10 questions to ask yourself after having an “off” period
This post is for all my people out there who have a menstrual cycle. Before all of you who DON'T have one run off, it might be nice to be informed so that you can be a supportive friend, partner, parent, sibling, etc.
Hormones are messengers in the body and it takes happy, healthy hormones to have a happy, healthy menstrual cycle. The main ones that come to mind are sex hormones, blood sugar-regulating hormones (such as insulin), and thyroid hormones. Unfortunately, if any of these are out of whack for one reason or another, our menstrual cycle can be impacted.
Since I work in women's health, I am often helping them regulate their cycles and it's honestly one of my favorite things to do. While I want everyone to always have a painless, easy cycle, it is VERY normal to occasionally have an irregular or "off" period. For those that have always had a regular period, this can be very alarming, and for those that have been working towards having a regular period and are finally seeing progress, this can feel like you're taking steps back.
- - - For those of you struggling with an irregular period (or don't get one at all) month after month - I see you, I feel you, and I've been there. If we're not already working together, please reach out!) - - -
It's easy to freak out when this happens, but before going down that road, I want you to approach it with curiosity and try to practice patience. As someone who is incredibly impatient, I say this with so much love!
As we go through different seasons of life, we likely have adjustments in lifestyle, stress, routine, etc. With physical and emotional changes, our hormones can go through change as well. It's completely normal to notice alterations in our cycle every once in a while. If your cycle continues to be irregular month after month, then there is reason to be concerned, and at that point, I recommend seeking professional help.
With all that being said, below are some questions that I want you to ask yourself when you notice a change in your cycle.
In the past month, did I:
have way more stress than usual?
get sick?
start exercising significantly more? stop exercising? significantly change the type of exercise I'm doing?
begin, stop, or change the dose of a medication or supplement?
eat more processed foods or eat out more often?
drink more alcohol or caffeine?
travel, or move to a new place/city?
not get enough sleep more often than usual?
start a new job?
have a lot of environmental allergy symptoms compared to normal?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, this could be your culprit! If it's modifiable, such as diet, see where you can make changes. If it's not modifiable, such as getting sick or starting a new job, give your body time to recover from that change. Be patient and just notice how future cycles go. I trust with time it will get back to normal. But if not, that's what I'm here for ♡ If you think we might be a good fit for each other, schedule a free discovery call here for us to chat more. Can’t wait to meet you!