Other explanations for late period?

[nonsenseprecious]

Hi all,

I have two toddlers (ages 1 and almost 3), and my husband and I would be happy with a third, though we're not being real scientific/serious about it yet. We might get there soon! It took about 4-5 cycles to get pregnant with my older child, and my daughter was a happy "oops." (I was still nursing my son, and not having any sort of regular cycle.) For the last two months, I've been using OPKs, just to get a sense of whether I am ovulating and where in the month this happens. I do seem to be ovulating, though it was hard to tell the first month because the OPKs were terrible. We have a different kind now.

Anyway, my cycles tend to be on the short side and always have, and while I was never diagnosed with a LPD before having my son, we did conceive once I'd started taking Vitex and B6, which added an extra couple days (LPD was initially about 8 days with a 22 day cycle, and supplements extended it to 10-11 days). 

Last month, my cycle was crazy short--21 days--so I started up again with B6 and Vitex. I am still nursing my daughter 2-4 times a day. I did get positive OPK this month, and we did have sex right before and during that time. However, this month was sort of nuts for other reasons (whole family had flu, lots of visitors, work stress, etc.). Happily, we're all back to normal. 

Now I am on day 26 of a cycle, apparently 12 dpo, and no sign of a period, and several pregnancy tests have been negative, including one this AM. I don't feel especially pregnant, but I've felt like I'm going to start my period for about 4-5 days, and wish it would get here already. A few questions:

1. Could the Vitex and B6 have worked that fast to extend my luteal phase? I don't remember it being that quick last time; I thought it took several cycles. 

2. Could the stress of the month be screwing with things (so to speak)? We've all been fine and back to our happy routine for a couple of weeks, but I did have a terrible stomach flu at the start of the month, and did lose a bit of weight as a result (about 10-12 lbs - no complaints). 

3. Which brings me to my last question: could the sudden weight loss be delaying my period? I have been regular as a clock my whole life, except when pregnant, and I just don't think I am pregnant this month. 

Thanks in advance!

-N

[buko]

I don't know, but I am very curious about #1!  I went off BC in November (semi-normal "cycle" that month, starting with "fake" period)but had a 6-day LF in December!  (I assume b/c I had just come off BCP.)  I went on B6 immediately and had a 10-13 day LF in January (hard to measure b/c I wasn't charting consistently, but for sure at LEAST 10 days).  I'm already at 8DPO with no AF this cycle, and am hopeful that if I am not preggo, this LF will be 10+ days.  Not sure if I would have regulated this quickly without B6, but it seems like it might have helped-- and quickly!

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by nonsenseprecious 

1. Could the Vitex and B6 have worked that fast to extend my luteal phase? I don't remember it being that quick last time; I thought it took several cycles. 

Vitex can work quickly, but many women report it taking several months, commonly 6 months before balancing out.  B6 can also work quickly and is usually much quicker than vitex- lengthening a bit each cycle.  But when regulating from a hormonal event like birth/breastfeeding, you can have a short LP one cycle and a fertile LP the very next cycle.  This happened to me.  My LP was only 4 days long the first ppAF I had after my second child and the next cycle it was long enough to conceive.

2. Could the stress of the month be screwing with things (so to speak)? We've all been fine and back to our happy routine for a couple of weeks, but I did have a terrible stomach flu at the start of the month, and did lose a bit of weight as a result (about 10-12 lbs - no complaints). 

Stress and illness can absolutely affect your cycle, delaying O and therefore delaying AF. 

3. Which brings me to my last question: could the sudden weight loss be delaying my period? I have been regular as a clock my whole life, except when pregnant, and I just don't think I am pregnant this month. 

Weight loss (or gain) can also affect your cycle b/c progesterone and estrogen are both stored in fat.