There are occasions when you would like to delay your period. Maybe for a special event or because you have to participate in a sporting competition and you don't want to have the "hassle" of the cycle. It is safe for most women to postpone the onset of menstruation, but it is advisable to discuss this with your gynecologist, especially if the best and easiest method is to take prescription medications or birth control pills.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Using the Birth Control Pill and Hormones
Step 1. Write down on your calendar the date you don't want to have your period and then check if it is due for that period
Women who have a regular period or who are already taking the pill can determine with a high degree of certainty when they will have their next period.
- You can then understand if they are scheduled for the date on which you have a commitment. In that case don't worry, because you can avoid having this "hindrance", as long as you plan ahead!
- Remember that women who have irregular periods are not always able to know when they will have their next period.
Step 2. Use birth control pills to postpone bleeding
Most of these drugs are sold in packs of 21 active pills (containing hormones) followed by 7 inactive pills (containing a "placebo"). This format is used to allow you to keep the routine of taking one pill a day constant, while having cyclical bleeding every month, when you take the inactive doses. The gynecologist will have explained to you to follow the same procedure every month: you must take the active tablets for 21 days followed by 7 inactive for the following week. However, if you have a major sports competition that you need to participate in or another motivation that makes you not want your period for that period, then you can use the birth control pill to your advantage. Here's how to precede:
It is not necessary to follow the routine of 21 active and 7 inactive pills exactly. The 21: 7 ratio is completely arbitrary and only serves to "mimic" the woman's natural menstrual cycle which is approximately 28 days. However, it is not essential to adhere to it constantly
Step 3. Take the "active pills" for more than 21 days
During the time you are taking this drug, your body will not have your period. This method works in most cases, but do not think it is 100% effective, as some women's bodies do not respond correctly to "sudden" changes in dosage.
- If you only realize at the last minute that you want to delay your period, then the best thing to do is to continue taking the "active pills" even beyond 21 days and until the end of the important event you have to attend. When you stop taking it, start taking the placebo pills and you will have monthly bleeding.
- If you follow this procedure, be aware that most gynecologists recommend throwing away the partially used package of birth control pills (the one from which you took the "extra" pills to take during the event). In this way you do not risk losing track of the active pills to be taken for the next menstrual cycles. In fact, the method by which these medicines are packaged (21 active doses followed by 7 inactive) is the fundamental criterion that most women use to monitor how many pills have been taken and when to switch from one type to another.
Step 4. Change your contraceptive dosage a few months in advance
A safer technique for delaying your period is to alter your medication early, at least a couple of months earlier than the date you want to avoid your period. If you change routines early (taking more active pills in the previous month and then continuing at your normal pace), then your body will have plenty of time to adjust to the change.
- In this case you have to observe the calendar well in advance. For example, if you realize that you need to delay your period by 10 days within 4 months, then you can take 10 more active doses during the first month and then keep this "out of phase" rhythm for the next three, instead of finding yourself at a loss. change the dosage during the last cycle.
- Then take the seven inactive doses.
- By altering the dosage a few months in advance (for example, athletes do it in view of an important sporting event at a regional or national level), you give the body all the time it needs to get used to, so as not to have any problems for the "big" day".
Step 5. Try contraceptives that prolong the female cycle
If you are planning to miss or postpone your period for long periods and not just for a week or a month, then you should consider birth control pills which are designed to extend the time between bleeds. Most of these drugs allow you to have your period every three months instead of every month. This method is called "continuous hormonal contraception" or "extended regimen".
- These drugs are designed to be taken constantly for several weeks. Most pharmaceutical companies market packs that are sufficient for 12-week coverage.
- Since these contraceptives alter the hormonal balance (you have menstruation every three months instead of every month), it is essential to have confirmation from the gynecologist that this solution is suitable for your specific case. There is generally no problem if you have already taken another type of birth control pill.
Step 6. Ask the gynecologist who prescribes norethisterone for you
If you don't want to or can't take birth control, then your doctor may prescribe a hormone tablet called norethisterone. You will need to take it three times a day in the days leading up to your period.
- Norethisterone is a progestin hormone. This type of hormone decreases rapidly in the days leading up to menstruation, causing the uterine lining to be expelled and bleeding to begin. If you keep your progesterone levels high, you can delay or stop your period.
- Side effects of this therapy are abdominal bloating, stomach discomfort, breast pain and decreased libido.
Step 7. Consider inserting a progestogen-releasing intrauterine device
If you know in advance that you want to miss your period, you can discuss this option with your gynecologist. The doctor will insert the device (a small plastic "T" shaped object) into the uterus that will release the progestin hormones, making your period lighter or blocking it altogether.
An intrauterine device lasts up to seven years
Method 2 of 2: Take Precautions
Step 1. Discuss any changes you want to make to your lifestyle with your gynecologist
If you have decided to alter your birth control pill dosage or want to change your training plan, you should always discuss this with your doctor in advance. It is generally quite safe to change the contraceptive pill to postpone menstruation. However, you should ask the gynecologist if this occasional behavior is not dangerous for your specific case (since the pill was prescribed for you) and listen to his opinion, which will take into account your state of health and your medical history.
Step 2. Make sure you are always protected against unwanted pregnancy
Postponing your period is not a way to avoid getting pregnant. Unless you are on the contraceptive pill or have an intrauterine device, know that you have no protection against this just because you "manipulate" or delay bleeding. Use barrier protection (such as a condom) and be aware of the most common symptoms of pregnancy.
If you have intentionally delayed or missed a period, then it will be more difficult to recognize the signs of pregnancy, as the absence of your period is the first and most obvious red flag. Pregnancy also causes breast pain, fatigue, and nausea. Monitor all of these body signals and get tested if in doubt
Step 3. Protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections
If you do not take the inactive doses of the pack of 28 contraceptive pills, you do not reduce its effectiveness against unwanted pregnancies. However, this drug does not protect you from infections and STDs, so unless you and your partner have been tested and they have tested negative, you should always use condoms.
