Am I Pregnant? Reasons For A Late Period

You might be one of those women whose menstrual cycle is like clockwork each month, or you might be one who only remembers your period is due when it actually arrives. Either way, if your period is late, you will either realize it right away or have an “oh no” moment at some point that causes you to check your calendar to see how long it’s been since your last period and you’ll start wondering about reasons for a late period. If you’re trying to get pregnant, you are probably hoping your period is late. However, if you aren’t trying to conceive, it’s not time to panic yet. Women whose periods are a little late frequently ask the same questions.

Am I Pregnant? Why Is My Period Late?

If your period doesn’t arrive when it is slated to arrive, one of the first thoughts that will run through your mind is that you might be pregnant, which could be one of the reasons for your late period. Since a late or missed period is the most common indicator of pregnancy, this is not an unusual thought. However, simply being late does not always indicate you might be pregnant. Pregnancy is not the only reasons for a late period when it does not arrive on time. If you are trying to get pregnant, however, missing your period is a good sign that you are pregnant and you should take a pregnancy test to find out.

If I’m Not Pregnant, Why Hasn’t My Period Arrived?

There are many reasons for a late period. One of the most common reasons is your stress level. If you are undergoing a significant amount of stress at the moment, your body might react to that stress. Stress can cause your body to stop producing the necessary amount of GnRH. When your body produces too little of this hormone, it causes you not to ovulate. When you don’t ovulate, your body does not release an egg. When you don’t release an egg, you don’t have a period that month. If your period has not arrived yet, ask yourself whether or not you’ve been under a significant amount of stress in recent weeks.

Did My Birth Control Fail?

Women who aren’t interested in becoming pregnant usually take some form of birth control. Some types of birth control cause your body not to produce a period for a few months at a time. If you have recently started using a new form of birth control and your period does not arrive on time, it might be because the type of birth control you are now using has delayed its appearance. Talk to your doctor about your new birth control method to find out if a delayed or missing period is a common side effect.

Is My Period Irregular?

Many women experience an irregular period. While the standard length of time in a woman’s menstrual cycle is 28 days, many women have much shorter or much longer cycles. Additionally, your menstrual cycle can change at any time, for any number of reasons that do not require you to worry. Even if your period has arrived on day 26 of your menstrual cycle every month for the past few years, it can suddenly decide to make its appearance on day 30 without any warning.

Am I Experiencing Menopause?

While most women don’t experience menopause until much later in life, it’s possible that your period did not arrive because you are starting to go through this change. It’s not common, but it does happen to some younger women. If you are undergoing any sort of chemotherapy treatments, you might experience menopause sooner than other women.

What Do I Do When My Period Does Not Arrive on Time?

You can easily rule out a few of the reasons for a late period that didn’t arrive on time simply by considering your lifestyle. Stress, new birth control, and pregnancy are all fairly easy to determine. If you haven’t been stressed, you aren’t using a new form of birth control, and you don’t think menopause is the issue, you should take a pregnancy test. Most pregnancy tests are 99 percent effective when taken the first day of your missed period. If you are pregnant and your period is late, chances are good that there is enough of the pregnancy hormone in your body to create a positive pregnancy test.

Am I Pregnant If My Period Doesn’t Arrive And My Pregnancy Test Is Negative?

If you want to wait another 48 hours to take a second pregnancy test, you can. The pregnancy hormone doubles on a 48-hour schedule. If there isn’t enough of the hormone in your body to allow for a positive pregnancy test, there will be in two days. However, if you still get a negative test result, you should call your doctor. He or she can perform a blood test to positively rule out pregnancy as well as other tests to determine what might be causing your period to remain absent.