How To Get Your Period Back
Ever missed a period? Ever missed periods for a long time? You’re not alone.
(This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.)
During my early 20’s I didn’t have a period for three years. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. To me, it seemed nice to not have to worry about when I was going to get it, and when to have the right materials with me during a camping trip or vacation. In retrospect, I understand now the adverse affects that not having a period can play on our bodies.
If you’d like to read more, check out the “Why does having a cycle matter?” blog post.
When I approached gynecologists about my missing periods they tried various methods to “jump start” my cycle including the pill and the Nuva ring. Since hormonal birth control surpasses ovulation and decreases the bodies ability to absorb key nutrients, it obviously didn’t work very well. It wasn’t until I worked with a nutritional therapist that I was able to get my cycle back in alignment.
In this post I’ll be going through some of the most common reasons for amenorrhea, or the absence of periods, and some natural ways to work with your body to bring it back into alignment. This is not a complete list, but is instead meant to be a starting point for those wondering about missing periods. If you want to chat more about your specific case look into working with me 1:1.
#1. Pregnancy
Let’s start with an obvious one. When you are pregnant your body does not ovulate and, therefore, you do not have a period. This is normal and healthy. Breastfeeding can also prolong an absence of periods, but ovulation may still occur.
Tips to try:
If you think you may be pregnant, take a test so you know what you’ll be working with.
Kick up your nutritious meals and intake of vitamins and minerals postpartum to replenish what was lost during pregnancy and birth.
Give your body time for hormones to get back to their normal schedules after a pregnancy and breastfeeding.
#2. Birth Control or Post Birth Control
Hormonal birth control suppresses ovulation and prevents menstruation. If you are still experiencing a bleed on the pill or with an IUD, that is called a withdrawal bleed due to the withdrawal response of the sugar pill. For a period to occur, there must be ovulation. Many women experience irregularity or absence of periods while on birth control because of this design. When coming off of birth control, it can take up to two years for the body to start ovulating again. The body was used to having artificial hormones and now must create its own which can take time. In addition, hormonal birth control can reduce your ability to absorb nutrients including folic acid, vitamins B2, B6, B12, vitamin C and E, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. So it may take a while to begin absorbing these nutrients in the right amounts from foods again to restock the body’s supply.
Tips to try:
If you are on birth control your hormones are dictated by the medication, loss of periods may occur because of this.
If you are coming off of birth control your body may need up to 2 years to start ovulating on its own again. In the mean time, establish a healthy eating, and exercise routine with a lot of time for rest and integration of nutrients to resupply the body.
#3. Stress
The reproductive system is one of the last systems in the body that receives energy and nutrients, this is because it is not vital for our survival. The endocrine system will prioritize hormones that help circulation, brain function, digestion, and unconscious functions of the body before giving hormonal secretions to the reproductive system. Therefore, if the body is under a great deal of stress due to a stressful schedule, relationships, environment, big life changes, injury, or trauma, ovulation will be suppressed to allow for focus on other functions of the body.
Tips to try:
Give your mind and body time to recover after a big life-changing event, skipping a period or two rarely is okay, give the body time to regain equilibrium.
Decrease stress where you can, one example could be swapping out intense exercise for restorative yoga, yin yoga, tai chi, or calming walks.
Practice routine where you can. Giving consistency to your day can help to balance cycles of stress.
Try some of these tips for avoiding or healing from burnout.
Talk to a therapist or life coach about making decisions to decrease stressful situations in your life.
#3. Food Choices
Under-eating or eating foods that your body is allergic or sensitive to is a form of stress in the body. Under-eating is especially common in women due to the constant media outlook of desirable body shapes, as well as common expectations for women to eat less than their male counterparts. Especially if the body is already experiencing outer stresses such as a busy job, a stressful home life, big workouts, or a lot of time spent on your feet, the body needs energy in order to fulfill the functions of the body all the way down to the reproductive system. Even if you appear to be at a normal weight or overweight (due to western charts) your period could still stop due to under-eating. Too few calories, and especially carbohydrates, can shut down ovulation, regardless of body weight.
Tips to try:
Eat regular meals throughout the day with a balance of fats, carbs, and protein.
Consider eating more to support your level of activity.
Take a food sensitivity test, allergy test, or practice an elimination diet to rule out foods that are causing your body inflammatory stress.
#4. Perimenopause
Perimenopause, or the transition to menopause can occur up to 12 years before menopause. Menopause is the date one year after your last period. During this time the hormones go on a roller-coaster ride which can cause irregular periods.
Tips to try:
Irregular periods are normal during perimenopause, so take time to nourish your mind and body in ways that it enjoys to help balance out excess side affects of stress.
Practicing a steady yoga practice designed for women’s health can balance the hormones during this time.
Switch to tracking your cycle by following the moon cycle to give you a sense of consistency.
Last tip: Regardless of the reason for amenorrhea, when you decide to go on a journey of getting your period back, a big tip is to give it time. Even if you are doing everything correctly to bring your body back into balance, it is normal for it to take 3 months for the hormonal system to come back into balance. What you do this month will affect your cycle 3 months down the line because the ovarian follicle takes 100 days on its journey to ovulation. So give yourself grace as you are working through this and see below for more ideas and suggestions of how to continue to work on this further.
Ways to go deeper:
Join in on a live or pre-recorded course to learn more about balancing your menstrual cycle and hormones through yoga.
Work with me 1:1 to get support for your unique situation.
Further reading and resources:
Period Repair Manual: Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods by Lara Briden.
Period Power: Harness Your Hormones and Get Your Cycle Working For You by Maisie Hill.
Yoga for a Healthy Menstrual Cycle by Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden
