Why you might miss your period…

Nothing today scares a single woman like a missed period, unless she is, of course, trying to get pregnant.

Do you think you are pregnant? Did I hear you say “I have missed my period?”

Am I pregnant? When a period is delayed or missed, pregnancy is the first thing that she may think.
But, is pregnancy the only reason for women have late periods? Absolutely Not!
Here are 10 common reasons why a period can be missed:

Stress

Stress affects many things about our lives, including periods. A woman can be so stressed out that her body decreases the hormone (GnRH), which causes women to not ovulate or menstruate. What you need to do to relax and get back on schedule. Talk to a doctor or midwife if you need help.

Illness

It is a fact that a sudden, short illness or even a longer illness can cause periods to be delayed. As medical conditions change, periods resume the normal cycle. If there has been a recent illness, consult with a doctor or midwife or local pregnancy resource center.

Change in Schedules

Did you know that changing schedules can really throw off your body clock. If you go from days to nights at work or vice versa, this is particularly true. If there have been frequently change shifts and notice a problems with regular cycles, then see if it is possible to be put on a more permanent shift or at least a shift that only varies after a lengthier time period.

Change in Medications

New medication is often the cause of delayed or absent period. Be sure to talk to a doctor or midwife about this side effect. It is very common with some methods of birth control. If you have changed medications, be sure to ask what effects this may have on your period. This is true, even if you don’t think that there will be a big change.

Being Overweight

Too much weight can hormonally shift your cycles and even bring your cycle to an end. Most women will see a return to normal cycles and fertility with the loss of some weight, even if they are still considered overweight.

Being Underweight

Too little body fat can cause irregular periods or even cause periods to stop all together. This is condition is called amenorrhea. Typically a weight gain will help you have your periods return. This is a frequent cause of a missed period in women who work out to an extreme or are professional athletes.

Miscalculation

The menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman. While we say that the average menstrual cycle is 28 days long, however, this is not true for every woman. Sometimes our period is believed to be late simply because the date has been miscalculated. If you have irregular menstrual cycles, but know when you ovulate, look for your period about two weeks after you ovulate. That may help you keep an easier track of your periods.

Peri-Menopause

Peri-menopause is that period of time when a woman transitions from reproductive age to a non-reproductive age. During this time, periods may be lighter, heavier, more frequent or less frequent – but mostly just not normal. If you do not wish to get pregnant, be sure to continue to use birth control because you are likely to still be fertile at least some of the time.

Menopause

Menopause is when a woman has reached the point in her life where she will no longer ovulate or menstruate. Menopause can be a natural life event or may happen surgically through öophrectomy or through chemical such as various forms of chemotherapy.

Pregnancy

A missed period can sue to pregnancy! A simple pregnancy test can usually help you determine if the missed period was because of pregnancy. The urine pregnancy tests and blood pregnancy tests look for the hormone hCG.

What should you do next, if you are still worried?

If you think you could be pregnant, you should call, text or call our center to ask for an appointment.