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If the length of your menstrual cycle keeps changing, your periods are considered irregular. This means your periods occur less than 21 days or more than 35 days apart. It is also considered irregular if you skip three or more periods in a row and your menstrual flow is substantially heavier or lighter than usual.
Irregular periods can make it difficult to recognize fertility signs or predict ovulation. Ovulation is the process when your ovary releases a mature egg that travels through the fallopian tube. Having unprotected sex during this time can ensure that the egg gets fertilized by a sperm forming a zygote. This then gets implanted into your uterine wall, where the fetus develops.
Having an irregular period can make it harder to become pregnant or determine the best date to take a pregnancy test. If you are trying to conceive, you might want to understand your body better, especially around 10 DPO (days past ovulation). It is the tenth day after ovulation when the egg has traveled down the fallopian tube and is now potentially fertilized. To know more about 10 DPO, read 10 DPO Symptoms: The Earliest Indicators of Pregnancy.
Irregular periods are a common problem for many women, and you are not alone. Around 14 to 25% of women have irregular periods. There are a bunch of causes for irregular periods ranging from stress to more serious underlying medical conditions. Read on to know why your periods may be irregular.
What’s causing your irregular periods?
Irregular periods are often seen in adolescent girls and in perimenopausal women. Perimenopause is the time your body makes the natural transition to menopause.
Other major causes of irregular periods are:
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): A condition that causes your ovaries to make large amounts of androgen (male hormone). There is also a formation of multiple ovarian cysts and hormonal imbalance. Since hormonal changes might prevent the formation of mature eggs, ovulation may not occur consistently.
- Thyroid problems: The thyroid is a small gland located near the base of the neck. It aids in hormone regulation and has an impact on ovulation and menstruation. An underactive or overactive thyroid can cause irregularities in your hormone levels, resulting in fewer and lighter menstrual cycles than usual.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): It is an infection of the female reproductive system caused by bacteria. A sexually transmitted infection is the most prevalent cause. Symptoms of PID include irregular periods, heavy vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor, pelvic pain, lower abdominal pain, fever, nausea, etc.
- Birth control pills: Most birth control pills are made of a combination of the hormones estrogen and progestin. The medications work by preventing the ovaries from producing eggs. Taking regular birth control pills can affect your menstrual cycle. After discontinuing birth control pills, you may experience irregular or missed periods for up to three months.
- Stress and lifestyle factors: According to research, excessive amounts of long-term stress might cause irregular periods. Significant weight gain or loss, dieting, traveling, or other disturbances in your daily routine can all have an effect on your menstrual cycle.
- Eating disorders: Binge eating or other eating disorders like anorexia nervosa. Bulimia nervosa can cause irregular periods.
If you’re having irregular periods, talk to your doctor about how to fix the underlying causes so that you can have more predictable ovulation and regular cycles.
Can you get pregnant with irregular periods?
Yes, you can conceive with an irregular period. Making lifestyle changes can help you conceive and manage previously irregular cycles. However, it may become difficult to predict the timing of ovulation. That is when the Inito ovulation kit comes in handy. This tool helps you identify your most fertile days of the month by measuring your FSH, estrogen, LH, and progesterone (PdG) levels. By measuring these four hormones, you know your peak fertile window and can confirm when ovulation has occurred.
How do you improve the chances of pregnancy with irregular periods?
If you want to become pregnant but have irregular periods, you should first contact a doctor or a fertility specialist. The irregularity might be caused by a curable medical problem.
Meanwhile, here are some strategies that can increase your chances of pregnancy with irregular periods.
- Use a home ovulation kit to know your fertile period: A home ovulation kit like Inito can help you detect luteinizing hormone (LH). Just before ovulation the level of luteinizing hormone increases and thus you can plan sex during this period. Along with LH, Inito also measures FSH and estrogen to mark your fertile window and progesterone (PdG) to confirm ovulation.
Also read: LH Surge and Ovulation: When do you ovulate after an LH surge?
- Keep track of your fertility signs for several months: These signs of fertility are different for everyone. If you do not notice any signs of ovulation, consult your doctor he/she may prescribe medicines to help your body ovulate.
- Monitor your cervical mucus: Cervical mucus is vaginal discharge. During ovulation, your cervical fluid becomes very watery or has the consistency of egg whites. By tracking your cervical mucus you can predict your most fertile days. To know more about cervical mucus read: Cervical mucus 101:What can your cervical mucus tell you about your body?
Being in good health can also help support fertility. Some tips to do so are:
- Maintain healthy body weight
- Quit smoking
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Have a well-balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
Conclusion
Menstrual cycles in most women vary every month by around 7 days. But, if you experience a significant change in your menstrual cycle that you cannot predict when your period will arrive, consult your doctor. It might indicate a problem and cause difficulty in becoming pregnant. Your doctor will treat the underlying cause which can help increase your fertility.
References
1. How many women are affected by menstrual irregularities?. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/menstruation/conditioninfo/affected. Published 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022.
2. Abnormal Menstruation (Periods): Types, Causes & Treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14633-abnormal-menstruation-periods. Published 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022.
3. Period problems | Office on Women’s Health. Womenshealth.gov. https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/period-problems. Published 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022.
