PMS

Period Problems: Irregular Periods, Heavy Periods & Menstrual Problems

Period problems can affect any woman. Even if you have a history of never, ever missing a period, it’s possible for you to occasionally have a period problem. You may be extra stressed that month, or maybe you’ve been traveling and suffering from jetlag. There are a lot of factors that can sometimes affect your menstrual cycle and lead to period problems.

For most women, their menstrual period arrives at the same time every month without fail. The textbook menstrual cycle is 28 days long, which means that there are 28 days between the first day of your period and the first day of the next. Not every woman follows the 28-day rule though. A normal menstrual cycle ran range from 21 days (your period is 3 weeks apart) to 35 days (your period is 5 weeks apart). What’s “normal” for you may be different for another woman.

Causes of Late Period when Negative Pregnancy Test

by DP Nguyen 539 Comments

Is your period late and you have a negative pregnancy test?

Late periods are so scary and nerve wracking, especially when you are sexually active. Even if you’re not that sexually active, it’s worrisome. It doesn’t matter if your period is one day late, or a week late, the sheer fact that your period hasn’t arrived when it was supposed to can be a huge stressor in our already stressful lives.

To the average Jane who is uninformed and may not know anything about menstrual cycles, she may ask herself “Why is my period late? Does this mean that I’m pregnant?”

#1 Cause of Late Periods: Pregnancy — Being pregnant is the number cause of a late period. Since a majority of women will conceive around the time that they ovulate, which is often fourteen days before the start of their expected period, one of the symptoms of early pregnancy is a missed or late period. (When you’re pregnant, the hormones that support your growing baby switch off your regular menstrual cycles. You will not have a period again until after your baby is born.) [Read more…] about Causes of Late Period when Negative Pregnancy Test

How to Delay Your Period

by DP Nguyen 8 Comments

How do you delay your period?

There are many reasons why some women might want to delay a period. Sometimes, your next scheduled period will interfere with an important holiday or a special occasion. For example, the next time that you have your period, it might come on your birthday or on your anniversary. You may want to delay your menstrual cycle to avoid it ruining your fun. Other times, you may want to find a way to delay a period for the sheer fact that periods are messy, and you’d rather have a delayed period than face the mess of dealing with it.

Ovulation Symptoms – Signs to Tell When You Ovulate

by DP Nguyen 62 Comments

Learn the common ovulation symptoms and signs of ovulation in this article, including how ovulation works and how it relates to your period.

Ovulation symptoms are often subtle. You have to be paying attention to your body’s signs and signals in order to tell that you’ve ovulated. Learning when you have ovulated – or are approaching the most fertile time of the month – is vital for women trying to conceive. You can dramatically increase your chance of pregnancy if you have unprotected sex during the week that you ovulate. Similarly, if you practice natural birth control, you obviously will want to avoid having any sexual intercourse during this week.

Getting pregnant, and having a menstrual period is tied to ovulation. You won’t have a normal period if you didn’t ovulate this month. (Some women do experience anovulatory bleeding, also called dysfunctional uterine bleeding. This bleeding can be mistaken for a period, but it’s not a period. It only occurs when ovulation does not take place.) There’s also no possible way for you to become pregnant unless you ovulate.

Teen Menstrual Cycles: Why Missed Periods, Irregular Periods are Normal

by DP Nguyen 839 Comments

Missed Periods and Irregular Periods are Normal When You’re a Teenager!

Recently, there has been a flood of questions from my teen readers on my popular post, “Reasons for Missed Period – When You’re Not Pregnant.” I want to address the most commonly asked questions to alleviate any worries that teenagers may have about their periods.

Age of Your First Period

A teenager typically gets her first period between 12 and 14 years of age. Some girls can start menstruating as early as 9 years old. Others won’t have their first period until they’re 16 years of age. When you’ll have your first period depends on how fast you’re developing. Some girls are early bloomers; others bloom later. If you haven’t had your period by 16 years old, visit your doctor and find out what’s the hold up. In some cases, however, it may still be normal.
[Read more…] about Teen Menstrual Cycles: Why Missed Periods, Irregular Periods are Normal

The 411 on Menstrual Cramps: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Get Natural Relief

by DP Nguyen 11 Comments

Having your period sucks. And what’s even crummier than a week of bleeding from your hoo-ha are the cramps that come with it. Menstrual cramps (the medical term is “dysmenorrhea”) affect up to 50 percent of all menstruating women, and it can last for the first two days of your period.

Menstrual cramping can be mild or severe. But when your cramps are severe, they can be excruciatingly painful. Needless to say, cramping definitely makes you cranky and miserable to be around. (And it can also make you want to choke the life out of your husband when he says the wrong thing!) [Read more…] about The 411 on Menstrual Cramps: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Get Natural Relief