Can Irregular Periods Affect Pregnancy
Most women tend to get their periods regularly however, it is not uncommon to see women with irregular menstrual cycles. Some women may get their periods right on time, while others may face delays or early onset. After all, human bodies dont function like a machine! This article highlights the basic information about irregular periods and enlightens about whether an irregular menstrual cycle affects pregnancy or not!
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Home Treatment For Irregular Periods
Its important not to try to diagnose or treat any hormonal imbalances on your own. Making healthier lifestyle choices can help regulate hormonal processes in the body.
Exercising, eating a healthy diet, stress management techniques, yoga, and cutting out unhealthy habits may help regulate cycles. However, make sure to consult a health care provider about any concerning symptoms related to menstruation.
Healthy lifestyle habits and help from a health care provider can help manage irregular periods and make it easier to become pregnant fast.
References
When To Seek Help Getting Pregnant
If youre trying to get pregnant and your periods are irregular, talk to your doctor about it right away, says Taylor. To help things along, bring in three months of your tracked basal body temperature. This can help your physician diagnose whether youre not ovulating or see if you need help regulating your ovulation schedule. There are some medications available to induce ovulation, including letrozole or clomiphene. Your doctor may also look for signs of other conditions, like PCOS, that could be leading the the irregular periods. Either way, Carson says, There are effective treatments available.
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How Irregular Menstruation Can Be Diagnosed
There are 2 ways, that irregular menstruation can be observed. First of those is, having menstruation in 15-20 days this is called frequent menstruation. If you are having menstruation in every 2 or 3 months, this is called sparse menstruation.
Along with this, women are generally worried about the amount of menstruation blood, this is not always pathologic. For example, if you are using birth control pills or similar medication, you may experience having less bleeding. If there is excessive bleeding, we may worry about the clothing mechanisms of the body. This is worth mentioning to your gynaecologist.
If menstruation takes longer than usual or if you are having spotting in between two menstruations, this is important, and you should consult to your physician immediately. Because this may be related with hormonal changes, ovarian cysts, uterus or cervical polyps, endometrial hyperplasia, and myomas and rarely it can be related with uterine cancers.
Important part here is to, diagnose the underlying reason of irregular menstruation. On this kind of conditions, to be able to have some data on hand you will have blood test applied on the 3rd day of your spontaneous menstruation, to understand ovarian functionality. Along with hormones affecting ovulation, hormones secreted from thyroid gland and prolactin secreted by pituitary gland should be checked, as it can be causing the irregular menstruation.
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How To Get Pregnant When You Have An Irregular Period
Timing is an important part of getting pregnant. But how can you predict when youre ovulating if your period doesnt have a consistent schedule?
May 22, 2018
If its always a bit of a mystery when your period is going to show upperhaps your cycle is 35 days some months and 21 days othersyou might find getting pregnant more challenging because you never know when youre ovulating. So whats going on down there? Heres what you need to know about your irregular periods.
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Ovulation Predictor Kits And Irregular Periods
Ovulation generally occurs midway in your cycle. If you have a typical 28-day cycle, youd ovulate about day 14. But when your periods are irregular, predicting ovulation and timing intercourse to up pregnancy chances can be difficult.
Ovulation predictor kits are fairly accurate at detecting a surge in luteinizing hormone, which triggers ovulation. And while theyre easy to use, requiring just a quick pass through your urine stream, they can get expensive, especially when youre testing for days or weeks on end.
If you have irregular periods, you may want to wait to use an ovulation predictor kit until you observe other signs of ovulation. Some things to look for:
Why Can An Irregular Period Affect Your Ability To Get Pregnant
Generally, its considered easier to become pregnant if you have sexual intercourse around the same time you are ovulating. Irregular periods make it difficult to reliably track when your fertile window is. The fertile window refers to a time shortly before ovulation, as well as the day of. Having sex during the fertile window increases the chances of becoming pregnant.
Additionally, hidden underlying conditions could potentially be the root cause of your irregular periods. Some of these conditions or reasons include endometriosis, PCOS, perimenopause, uterine polyps, uterine fibroids, the use of some medications, being overweight or underweight, too much stress, and breastfeeding.
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What If I Have Irregular Periods
If you have irregular periods, meaning that your periods are outside of the 2135-day window or if your cycle intervals vary by more than seven days each month , you should speak with your Gyn/OB or a fertility specialist. This irregularity may be due to a hormone imbalance and could make it more challenging to get pregnant using natural family planning methods.
How Many Days To Confirm Pregnancy For Irregular Periods
With irregular menstrual cycles, it may become difficult for you when you miss a period, to say if you are actually pregnant or if its just those highly unpredictable and haphazhard cycles. Through this article I will bring to you few tips on early detection of pregnancy.
I will also take you through points to pay special attention to while doing pregnancy tests if you have unpredictable cycles. You will find answers to doubts like how many days to confirm pregnancy for irregular periods?
Before details on irregular cycles and the challenges associated with detecting pregnancy in women with irregular cycles let us try to understand a normal menstrual cycle.
The menstrual cycle:
A normal menstrual cycle is divided into two parts which are demarcated by the day of ovulation. The first day of your period or menstrual flow is considered as the first day of your menstrual cycle. So, the first part of the menstrual cycle will comprise of the days during which you experience menstrual flow and extend upto the day of ovulation. During the first part of a womans menstrual cycle the uterine lining is shed off due to withdrawal or low levels of the hormone progesterone and then it begins to regrow in thickness under the influence of the reproductive hormone namely estrogen.
Irregular periods
When do you need to seek medical help for irregular periods?
How to get pregnant with irregular periods?
Hormonal tests:
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Are Your Cycles Truly Irregular
An irregular period is defined as a menstrual cycle that is either shorter than 21 days or longer than 36 days. Your cycle may also be considered irregular if it varies significantly from month to month. For example, if one month your cycle is 23 days, and another it’s 35, your cycles would be considered irregular.
Research has found that variations in cycle length are associated more strongly with infertility than just having a shorter or longer regular cycle. In other words, if your cycles tend to be slightly longer than the normal range, but they are consistently that length, you may be less likely to experience fertility problems than someone whose cycles vary significantly but the length falls within the norm.
If your cycles are off by a day or two from month to month, you dont need to worry. Its when the variations are longerfive or more daysthat you may face fertility difficulties.
An occasional irregular cycle is also normal. Stress or illness can delay ovulation or menstruation, causing your cycle to be longer, and sometimes shorter, than usual. If you have just one or two of these “off” periods a year, you don’t need to worry. However, if your cycles are frequently irregularor you go quite a long time between menstrual cyclesyou should see your doctor for an evaluation.
Should I Have Sex Before During Or After Ovulation
For the best chances of pregnancy, you should have sex every day or every other day during the:
- Five days leading up to ovulation
- Day of ovulation
- Day after ovulation
Theres a lot of information about methods for having sex that could increase your chances of getting pregnant. Theres no specific sex position that increases your odds of conceiving. Some lubricants may negatively affect sperm and prevent them from reaching the egg. Talk to your health care provider about which lubricants to avoid.
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How To Get Pregnant With Irregular Periods
If youre ovulating, you have the ability to get pregnant, but if you have irregular periods, your chances for pregnancy may be more limited than a woman with regular periods.
The most important thing is to have regular unprotected sex. Aim to have intercourse at least every two to three days.
If you have an underlying medical condition thats affecting fertility, treating that condition may increase your chances for pregnancy.
Your doctor may prescribe clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation. Clomid has when used in women with PCOS.
Side effects from Clomid may include:
- abdominal bloating
- release of multiple eggs in one cycle, which can lead to pregnancy with multiples
Weight loss or weight gain may also help. According to the PCOS Awareness Association, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help regulate ovulation in women who are overweight.
Get your doctors recommendations for gaining or losing weight. They may be able to provide you with meal plans and exercise guidelines, or point you to resources.
If your irregular periods are caused by an underactive or overactive thyroid, your doctor will prescribe drugs that increase the thyroid hormone or block it.
One study published in the found that of women with hypothyroidism and infertility who were treated with the drug levothyroxine got pregnant versus 26 percent treated with a placebo.
When Is My Period Considered Irregular
While there is no normal schedule for menstrual cycles, most women’s cycles are between 21 and 35 days long. Every woman has at least a couple of irregular periods during her reproductive years, especially during early adolescence and before menopause.
A few main types of irregular periods are the following:
- Anovulatory cycles are characterized by menstrual bleeding without ovulation, which means no egg is released and, therefore, conception is not possible.
- Oligoovulation is when ovulation occurs on an irregular basis.
- Amenorrhea occurs when periods have stopped coming completely for at least 90 days.
- Menorrhagia means heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Polymenorrhea happens when periods come more frequently than 21 days.
- Oligomenorrhea is when menstrual bleeding lasts for fewer than two days, or with very scant bleeding.
- Dysmennorhea refers to painful periods and severe menstrual cramps.
- Spotting is minor bleeding occurring between periods, often right after ovulation.
Generally, there are underlying medical conditions behind these abnormalities, thus making getting pregnant with irregular periods much more difficult, if not impossible. Until the underlying cause is treated, conception might be close to nil.
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How Irregular Periods Can Affect Fertility
A typical woman gets between 11 and 13 periods a year. Each of these periods represents an opportunity to get pregnant. So, when you have fewer periods, you have fewer chances to make a baby.
Even for healthy women, getting pregnant isnt always easy. Many doctors recommend that women with regular periods try a full year before she sees a fertility doctor. If you dont ovulate every month, conceiving will likely take even longer.
When trying to conceive, many women use fertility planning to determine their fertility window, meaning the days they are most likely to get pregnant. Its easiest for a woman to plan if she has a regular cycle she can predict each month. If your cycle is abnormal, it can be very difficult to accurately find your fertility window.
Can I Get Pregnant If I Have Irregular Periods
While having irregular periods can be a sign of infertility, it doesn’t mean that every woman with abnormal menstrual cycles is unable to get pregnant. If you have irregular periods, you and your partner may face more obstacles than the average couple, but learning about these challenges can help you find the appropriate treatment.
Find out if you can get pregnant with irregular periods and how to do so to go forth with the knowledge you need concerning your reproductive health.
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Bleeding Later In Pregnancy: Why It Happens
Weve already discussed why it isnt possible to have a period during pregnancy, and why some people may experience light bleeding or spotting during their first trimester. Bleeding during the second and third trimesters is possible, though not common, and it may be an indicator that something else is going on. If you experience bleeding later in your pregnancy, its important to see your health care provider.
Potential reasons for mid- or late-term pregnancy bleeding include:
How Irregular Periods Change During Aging
Its very common to have irregular periods before the age of 20 and after the age of 40. During the first few years after your first period, its normal to have irregular periods because the bodys system that regulates periods is still maturing. By age 20, most women will have regular menstrual cycles.
Women usually go through the perimenopausal transition in their 40s, which causes irregular periods. As you approach menopause, periods get further apart until they stop for good. A woman is in menopause when she hasnt had a period for a year.
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Possible Causes Of An Irregular Menstrual Cycle
- Hormonal problems are the most common cause of irregular menstrual cycles. Polycystic ovary syndrome or problems with ovulation are two other possible causes.
- Another reason for an irregular menstrual cycle could be an eating disorder. Reduced or absent periods can be associated with anorexia or bulimia.
- High-performance athletes also have irregular cycles. In some cases, the period is completely absent. This is not just associated with physical activity, but also with stress.
- Chronic stress and depression can be the causes behind an irregular cycle.
- The use of contraceptive pills and pregnancy are other typical triggers for menstrual disorders.
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How To Track Ovulation With Irregular Periods
The best way to know for sure if you are ovulating is through hormone tracking and testing. Digital fertility trackers like Mira can determine the exact numerical value of LH and FSH in your urine to predict when you will ovulate with scientific precision. If you can spot the LH and FSH surges in your hormone patterns, you can determine when you are ovulating, even if your ovulation is irregular.
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Does Irregular Menstruation Cause Infertility
Irregular menstruation can cause infertility. For a healthy pregnancy, whilst eggs are developing with the oestrogen hormone uterus should be thickening synchronously. For those who are having frequent menstruation, ovulation may happen early in other word, egg develops rapidly. With the hormone secreted by the egg, the ovary cannot recover itself yet, and ovulation occurs and when fertilization occurs and the embryo falls into the uterus, the uterus is not ready for pregnancy, which can be the cause of infertility.
For those who have rare menstruation, eggs are developing slowly and especially if this is not followed by a physician, couples cannot determine the ovulation day so they can miss that day if there is no regular intercourse can cause the infertility.
How To Calculate Your Menstrual Cycle
To know if your periods are normal, you need to track them. Mark on a calendar the first day you got your period this month. Continue marking the first day of your periods for 3-4 months to find an average and get an accurate idea. An easy way to do this is to download a period tracking app on your smartphone. Two great options include Clue and Period Tracker Lite. If youre forgetful, some apps allow you to set up notifications to remind you to mark your period. You may also choose to make notes, such as how heavy your period is and how long it lasts.
The first day you get your period is day #1 of your cycle. Count the days up to, but not including, your next period. If your period comes every 27 days, that means your cycle is 27 days. If any of the below signs relate to your cycle, its likely you have an irregular period
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Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle
If youre trying to get pregnant and want to track ovulation, you need to understand your menstrual cycle. Your menstrual cycle is your bodys way of preparing for pregnancy. It begins on the first day of your period and starts over when your next period begins. A typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, but cycles ranging from 21 to 35 days are considered normal.
Lots of changes happen in your body during the cycle, including hormone fluctuations. About halfway through, one of your ovaries releases a mature egg. The egg goes to one of your fallopian tubes, where it waits to be fertilized by sperm. The lining of your uterus gets thicker, too. This prepares the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg.
If you dont get pregnant, it could mean that the egg didnt fertilize, or that the embryo didnt implant into the uterus. In those cases, the uterine lining sheds and you get your period.
