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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Folic Acid and delayed period

40 replies

MrsBxxx · 08/05/2020 17:29

Hello,

My husband and I started trying for a baby in February. I have been off of any form of contraception for 18 months now and we had just been using condoms. My periods eventually sorted themselves out to be the most regular I have ever had - every 30 days and this has been happening for many months now. I started taking folic acid in January. For the past two cycles, my periods have been delayed (I use a tracker). The first cycle, I got my period on day 36 and the most recent cycle, I got my period on day 45. I did take pregnancy tests but they were negative. Up until I started taking the folic acid, I was pretty confident about my fertile parts of the month but it seems to be all over the place now. The only thing I can think that has changed is me now taking folic acid every day. Has anybody else experienced similar? Thanks

OP posts:
glow92 · 17/02/2021 14:41

It's so widely recommend when TTC I'd like to think the benefits outweighs the potential effects, hopefully things settle down soon I haven't been off the pill for too many months myself.

Annwen · 17/02/2021 14:07

We're using condoms after coming off my pill in December while my body settles down before TTC. I was thinking of taking folic acid, but after reading this maybe I shouldn't? Hoping just using condoms will allow my cycles to regularize (and they were very regular before I went on the pill) so don't want to do anything to jeopardize that!

glow92 · 17/02/2021 13:15

This is really interesting, I'm desperately trying to work out what's going wrong me for me this month and didn't even consider folic acid.
Last month was 25days with a clear OPK peak, this month I'm already CD20 and absolutely nothing on OPK's... not even a slight rise 😞.
I've been taking folic acid for about 2 months now.

Kally9 · 17/02/2021 09:08

@Rhubarbe

There has been some talk on Twitter about lots of women having delayed periods (not pregnant) since COVID19. Might be stress related with pandemic/lockdown etc
This is very true for me. I went from regular 28/30 day cycle to 35-45 days since march 2020. I thought it might have actually been Covid that knocked mine out. But maybe just stress! We'll probably never know!
Hammybear · 17/02/2021 08:58

This same has happened to me this month. My cycles are usually 30 days long. This is the first month using ovulation tests and I started testing and never got a clear peak, some days were high but nothing stood out as the peak. I assumed that I missed ovulation or that I was using the sticks wrong as they were just the cheap ones from amazon. I am due on my period today and something randomly made me want to test for ovulation a couple of days ago and it was high, I tested again and it was peak. I have done a pregnancy test as I know sometimes a positive opk can indicate pregnancy but it was definitely negative. The only difference is that I’ve been taking folic acid this month and I think it must have delayed ovulation. It’s so bloody confusing.

flipping4gym · 17/02/2021 05:50

Hey, I started taking 1200mcg folic acid at the beginning of my cycle, in addition to several multivitamins and supplements. Since folic acid was the newest addition to my regimen and I know it has a direct effect on progesterone production I knew it had something to do with my weird cycle, but I never expected it to last this long. I was expecting a 26 day cycle. 21 is my shortest and 28 my longest. I’m currently on CD32 with no signs of AF and no BFP. I also did not peak on my OPKs when I expected. It started to rise at the expected time (CD14) then suddenly leveled out and dropped... I stopped checking and figured I missed it. Then I experienced 2 days of spotting at CD21. I thought it was AF or IB. But neither signs came. So now I believe it was very very late ovulation, and my literal phase being 11 days I should get AF on CD33. Just sharing this for everyone out there.

RedOasis · 05/07/2020 12:20

Have you tried an ovulation pack? I didn’t have any difference when I started taking folic acid but maybe if you can’t gauge it a lot might help?

JustStephi93 · 05/07/2020 12:10

I'm so so glad I found this! I thought I was going out of my mind. I started taking folic acid around ovulation time as my husband and I are looking to start trying for our first in a couple of months time. So far it is now 5 days past my expected period (using apps to track) and still there is no sign of it starting. I've taken 2 morning pregnancy tests (just in case, we are only using condoms at present) and they were both negative. I have been regular before this month around 30-35 days mark since coming off the pill at the start of this year and the only difference was taking folic acid tablets.

Original poster
MrsBxxx · 11/05/2020 19:55

Thanks everyone, good to know that I am not alone. I had done some research and found that it sometimes added a couple of days to a cycle but it's reassuring to see that others are familiar with it too!

OP posts:
limmylee · 11/05/2020 19:51

@MrsBxxx I took it along with pre-conception vitamins (including folic acid) as my doctor is me it's best to take folic acid for at least 3 months before conception just to be safe.

BernadetteSunday · 08/05/2020 19:32

Hey! Thought I’d join in to say yes folic acid has an impact on cycles - for some women it lengthens them. The first month I was ttc (cycle 10 now) this happened and it took me 3 to figure it out!

Like you, I’m super regular. I found some academic papers / trials where they found this. If you like the detail - have a google of “folic acid supplement use and menstrual cycle characteristics”

I’m not sure what ones you’re taking but on my Pregnacare ones have a note on the side of the box that says some women experience a change in their cycle.

Basically, you’re not going mad!

Rhubarbe · 08/05/2020 19:13

There has been some talk on Twitter about lots of women having delayed periods (not pregnant) since COVID19. Might be stress related with pandemic/lockdown etc

Original poster
MrsBxxx · 08/05/2020 18:30

So, @limmyleelimmylee, did you take the capsules as well as folic acid or instead of? It's all new to me so I feel like it's a lot to get my head round!

@Chlo2701, my sister and friend are both trying and taking folic acid and haven't had much of a variation. I have tried to research it and I think slight variations, like you seem to be having, are normal but mine was two weeks longer which I couldn't find anybody else experiencing. Like you say, maybe other people will be able to share their own experiences. Good luck to you too. x

OP posts:
Chlo2701 · 08/05/2020 17:49

This is interesting, as I was having 28 day cycles, & then started taking folic acid & my following cycle went to 31 days. I carried on taking it & my next cycle was 29 days. I'm still taking it so I'm intrigued to see what this cycle will be for me. Maybe it just affects us/ delays our periods the first month or two we start taking it🤷‍♀️ hopefully someone else can shed more light in the situation for us. Good luck in trying to conceive x

limmylee · 08/05/2020 17:46

Mine were 30 days not long after coming off the pill , but a few months ago I started getting crazy cycles ranging from 36 to 45 days.
I took evening primrose oil capsules each day of my cycle until I thought I was due to ovulate and they got shorter, then I got pregnant but my most recent cycle was about 32 days so they did help.

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