Can You Delay Your Period?

Most women at some point would have wanted to delay their period for a variety of reasons including weddings, holidays and sporting events. Delaying or postponing your period is possible, thanks to the different options available. There is no guaranteed way to delay your period by a few days, but with a high probability, this can be achieved with the help of birth control pills. 

In this article, we’ll have a detailed look at different ways to delay your period.

How Can I Delay My Period? 

There are multiple ways you can delay your period. Popular options include the use of:

Birth Control Pills

If you use birth control pills, you determine your cycle in a certain way – you can postpone your period by taking the pill. This means that you skip the seven-day “pill-free break” and thus achieve a so-called long-term cycle. This is down to the progestin contained in the birth control pill, which influences the female cycle. 

Introducing this hormone to your system delays your menstrual cycle. If your combined oral contraceptives are designed for 21 days of use and a seven7-day break, then to delay your period, you need to start a new pack immediately after the previous one ends. Birth control pills that contain only progesterone cannot delay menstruation when used continuously. If you are unsure what type of birth control pill you are, see your GP or aa specialist. 

If you are taking biphasic and triphasic contraceptive pills (in such hormone levels change depending on the phase of the cycle, and the pills themselves are in different colours), it will be more difficult to change the regimen. You should consult your gynecologist or GP for more advice.

Hormone Injection

A hormone injection has a similar effect. This can only be administered by a doctor. You should get advice from him on this.

How to Delay Periods with a Progestogen?

Progestogens should be taken two weeks before the onset of an expected period (menstruation). This is the optimal time to start taking medications. If the reason why it is necessary to delay menstruation arose later on in the cycle, then you should start taking progestogens no later than five days before the first day of menstruation. Using these drugs later does not make sense, and delaying menstruation will not help. 

Taking a progestogen to delay a period, a woman needs to finish taking the drug on the last day of the alleged bleeding. After finishing a progestogen pill, the appearance of menstruation will not take long. In a couple of days, the usual menstruation will begin. If you have chosen this particular method, then be sure to consult with your doctor first.

Is There A Tablet To Delay Your Period?

Women who do not use hormonal contraception with the pill can delay their periods by using special hormone tablets – containing, for example, norethisterone. These tablets slow the breakdown of the uterus lining by preventing the luteal hormone level from falling. This drop in hormone levels signals to your body that the lining of the uterus should be shed – that is that you are getting your period (bleeding) days.

You can start taking them three days before menstruation, however it is not usually recommended to delay menstruation using norethisterone tablets for more than two weeks continuously. 

The ingestion of artificial hormones often causes unpleasant side effects such as an upset stomach, a bloated stomach, or a lower sensation of pleasure. If you stop taking norethisterone after delaying your period, it will take about three days for your menstrual period to occur.

Can I Delay My Period Naturally? 

Some popular methods supposedly allow you to delay the onset of menstruation. These include exercise, drinking vinegar water, and eating lentils. But do these traditional folk remedies really work?

Lentils

According to some traditions, it is believed that if you start eating one gram of lentils a day a few days before starting your cycle, you can delay it slightly. It doesn’t matter in what form you use this product – in a soup, in a smoothie, or powder. But there is no scientific research to support this. At the same time, eating a lot of fiber can cause stomach upset and bloating.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Many people believe that cider vinegar is a wonderful cure for acne, heartburn, and belly fat. Unsurprisingly, people are also promoting it to remedy all menstrual problems, from pain to bloating. The only study on the effects of this product on menstruation was conducted on women with polycystic ovary syndrome. 

Scientists have found that drinking apple cider vinegar promotes the onset of menstruation in women whose cycle has not been normalised due to hormonal imbalances. There is no evidence that drinking apple cider vinegar can help cancel or delay menstruatio

Lemon juice

Lemon juice is very acidic. For some reason, it is believed that lemon and other citrus fruits can affect menstruation. But there is no scientific evidence to support this. Acidic foods can irritate your gums, mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines.

Workout

Excessive exercise can affect the onset of menstruation. For example, those who do an intense, hard workout shortly before the first day of the cycle may notice that their periods do not start on time. It is believed that this is because you spend a lot of resources on exercise and recovery, and there is simply none left to maintain a regular cycle. 

It is not known exactly how exercise can be used – what duration and intensity to choose, and how many days before menstruation – to adjust the cycle.

There is no scientific evidence that folk remedies to delay menstruation actually work. Hormonal drugs are more reliable in this regard, however each of them has contraindications and side effects. You should not choose which drugs to use yourself to delay your period, instead, speak to your own GP or a gynaecologist who will find the most suitable option.

Is It Safe To Delay Periods? 

Postponing your periods is safe as long as you follow the right procedures. The best thing you can do before opting for this is to consult your doctor or other medical experts such as a gynaecologist for advice. Delaying periods is still difficult for many who shy away from it. There are no side effects or long-term consequences linked to delaying your period. Always consult your doctor and use safe and right procedures.