Ah yes, the familiar stress that most women can related to over a missed period. Nothing quite provokes a flurry of questions like: does it mean I\u2019m pregnant? Could it be something else? Should I worry?<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the thing: a missed period doesn\u2019t always mean you\u2019re pregnant. In fact, knowing when to expect your period versus when it\u2019s missed can give you a major clue into your overall health. But, the key to decoding these clues is knowing your cycle.<\/p>\n
To help you know what to look for, this post will cover:<\/p>\n
A missed period can be major insight into whether your hormones<\/a> are imbalanced, and the reason why comes down to why your period happens in the first place. After ovulation occurs<\/a>, the follicle ruptures and releases an egg, and the rest of the follicle turns into the corpus luteum. This structure secretes progesterone, building up the uterine lining in preparation for implantation to occur<\/a>. But, if implantation doesn\u2019t occur, then corpus luteum shrinks, progesterone levels drop, and uterine lining begins to shed aka your period.<\/p>\n So, if you have a missed period, then it could potentially signal a problem with hormones involved in ovulation (aka luteinizing hormone<\/a>) or building up the uterine lining (aka progesterone). \u00a0Remember, if you\u2019ve ovulated, then under healthy circumstances, either you\u2019ll get your period or you won\u2019t get your period if you\u2019re pregnant. But, if you don\u2019t get your period, then it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you ovulated. In fact, it\u2019s possible to experience anovulatory cycles<\/a>, or cycles without ovulation, and experience light bleeding or breakthrough bleeding<\/a>.<\/p>\n When you track your cycle, make sure to record start of period because this is cycle day one and track your cycle length and frequency. Regular cycles are usually 21 \u2013 35 days long. However, irregular cycles can be shorter or longer than that. If you\u2019re not sure if you have irregular cycles, cycle tracking can help you tell the difference between missed periods versus irregular periods.<\/p>\n Changes in weight, whether the gaining or losing weight, can cause you to miss your period. While it\u2019s not clear exactly how significant the weight change has to be to cause a missed period, both obesity and anorexia have been linked to missed periods. One of the primary reasons<\/a> is because adipose tissue, or fatty tissue, can actually make hormones like estrogens and other molecules involved in inflammation. So, major changes in weight, whether losing a significant amount of fat or gaining it, can result in major hormone imbalance, disrupting fertility and ovulation.<\/p>\n The bottom line? If you have recently begun a new and intense exercise<\/a> regime or have recently gained weight, it\u2019s possible that this could explain a missed period. It\u2019s always a good idea to manage a healthy bodyweight, so talk to your doctor if you think weight management is affecting your cycle.<\/p>\n Breastfeeding can be a reason for missed period. The biological processes related to lactation are complex and fascinating, but in the context of your period, it\u2019s important to know that breastfeeding can lower circulating estrogen levels. Without estrogen to boost luteinizing hormone, there is no ovulation, and therefore, no period.<\/p>\n BUT, if you\u2019re breastfeeding and having unprotected intercourse, it\u2019s also possible that you\u2019re pregnant if you\u2019re not tracking your cycle (or the return of your cycle). If you\u2019re not sure if your cycle has resumed or ovulation occurred, having unprotected intercourse during the the five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation (aka the fertility window), then it\u2019s possible you\u2019re pregnant. Check out the last section to know when is the earliest you could take a positive pregnancy test to know.<\/p>\n PCOS<\/a>, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a reproductive condition that can result in irregular or missed periods. However, missed periods don\u2019t necessarily mean PCOS. In fact, have two of the three following symptoms can indicate this condition is present:<\/p>\n In addition to missed periods, here are additional symptoms women may notice:<\/p>\n While there is no cure for PCOS, the good news is that PCOS can be managed with lifestyle changes and hormone interventions, and you can talk to your doctor about which option is right for you.<\/p>\n Coming off the pill can lead to \u201cpost-pill amenorrhea<\/a>\u201d which simply means your hormone levels are readjusting and can lead to a missed period or two.<\/p>\n The combination birth control pill (which has synthetic estrogen and progestin) works by suppressing or preventing ovulation. When you stop taking the pill, you\u2019ll first experience a withdrawal bleed because of the drop in hormones. After that, resuming cycling can be highly variable. Some women begin cycling normally right away, and some women take some time.<\/p>\n One study<\/a> found that after discontinuing oral contraceptives, 58% of women had ovulatory cycles on the first cycle after the pill. However, overall cycle length was longer and luteal phase was shorter, and it took up to nine months to resume cycling.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been off the pill for two months and still have missed periods, it\u2019s a good idea to talk to your doctor about post-pill amenorrhea and what can be done. Sometimes, being on the pill can actually cover up whether you have other conditions like PCOS. Your doctor can help distinguish whether your post-pill missed period is because of these conditions or if hormones can return to healthy levels.<\/p>\n Stress has been linked to missed periods, but stress tends to be used a convenient scapegoat for poorly understood ailments. From causes of miscarriage<\/a> to cycle irregularity, stress is used as a catch-all to explain the unexplained, even when stress isn\u2019t necessarily a problem.<\/p>\n Conceptually, yes, stress could interfere with the menstrual cycle. This is because the hormones of the menstrual cycle are controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which communicated via different hormones to ultimately release hormones like estrogens from the ovaries. But, this system doesn\u2019t exist in isolation, and different hormones and molecules, including the primary stress hormone cortisol and the immune system, can interact with estrogens to ultimately affect processes like ovulation and menstruation. Here\u2019s the tricky question: you always have some amount of circulating cortisol, so how much is too much that it can actually disrupt ovulation and your cycle? It\u2019s a tricky question subject to a lot of variability, so science research can\u2019t answer that quite yet.<\/p>\n Bottom line? Managing stress is always a good idea for both your physical and mental health. While the stress of a bad day or working more doesn\u2019t likely translate to very high physiological levels (or cortisol levels in your bloodstream), prolonged levels of stress, especially high stress, can be negative for your health.<\/p>\n A missed period or late period<\/a> is a classic early pregnancy symptom<\/a>. If you\u2019ve had unprotected intercourse in the five days before ovulation or the day of ovulation, then it\u2019s possible you\u2019re pregnant. But, you don\u2019t need to wait until you\u2019re sure you\u2019ve missed your period to take pregnancy test. In fact, a positive pregnancy test<\/a> can happen as early as 12 days after ovulation.<\/p>\n A lot of the information covered in this post mentions events in relation to ovulation and cycle length, and if you\u2019re already tracking those, then great! But, if you\u2019re new to tracking your cycle, there are many benefits to knowing your<\/em> cycle. Knowing cycle length, frequency, and when you ovulate means you\u2019re never surprised or out-of-tune with what\u2019s happening with your body, which can be empowering for your overall health.<\/p>\n You may have heard of the calendar method, which basically assumes every single woman has a 28-day cycle and mechanically ovulates on day 14 of the cycle. But, if you\u2019re a human woman, then it\u2019s highly likely you don\u2019t robotically ovulate at the same day of each of cycle In fact, most women have cycles between 22 \u2013 36 days<\/a>, and 42% of women experience cycle-to-cycle variability.<\/p>\n To better understand how your <\/em>cycle works, make sure to record the first day of your period\u2014\u00a0 that\u2019s cycle day one\u2014and get a sense of your cycle length and frequency. At-home ovulation tests<\/a> can also help track ovulation.<\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to track your cycle is to use the Ava bracelet. It collects 3 million data points<\/a> from several health measures, just while you sleep. The Ava algorithm<\/a> analyzes your data and can deliver personalized insights into your cycle when you wake via our app. Knowing your cycle doesn\u2019t have to be a complicated science, but Ava can help you be your very own data scientist<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ah yes, the familiar stress that most women can related to over a missed period. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10017,"featured_media":20486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[889,896],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nMissed Period Reason #2: Changes in Weight<\/h2>\n
Missed Period Reason #3: Breastfeeding<\/h2>\n
Missed Period Reason #4: PCOS<\/h2>\n
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Missed Period Reason #5: Post-pill readjustment<\/h2>\n
Missed Period Reason #6: Extreme Stress<\/h2>\n
Missed Period Reason #7: You\u2019re Pregnant<\/h2>\n
How Can I Track My Cycle?<\/h2>\n