What are the Top 5 Reasons for Delayed Periods or Irregular Periods?

A survey has suggested that about 84 percent of women have experienced a late period at least once in their lives. While most women think that late periods can only be if you’re pregnant, that’s a myth. The average menstrual cycle of women is 28 days. However, the menstrual cycle length can be anywhere around 21 to 45 days. A delay of 3-4 days in your period dates is nothing to worry about and it could be because of a variety of reasons. Here is a list of 5 reasons that could cause late periods.

1- Stress

Stress is one of the most dominant reasons for the late periods. This is how it works – When you’re not doing well mentally or emotionally, you tend to get stressed. As a result, the brain produces stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol. This compels the brain to choose which body functionality is of priority and acts accordingly. Stress affects the follicle stimulating hormone, present in the body, which is responsible for ovulation. Hence, the ovulation is delayed and as a consequence, you get irregular periods.

2- PCOS

Any kind of hormonal imbalance will most likely affect the arrival date of your menses. PCOS affects about 1 in 10 women around the world. It creates a hormonal imbalance leading to a messed up menstrual cycle. Apart from leading to irregular periods, PCOS can also cause facial hair growth, weight gain, acne and also affects fertility.

3- Over-exercising

Over-exercising can also affect your menstrual cycle. When you overdo it at the gym or are losing weight at a rapid pace, it can lead to late periods. When the body is subjected to excessive exhaustion without the proper intake of calories, it fails to produce the required amount of estrogen for ovulation. As an after effect, you might experience irregular periods.

4- Birth Control Pills

The birth control you are on can impact your menstrual cycle to a great extent. Hormonal contraceptives are a combination of the hormones estrogen and progestin which cause the ovulation to come to a halt. This, as a result, causes late periods.

Normally, your body needs at least 6 months to cope with the hormonal imbalance caused by contraception and fall back to the normal course of your menstrual cycle.

5- Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant, then our periods will most likely take a break for the next nine months. If you have had unprotected sex and are trying to conceive, late periods could actually be a good sign. Missing your period for over a week when you’re trying to conceive might not just be a case of an irregular period, but probably the baby dust is your way. Take the test after a week of your missed period date, if this is the case.

Disclaimer:

The content provided in this blog regarding surrogacy and fertility treatments is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be interpreted as legal or medical guidance. Laws and regulations related to fertility and surrogacy can differ significantly by region and may evolve. We advise consulting with experienced legal and medical professionals to receive tailored advice suited to your circumstances. ShineFertility disclaims any liability for actions taken based on the information presented in this blog.