how to get my period back?

[theaprilwitch]

so my periods have always been irregular, so i haven’t really been tracking them

my period is late, and my last one was short.

i am sexually active, but not the kind of sex that results in pregnancy, and we’ve been very careful when it comes to no direct genital contact or other contact with sperm or semen and i took a pregnancy test just to make sure and it was negative

i have been very stressed for the past month or so due to various reasons and have lost weight because of this, so i think that’s why my period is late. however, i really do want to get it back just to prove im healthy, do you have any suggestions for how to?

[Valerie J]

Hi!

I'm glad to hear that you recognize your stress levels might be impacting your period. You are most likely correct on that. Stress, of all kinds, can impact our body's functions in different ways and your body is adapting in the way it thinks it will protect you best.

I would recommend you read this awesome piece (by our founder, Heather!) on menstruation that discusses a lot of your concerns. On the Rag: A Guide to Menstruation

I did want to check-in on some of the language you used. You said you want to get regularity back on your period to "prove im healthy." What did you mean by that? Is there any particular reason why you feel the need to prove that you are "healthy"? Do you have other concerns around your health?

While it is important that we are listening to our bodies' needs and are attuned to changes it's also equally important to remember that no one is "healthy" all the time. Our bodies are constantly changing and adapting to our environments and no one body is alike to another. As a result, our baseline for what "health" looks like is a little bit flawed. All of this is to say, be patient with your body and understand that health can look a lot of different ways. Your body has been through some stress and that might change what your baseline of health is. And that's okay! There's no rush to get back to that point. Go at the pace that works best for you and your body.

That being said, if you have additional concerns surrounding your health it's always a good idea to talk to your practitioner.


For the article I linked to above, I've pulled out some quotes I think might be helpful for you but please take the time to read the whole piece because its chalk full of important info.

"Periods and fertility cycles can vary a lot or be very different sometimes because the reproductive system is pretty sensitive: all the various changes in our lives -- rest, activity, how and what we eat, stress, health changes, how our bodies can change after pregnancies, even a move from one place to the next -- can impact cycles and periods. "

"It is also possible, if you're missing periods, that it's due to diet or exercise. If you aren't eating enough (a certain amount of body fat is necessary for ovulation and menstruation), are overexercising, or super-inactive, on the flip side, it can throw your system out of whack, and you may begin to miss periods, get irregular or experience more cramps and other not-fun stuff, like depression, that can happen with or around periods pretty much everyone wants to limit. Take care of yourself. Be sure to eat enough for the energy you expend, get enough rest, and eat a well-balanced diet. If you know or think you may have an eating disorder, please check in and ask for help from a healthcare provider so you can get well again and safeguard your long-term health: missing periods or being unable to become pregnant is really the least of the hardship EDs can put on your body and mind."

"The impact of stress and how you deal with it can also make you miss a period, including stressing out about a possible pregnancy. If you're sexually active, you can reduce that stress a lot by using sound birth control and STI protection, or by not engaging in any kind of sex that you don't feel safe and secure enough about."

Here's a good list of suggestions to help with the irregularity of your period:
"There are some home, herbal and vitamin remedies for helping your cycles and any discomfort you may experience. Vitamins E and K, which are usually in a regular daily multivitamin, help with regularity, and can help slow a very heavy flow. You can also make an herbal tea of red raspberry leaf, strawberry leaf, peppermint and ginger (it's tasty, too) to help with cramps and to help balance cycles. Yoga can be a big help with cramps and blarghy feelings: here are some basic poses you can try. Alternative medicine -- like acupuncture, especially acupuncture -- can also be a big help, especially if you prefer those methods, or standard medical approaches just are not helping. Hormonal methods of birth control, or one type of IUD, are other alternatives that can help."


Let me know if this helps!

Best,
Val