of the uterus, so less bleeding, Dr. Minkin adds.

My Period Came 4 5 Days Early

Why does my period come 4 days early?

If your period comes 4 or 5 days earlier than usual, it most likely is a case of an early period and nothing more. However, it all depends on the type of the discharge and any other signs you may observe.

If the discharge is heavy, dark brown in color and lasts for about five or four days, it would be an early period.

It would only mean that your period has shifted to a new cycle a perfectly normal occurrence especially if you had stress or another incident in your life that has direct or indirect effects on your menstrual cycle.

However, if the discharge is light pink or light brown and lasts for about two days, then it would be implantation spotting. This is when the fertilized egg would be attaching itself to the walls of the uterus. What it essentially means is that you are pregnant if this is the case.

Implantation is expected to occur a week before your period. However, like all biological processes, exactness is not a guarantee. The process can thus occur a few days to the period and still have no health implications.

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