Irregular Periods

Irregular cycles are not normal. Periods should be regular. For cycle length reference and a fun fact, menstrual cycles tend to match up with the lunar cycle!

Many women are prescribed birth control pills to regulate their cycles. The way Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) work, is by masking your bodies hormones in order to suppress ovulation to prevent a pregnancy from happening. Essentially, OCPs take over for your own hormones, and by taking them daily for 21 days (or whichever cycle you are on) and then stopping for 7 days, you force what is called a “withdrawal” bleed because your body recognizes the lack of the synthetic progestin and ethinyl estradiol it was receiving from the OCP. If your primary goal is contraception, and as a bonus your cycles are predictable when on OCPs, then OCPs may be an okay option for you at this point in your life.

However, when coming off of OCPs, your cycle will most likely return to what it was before using OCPs, doing nothing to help fix the root cause of your hormone imbalances and why your periods were irregular in the first place. This can be problematic if you are coming off OCPs in order to conceive. If your cycles are irregular, it becomes more difficult to know if and when ovulation is occurring to time intercourse during your fertile window (maximizing your chances of conception), and if your body is producing enough of the right hormones at the right time to hold the pregnancy and prevent miscarriage.

If your primary goal is regulating your cycle, there are many natural and effective options to balance your hormones (diet, herbs, targeted vitamin + minerals). If your main goal is contraception, there are many safe and effective options (natural and prescription). I believe in the power of education and that each woman deserves to make informed choices around her health that best reflect her health goals at that time in her life.

If you have questions about irregular periods and/or which treatment option is best for you, come on into my office and we can chat about ALL your options for regulating your cycle and methods of contraception, so you can make an informed decision!