Women's Health Community

Dear YouKnowItsSam: Congrats on your new baby! It sounds like you resumed having very predictable periods (ie you expected a flow on 9/7) until this month. Hope I am tracking you correctly.

Once pregnancy has been ruled out, the most common reason for a menstrual pattern like you have described is not having an ovulation every month. In a normal cycle, estrogen is produced all month. Estrogen is responsible for building up the lining of your uterus so you have something to shed each month. The good news is that you have enough estrogen to make a lining that usually does shed.

In a normal cycle, progesterone production increases following ovulation and release of an egg.. Progesterone "stabilizes" the uterine lining in preparation for a possible implantation of a new pregnancy. If you are not pregnant that month the levels of estrogen and progesterone fall, triggering the release of the uterine lining—your period.

So, if you do not ovulate, the estrogen build up of the lining continues, but without the usual ovulation associated progesterone. Thus, the hormone levels don't decline, and the lining stays up inside the uterus—your missed/late period. Alternatively, the built up lining can begin to shed on its own creating erratic bleeding patterns which are usually "too-light" or super heavy and prolonged.

There can be MANY causes for not ovulating: low thyroid, pituitary problems, ovarian cysts, physical stressors (eg sudden increases in exercise, crash dieting), emotional stressors (problems with boyfriends/girlfriends, finances), increased body weight, anorexia, rotating shifts at work, etc.

Lastly, everything I have just shared with you pertains to women who are NOT using a form of hormonal birth control. If you are using an oral contraceptive, or DepoProvera, or other hormonal contraceptive you may miss a period (s) for an entirely different reason. Once pregnancy has been "ruled out" (because even reliable methods fail) one can usually assume that the missed period is "normal" or "OK".

Unlike the scenarios discussed above, women on hormonal contraception have both estrogen and progesterone available. If the synthetic progesterone is dominant, it can artificially make the uterine lining very thin. So the woman misses her "Pill period" or it is very much lighter than normal. Of note, if you are on a form of hormonal contraception, and you miss a period (s), you will not have a uterine lining build up.

Bottom line, rule out pregnancy. If you are using hormonal birth control you could choose to wait and see if predictable cycles return. If you are not using hormonal birth control you should see your GYN or local county family planning clinic if you have pelvic pain (eg ovarian cyst) or if your usual cycle has not returned after 6-8 weeks. You also have the option of calling your former OB/GYN or clinic and asking to speak to their advice nurse. They can give you the most "for sure" answer because they know your entire health history.

Yours,
Jane