Hormonal contraceptive methods are part of most women’s lives at some point. Whether to prevent pregnancy or for medical reasons, it is very hard to find a woman who has never heard of the birth control pill, for example. But do you know how they work in the body and how they can influence your cycle? Come with us and we’ll explain everything!
Hormonal contraception for women, known as the “pill”, can also come in injectable or implant forms, and also as a vaginal ring or patch. It works by inhibiting ovulation and a woman’s natural menstruation. Because of this, it’s common for women to have questions about birth control and menstruation1.
When You Stop Taking Birth Control, Does Your Period Get Delayed?
Many women already get their period the month following stopping the pill. However, it’s common for the period to be delayed a little, especially for those who previously had irregular cycles. So, the body may take a few months to detox from artificial hormones and return to producing its natural hormones.
When You Stop Taking Birth Control, Does Your Period Become Irregular?
Birth control does not make a woman infertile, but it’s normal for the period to become a bit irregular when you stop taking it. This effect is temporary, just until the body gets used to normal menstrual cycles again. On the other hand, many women manage to get pregnant the month after stopping birth control.
When You Stop Taking the Injectable Birth Control, Is Your Period Delayed?
Just like with pills, with injectable birth control, your period might be delayed when you stop, but it also might not be. This depends a lot on each woman’s body and whether their cycles were already irregular or not.
If You Take Two Packs of Birth Control in a Row, Is Your Period Delayed?
By taking two birth control packs consecutively, your period will come at the end of the second pack as expected. It’s not delayed, because the effect of the hormone drop when you pause is always the same. According to recent studies, there’s no harm in taking packs consecutively, but it’s only recommended with medical approval.
How Can You Delay Your Period if You Don’t Take Birth Control?
Those who don’t take birth control can have a delayed period due to unintended factors like stress, or intentional reasons, such as medications for this purpose. In this case, consult a specialist who can advise you.
For Those on Birth Control, How Many Days Can the Period Be Delayed?
For those on birth control, the period is not really a period, but a similar kind of bleeding. This bleeding comes when you pause the pill, usually for 7 days. Blood can come in the middle of this week’s break, but it should not be delayed beyond those 7 days.
How to Take Birth Control to Delay Your Period?
If you want to delay your next period, you can start birth control before ovulation and stop at the end of the pack, when you want your period to come. It’s possible to take 3 or more packs in a row without harm to the body.
It’s important to plan ahead in these cases because if you start birth control just before a period, it likely won’t work, and taking hormones without guidance can be bad for your health.
When You Stop Taking Birth Control, When Will Your Period Come?
The period comes when you pause or stop taking the pill. In these cases, this is not a natural period, but a withdrawal bleed.
What if Your Period Doesn’t Come During the Break from Birth Control?
That bleeding similar to a period may not appear during the pill-free week for several reasons – infection, stress, or lifestyle changes. There is also the chance that the woman is pregnant, especially if the birth control was not taken correctly. Attention is needed here, because in cases of suspected pregnancy, birth control use should be stopped immediately.
When Will the Period Come After Stopping Birth Control?
After finishing birth control, you’ll have a withdrawal bleed similar to a period and, if you don’t continue the pill, your body will then restart a natural menstrual cycle2. Normally, the menstrual cycle lasts between 26 and 32 days, ending with menstruation. Sometimes it can take longer because some women have irregular cycles, but cycles can become more regular over time.
How Many Days Does the Period Last for Someone on Birth Control?
For those taking birth control, their period usually lasts less time than a normal period. For most, heavier flow days are between days 3 and 5, but for some women, there’s only one day with a heavier flow.
What Is the Period Like for Someone on Birth Control?
Those who take birth control only have withdrawal bleeding and not a true period, meaning the blood comes without an unfertilized egg and without the thick endometrium. This bleeding is less and sometimes darker than a natural period.
How to Regulate Periods with Birth Control?
Some women take birth control specifically to regulate their menstrual cycles. In reality, the birth control blocks the side effects of a woman’s irregular hormones, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and replaces them with artificial hormones in stable doses each day. So, every month there will be withdrawal bleeding and the woman won’t have to worry about an irregular period anymore.
When You Start Taking Birth Control, Does Your Period Stop?
The hormones in birth control pills have the same effect as pregnancy on the menstrual cycle: the body thinks it shouldn’t mature an egg, so no period is needed. That’s why, when starting birth control on the first day of your period, the bleeding usually gets lighter and then stops. It will only come back when you take a break from taking the pills, which causes a hormonal drop similar to a period.
How to Stop Your Period with Birth Control?
Some people take birth control during their period, as artificial hormones make the bleeding stop more quickly. However, it is not recommended to self-medicate or to start and stop taking hormones without guidance3. Once started, the pill should be taken to the end of the pack to avoid disturbing your cycle.
See also: Getting Your Period Twice or More in a Month – Is Something Wrong With Me?
