Hi! I know there was already a thread (and possibly more) on period stuff but mine didn't fit in with the other thread I found and I really need a bit of advice! If you read through this, I will really appreciate any help or advice!
I started eating much healthier and exercising 6 days a week as of last Monday (19 July) and was due to get my period on Friday night/Saturday morning (23/24 July). I'm on the contraceptive pill and I take two pill packs in a row (so that I can skip a period).
Pretty much every time I get my period the same time, Friday night/Sat morning and this was no exception. However this time it's different. Usually it's heavy for Sat, Sun, Mon, slightly lighter Tues and Wed and then peters out on Thurs, Fri (yup, 7 day period, FUN).
This time.. got if Friday night, normal blood for Sat, Sun, Mon and now it's Tuesday and it's almost completely stopped. Like.. the same amount of blood that I would usually have on Thurs or Fri.
I know it may not seem like much but I'm used to things happening as per usual - so I'm just wondering could this be my body reacting to the exercise and healthier eating? Just for the record, I am in a relationship and do have sex regularly and the pill is my only form of birth control.
Thanks to anyone that reads through this far and any response are so so so welcome.
I guarantee its from excercising and eating better. Any small change can make your period different. Sometimes I wouldn't even get mine for 2 months when normally they are pretty regular. Mine also seemed to get lighter as I lost weight, I hope taht helps
Thanks Blcarter84 - I just went out and bought a double pack of pregnancy tests anyway. I am so paranoid sometimes about being pregnant, it's kind of ridiculous. The pharmacist kind of thought I was a little crazy for asking if I could take it during my period. Haha.
I really hope it is just exercise, the only reason I'm more worried is because stuff like this just doesn't usually happen with me. I've only had one other irregularity while on this pill and that was spotting at one time last year.
Are you supposed to be taking two pill packs back to back without having a period? I really don't know -- I'm curious. I know people who take an extra 2 pills or so to delay getting their period on an important weekend or whatever, but I have never heard of anyone skipping an entire month. Is it medically advisable?
Hey girlinwaterglobe, I was never sure about it until I actually asked my doctor and nurse. I had friends who did it and I thought it sounded dubious - but talked to my doctor and nurse and they said it's fine. In fact my nurse suggested I could even skip as many periods as I wanted as long as I had one every 6 months - however that seemed a bit intense for me and I think I'd get too confused.
Interesting. I was just reading about this online and apparently one should go directly to the third week of pills in the new pack since they contain the highest level of hormones and then return to the first. I had no idea! I had problems last month getting my period when I was 2 hours late taking the pill and it must have been because I started from the third week and worked backwards (out of carelessness). Maybe I will give this a try!
Crazy! Wait.. so each time you start a new week you start on the 3rd week? I was led to believe that with the majority of pill brands, each pill contains the same small dose of hormones? Weird.
Also the pill I'm on doesn't rely on the exact hour (luckily), though I usually take it within the same 3-4 hour period of time.
Also, good news for me, I am not pregnant. But still semi worried about the irregularity but I'm thinking maybe it just is my body being weirded out by the fact I have exercised 7 days out of 8 since last Monday?
I also had some changes with my period as I lost weight. I was still regular time wise, but now my periods are lighter and last for fewer days (3-4 instead of 5).
In regards to skipping the placebo pills, you can skip them and go straight to a new pack with no problem. My doctor actually explained to me how it is actually MORE natural to have your period fewer times in your lifetime. If you think about it, evolutionarily, women weren't supposed to just have 0-3 kids, so normally, they would miss many more periods.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This only works for monophasic pills, I believe. I would really look into your particular birth control brand, and ask your doctor, before you try skipping the pills. You want to make sure you are still being safe and protected!
Thanks abcunnin - good to know about periods getting shorter. I doubt that that is what is happening to me so soon into my "journey" but it's something to look forward to and also heartening to know it can cause differences.
I'm guessing my doctor wouldn't have suggested to me to skip the placebos if they weren't monophasic (whatever that means, wow I must sound kind of ignorant!) but yeah I trust the pills I'm on, over 2 years of taking them and no unwanted pregnancies or issues! Just my own paranoia haha.
Rainbow - periods are funny things, especially when you start exercising, eating healthier and losing weight. Last month (well, actually 2 months ago) my period started a few days later even though I'm on BC. I have 2 low hormone pills and then 4 placebos (I'm on Kariva). I freaked out, but wasn't sexually active so I was just curious as to what was going on. I think it was because I had upped my exercise so much. Then I went out of town so I decided to skip my period all together so I continued taking the next month's BC (making it 2 months since my last period). This time my period was very light for the first 4 days (usually it's heavy by the 3rd) and now I have what I would consider to be a "heavy/regular" period on the 4th/5th day.
I think part of it just depends on your body. Some months I have a little bit heavier period, just like I would have OFF of BC. I think this month it was lighter to begin with because I chose to skip a month.
And don't worry - I get SUPER paranoid as well. Hope that helps.
rainbow - there are two types of birth control - those that are mono whatever you call it, that have same amount of hormones in each pill, and those that have graduated amounts of hormones that change every seven days (the packs have 4 different colors of pills in them and come in name brands like Ortho Tri-Cyclen). Just an FYI
Feral: Thanks! Good to know I'm not the only one getting super paranoid - just another wonderful thing about being female haha! And yeah also good to know that exercise/diet can change the period!
misstraveller/Becca: Thanks for that info! I had no idea haha, you'd think doctors would explain all of this! I'm happy with what I'm on but I only had a vague idea there were other types of pills!
Period worries
