How to delay your period

[Sourire]

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for natural methods that could delay your period for a few days.

I am getting married in a month and according to my calculations, my wedding day will almost certainly fall on the worst day of my period. This day is usually are awful for me... the cramps are so bad that I can hardly do anything, and the bleeding is extremely heavy, requiring me to change pads almost every hour.

Birth control pills are not an option for me since I want to TTC right after the wedding. My cycle is always the exact same length, though it did become a few days longer one time when I was taking a combination of supplements my naturopath recommended to help with a problem I had (which is why I am hoping to find a supplement that can do this again!). The problem is that I was taking 6 or 7 different supplements, but I don't know which one caused my cycle to lengthen and they are too expensive for me to start taking all of them again.

[MaerynPearl]

Birth control IS an option if you do not want to TTC the month before the wedding but do the month after.

Perhaps talk to your doctor about being put on nuvaring for one month... if you have not already ovulated you will not start your period until you take it out. Because it is progesterone, which your body makes on its own in the second half of your cycle as it is, it should not mess up your cycles horribly having it in for just one cycle.

Of course, if you have already ovulated (if your period is due in about 2 weeks or less) its not likely you can do anything at all. If you have not ovulated get on the nuvaring ASAP and do not take it out until the day after the wedding (or shortly thereafter) and your period should start in a few days (but wait until the day after in case your body bounces back faster than most)

[Sourire]

Thanks for the suggestion. I have not yet ovulated so that would be an option. However I have had horrible experiences with hormonal birth control in the past, my body does not react well to it at all. Therefore I was looking for a more natural method.

[JamieCatheryn]

You could herbally reduce menstrual flow during the next period with shepherd's purse and yarrow tinctures. It would be easier to adjust your cycle over several months than to do it in just one, but maybe you might get a day or 2 longer with adjusting the light level while you sleep (lunaception), or if your luteal phase is on the short side b6 and vitex. Artificial hormones would make it way easier, but I hear you about the side effects, DH says when I was on them it was like 24/7 mild pms.

[Sourire]

I will definitely look into shepherd's purse & yarrow.

I have heard of night lighting techniques before but have never used them... how would you use them to make your cycle longer?

I am already taking a B complex vitamin so I am covered for B6... I do have a short luteal phase (8-10 days) and I have tried to lengthen it using vitex in the past but it didn't seem to have much effect... what would you suggest in terms of timing and dosage?

I think I am more likely to succeed if I try to delay ovulation because whenever I have variations in the length of my cycle (which is rare) it is due to ovulation coming a few days later than usual, my luteal phase is usually pretty stable.

[MaerynPearl]

while it sounds like its not natural, using nuvaring is a natural way (and guarenteed) as it does not have anything in it your body does not already create itself, and in about the same dose. Your body already creates progesterone during the second half of your luteal phase to alert your body not to ovulate, then when the progesterone drops off, you get your PMS and AF comes along.

Nuvaring just gives you the progesterone before you ovulate, telling your body not to ovulate and will not drop off until you take the nuvaring out... basically telling your body it is okay to get AF.

[JamieCatheryn]

Most of the things that may delay ovulation are major stressors on the body and mind. Rapid weight-loss, illness, travel, trauma.

The lunaception stuff I think involves making your body think there's a new moon around O and full around menstruation and that you aren't in the city with light pollution everywhere. I'm not sure how effective it is but it's an interesting idea.

[Kindermama]

Worse case scenario: try homeopathic Lachesis (only if all your menstrual symptoms get better as soon as your period really starts to flow!).

There are other homeopathic remedies too if your cycle doesn't work that way!

[Rainy229]

When I started taking EPO (Evening Primrose Oil), my period became MUCH shorter - 4 days instead of 7 or 8, and was lighter. I've :::knock on wood::: never had cramps, and haven't noticed any with EPO, but it can cause cramping.

Good Luck!

P.S. You could try a Diva cup to increase the time between needing to attend to AF too... um, meaning during each cycle, not to change the length of your cycle...

[BabyMae09]

I was just coming to post about the EXACT same thing. My wedding is the 15th, is yours? Thanks for posting this!!