If the first day of your period surprises you every month on a different date and it is impossible for you to anticipate when the next one will start, you most likely have an irregular menstrual cycle. Don't worry, all girls and women are different, and an irregular cycle is not always a warning sign.

Do you think you have an irregular menstrual cycle too? Then it's normal to have a lot of questions. Why does the cycle come irregularly? How does ovulation and pregnancy work when you have an irregular cycle? When does it become a cause for concern and when should you see a doctor? The right questions in the right place! Let's talk more and answer you with everything we know about these menstrual irregularities.

What does irregular menstrual cycle mean?

You can tell you have an irregular menstrual cycle when your cycle length (the time between the days your period starts, which is theoretically around 28 days) changes every time. In other words, it either comes early or it comes late.

For some girls, the menstrual cycle lasts 27 days; for others, 30 days - when this duration does not change or is similar from month to month, the menstrual cycle is regular. But if this period is shorter in some months and longer in others, then we are talking about an irregular menstrual cycle.

Causes - Why does the menstrual cycle come irregularly?

There are so many possibilities when discussing causes for menstrual irregularities. In many cases, it may simply be normal and natural for your body, which is not necessarily a cause for concern.

Other times, there are several potential reasons why you are not enjoying a regular and predictable cycle, including:

• Puberty - especially in the first 1-2 years of menstruation, it is normal for the menstrual cycle to be irregular;

• Pregnancy - you may notice irregularities in the menstrual cycle at the end of pregnancy, after childbirth, or at the beginning of pregnancy: a pregnancy test will clarify the situation immediately;

• Menopause - at the beginning of menopause, often between the ages of 45-55, you can have an irregular cycle;

• A sudden change - drastic weight loss or gain, stress or excessive training can disrupt your menstrual cycle;

• Endometriosis - can be a cause of irregular cycle and non-menstrual bleeding;

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) - girls and women with PCOS do not ovulate, or ovulate at a reduced frequency, thus causing irregular or even absent menstrual cycles.

Menstrual disorders in adolescents

Irregular cycle in teenage girls is normal. Even more so when it is not accompanied by other health problems or pain, it is not a cause for concern when parents notice, for example, menstrual irregularities at 13 years old.

Today, most girls start menstruating between the ages of 10 and 15. Of course, every body is different: some girls can start even sooner, others much later. In teenage girls, menstruation can start and stop for a lot of reasons. Including continued growth and development can cause an irregular cycle at puberty.

Therefore, when a girl notices menstrual irregularities at 14 years old, it is possible that they are perfectly normal. It can take up to 2 years for the menstrual cycle to adjust, during which time changes in weight, stress or health will continue to influence these irregularities.

Irregular menstrual cycle after childbirth

During pregnancy, you do not continue to ovulate, and as a result, you no longer have periods. But when it does come back, often 4-6 weeks after giving birth, it will do so at your body's natural pace.

Your periods can be very different and irregular following pregnancy. The length of your menstrual cycle may change or the length of your period may change. It is also not unusual for one month to miss your period, or for it to be several months late.

It's important to stay calm - an irregular cycle after giving birth is completely normal, especially in the first few months and especially if you're breastfeeding. Hormones that support breastfeeding can contribute to delayed ovulation, or inconstant ovulation, thus causing an irregular cycle in breastfeeding.

Menstrual irregularities after starting sexual life

If you have started your sex life, it is not unusual to notice an irregularity in your menstrual cycle. Many girls do, and this is normal. Having sex can trigger various changes in your body.

Although possible, a late period does not always indicate pregnancy. But if you are worried about this question, a pregnancy test will give you the fastest answer.

Attention, however, it is NOT the sexual activity itself that contributes to these disorders! It is the state of arousal that can produce a lot of hormonal fluctuations that can contribute to the temporary delay of menstruation.

Including oxytocin - the so-called love hormone that is released during orgasm - can reduce stress and influence your menstrual cycle.

Premenopause menstrual irregularities

If you notice that your cycle becomes irregular around the age of 45-55, this is one of the most obvious signs of premenopause. During this transition period, you may notice several types of menstrual irregularity, including flow changes and intermittent periods.

Menstruation can gradually become rarer, until they disappear completely. After 12 months of no menstruation, you are considered to have reached menopause.

Menstrual Irregularities - Signs & Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of menstrual irregularities are visible and will be easy for you to notice. These are the actual changes you can feel from one period to another:

• Your periods seem to be moving away, meaning a period starts more than 35 days after the previous one ended;
• Your periods seem to be approaching, meaning a period starts less than 25 days after the last period ends;
• The number of days a period lasts is always different;
• The number of days between one period and the next is always different;
• Your menstrual flow changes from one period to the next.

Types of menstrual irregularities

Each girl experiences the above symptoms in a different and unique way. This is because the irregular cycle can manifest itself in several forms.

Not only changes in frequency constitute menstrual irregularities, but also those of duration, flow and symptoms. So there are several types of menstrual irregularities, depending on the number of them per month or per year, the amount of blood lost and the time period between periods.

Polymenorrhoea - Irregular menstrual cycle 2 times a month

Polymenorrhoea, or frequent menstruation, is the name given to menstrual flow that occurs more often than normal. An irregular cycle 2 times a month, or more precisely less than 21 or 24 days, is considered polymenorrhea.

If you have, for example, an irregular cycle every 15 days, this is called polymenorrhea. Girls and women who experience this type of irregularity have a normal menstrual flow. Only the frequency is abnormal, and can often lead to anemia, fluid retention, or bloating.

Oligomenorrhea - Menstruation occurs more than 35 days apart

At the opposite pole is oligomenorrhea. This type of menstrual irregularity consists of irregular periods, when it takes more than 35 days from the last period until the next one starts.

Although oligomenorrhea itself is not a worrisome condition, it can be an underlying problem that requires treatment, such as eating disorders.

Amenorrhea - Absence of menstruation for several months

In contrast to oligomenorrhea, where menstruation is infrequent, amenorrhea is defined as the loss of menstruation for one or more months, and is the total absence of menstruation for several months. There are two types of amenorrhea:

• Primary amenorrhea: absence of menstruation in girls who have already reached 15 years of age; it is often influenced by hormone levels or anatomical problems.

• Secondary amenorrhea: missing 3 or more consecutive periods, even if you had periods before; pregnancy is the most common cause, but there may be other reasons such as hormonal imbalance.

When should you go to the doctor?

Often an irregular menstrual cycle should not alarm you. Especially if you are still in puberty, or if you know that you have always had irregular periods.

Of course, as long as you respect your regular visits to the gynecologist. These are so important, primarily for your peace of mind (who better to answer the questions that worry you than your doctor?), but also for early detection and treatment of any other problems.

However, there are certain cases where menstrual irregularities can signal serious problems. So, don't delay scheduling a consultation with your gynecologist if:

• You started your period but haven't had one in the last 3-6 months

• Bleeding occurs outside of your period, after having sex, or at menopause

• Your period lasts more than 7 days

• You notice a large difference (greater than 20 days) between your shortest and longest menstrual cycle

• Menstruation starts less than 21 days or more than 35 days after the previous one

• You are under 45, you have always had regular periods, and they suddenly become irregular

• You are trying to get pregnant but you have an irregular cycle

Ovulation & pregnancy with irregular cycle

Whether you want to get pregnant or prevent an unwanted pregnancy, knowing the phases of your menstrual cycle and determining when you are most fertile can help. Of course, it is by no means a contraceptive method, but it can be useful to calculate your fertile period, which we discussed before on our blog, in the article about what is the fertile period .

Note that it becomes difficult to calculate your pregnancy and ovulation with irregular cycle:

• The calendar method disappears from the start.

• The accuracy of any irregular cycle ovulation calculator on the internet is low.

• It is impossible for an online irregular cycle pregnancy calculator to give you a 100% accurate result without a regular menstrual cycle length.

• The most accurate is the ultrasound scan, which tells exactly how many weeks the pregnancy is.

And yet, what can you do? You want to get pregnant. You don't know how many days your period lasts. You don't know when the next first day of your period will be. Here are some methods by which you can roughly calculate the fertile period in women with irregular cycles:

1. Track and record your menstrual cycle. Even if the calendar method doesn't work, you might notice some clues when you follow the progress on the calendar.

2. Estimate ovulation period: every woman ovulates at approx. 14 days before the next menstruation, regardless of its duration. Count back 14 days from the first day of your current period and estimate the day you ovulated.

3. Analysis of cervical mucus remains a reliable method. Transparent and slippery discharge indicates the period of ovulation and fertility.

4. Use an ovulation predictor kit. When you notice an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH), it means that ovulation will begin approximately in the next 24 hours.

Complications of menstrual irregularities

In general, menstrual irregularities are not dangerous. However, long-term disturbances or radical changes can increase the risk of other conditions and create complications such as heavy bleeding, intense pain and severe cramping, or bleeding outside of menstruation.

In the case of oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea, infertility can be one of the most serious complications due to infrequent or non-existent ovulation. In polymenorrhoea, anemia and iron deficiency can occur due to heavy blood loss. They can further cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting, headaches, confusion, memory problems, etc.

Menstrual cycle disorder treatment

If the irregularities are minor, then you can try an irregular cycle tea. Also, if you are still in your teens, your gynecologist may recommend natural supplements to regulate your menstrual cycle, such as raspberry shoot extract.

Remember that every girl's and woman's body is different, and your treatment will be unique and individualized. The solution your doctor will recommend for your irregular cycle depends on the cause behind it and your history. This can be medicinal, hormonal or even surgical treatment.

Hormonal treatment

When premenopause causes menstrual irregularities, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy with estrogen and progesterone. This can also help you with the other symptoms of menopause: hot flashes, vaginal dryness.

It can be administered in the form of pills, cream, spray, capsules or vaginal ring.

Drug treatment

If endometriosis, PCOS, uterine fibroids, or other medical conditions are causing your menstrual bleeding to be irregular or heavy, you may be prescribed hormonal birth control pills.

Contraceptives can help you both manage the hormonal cause and regulate your menstrual cycle. Heavy bleeding (tranexamic acid), if an infection causes irregular bleeding (antibiotics) or when the cramps are unbearable (ibuprofen) are also treated with medication.

Surgical treatment

Depending on the condition, age and whether or not you want a pregnancy in the future, there are also surgical treatment options for irregular menstrual cycle.

One can choose to remove the uterine fibroids that are causing the irregularities, ablate the endometrium to reduce menstrual flow, or embolize the uterine arteries to stop blood from reaching the uterus and thus reduce the symptoms caused by uterine fibroids.

How can you prepare for irregular menstrual cycles?

Whatever the type of irregularity, be it too many periods or too few, irregular cycles can be frustrating and upsetting. Especially when you're not ready, and the first day of your period surprises you when you least expect it. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can prepare, even when your irregular periods are full of surprises:

• Is the time between periods more than 35 days? Make sure you always have a menstrual kit ready in your purse. If you never know when your next period starts, you don't know when to have a tampon or pad with you, do you? Always having your little rescue kit handy can save you from a lot of unpleasant situations!

• Polymenorrhoea? Use daily absorbents to keep your senses sharp from the first signs. When you get your period twice a month, you need to be ready for action at all times. Sometimes light leaks can go unnoticed on your underwear, but a daily pad will tell you right away when you start your period to avoid leaks and accidents.

• Heavy flow? Although unpleasant, menstrual flow irregularities CAN be managed! You don't have to worry day in and day out that your protection method isn't up to snuff. Enroush pads and pads come in different absorbency levels to fit your body perfectly!

Choose your menstrual kit carefully when you have an irregular cycle, it can be the key to always being prepared.

Enroush's mission is to give you access to all-natural menstrual products with 100% organic cotton and zero hidden ingredients. You deserve to know and control what comes into contact with your body - and you can have that control right now with our products .

Frequently Asked Questions

We wish and hope that we have answered as many of your questions as possible regarding irregular periods. Each of us is tormented by some questions to which we hardly find the answer, in which case we will find the best opinion from the gynecologist.

However, below we will try to answer some of the most common questions about menstrual irregularities.

Can menstrual irregularities be prevented?

During adolescence, premenopause, after pregnancy or when other hormonal problems affect your balance, it may be impossible for you to prevent these disturbances. Otherwise, when you are in good health, here are some of the daily practices and self-care rituals that can help you prevent menstrual irregularities:

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle: a balanced diet and an active lifestyle (not excessive training) will help you maintain hormonal balance.

• Avoid bad habits: drinking alcohol or tobacco can worsen menstrual irregularities.

• Approach weight loss responsibly: if you want to lose weight, do it gradually, with a slight caloric deficit, not radically, with drastic diets that create hormonal imbalances.

• Use birth control as directed: If your doctor has prescribed birth control or other contraceptive methods, follow his recommendations carefully.

• Practice relaxation techniques: meditation, breathing exercises, stress reduction and adequate rest can help you maintain your hormonal and, by default, menstrual balance.

• Visit your doctor regularly: regular consultations with your family doctor and gynecologist are essential for the prevention and effective management of any potential ailments.
  

How to calculate your next period if you have irregular periods?

The very unpredictability of the next period is one of the defining elements of an irregular menstrual cycle. It's hard, if not impossible, to calculate your next period - that's why it's so frustrating. However, if you mark the start and duration of each period on your calendar, you may be able to pick up some clues as you track their progress.

When to take a pregnancy test if you have an irregular cycle?

If you have an irregular menstrual cycle, you can count 4 weeks from sexual contact, or 36 days from the first day of your most recent period. If you are pregnant, your hCG level should already be high enough that you can detect the pregnancy with a test. If you want to talk more about this topic, we look forward to talking all about pregnancy tests on the Enroush blog .