got late period stress?

Ughh...when was my last period? Is it late again? I can’t be pregnant, right? 😰 

Hey friend, it’s going to be okay. Let’s talk.

• Here are the 4 reasons why your period could be late:

   

  Pregnancy🤰

  1. There is a possibility of pregnancy if you are sexually active. If your period is more than 5 days late, you are feeling symptoms AND you are trying to conceive, taking a pregnancy test to test for the hormone (hCG) can be the first step to help you know if you might be pregnant. 

  Menstrual Disorders 🩸

  1. A menstrual disorder such as amenorrhea or PCOS can cause irregular periods.

  Stress 😞

  1. The things that contribute to stress are unique to each person’s lifestyle and body. Stressful events, family, relationships, school/work, less sleep, and maybe, I don’t know like a global pandemic 😷 can all add up to create responses in the body (increased cortisol levels) which can delay ovulation and thus, periods or even cause us to miss one or more periods.

  Medication 💊 

  1. Some medications or changes in medication may cause irregularity in periods.

  2. Birth control can change or stop your period altogether.

Ways you can be proactive about knowing your menstrual cycle - track your cycle with a calendar or period app (ex. Flo, Clue, Femometer) to see your typical cycle length. Remember that stress factors that happen month-to-month can cause a period to be late by 5-7 days and that is normal. 

Tips from Team Menstrual Mates: if you have any questions or are concerned about the amount of time you’ve missed your period, please speak with a healthcare provider (OB/GYN or nurse). 

Resources

• Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/i-ePv9Dxg7U?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

• https://naturalwomanhood.org/how-does-stress-affect-menstrual-cycle-fertility-awareness-fabm-nfp-05052018/

• https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/9-reasons-missed-period/

• https://flo.health/menstrual-cycle/health/period/late-period-everything

• https://mellowed.com/stress-menstrual-cycle/

• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-stress-cause-you-to-skip-a-period/

• https://tampax.com/en-us/period-health/stress-and-periods/

• https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/health/a10386481/medications-could-affect-your-period/