To miss having periods

[thismightbeweirdbut]

Ok, this might sound very odd/hippieish!

I have been on hormonal contraception for approaching 10 years now and for the majority of that time haven't had periods. I haven't got children yet but DP and I plan to start TTC soon.

I am reaching a stage where I sort of miss having periods, that feeling of knowing my body is doing what it is naturally meant to, and to some extent the feeling of being a woman that having periods confers.

I fully accept that when I come off contraception and my periods return I will probably just hate them again

Can anyone relate to this on any level or am I just being odd?!

I’m on the injection so I don’t get them at all. I was on it for years and felt I should take a break about three years ago (definitely not TTC, just wanted a break after ten years on hormonal contraception).

I was totally over periods by the second one 😂 I bloat up like a blimp, I get the runs for a day and then swing the other way so I don’t poo for five, I get cramps, back pain and headaches. My PMT was raging as well; I cried because I knocked over a packet of biscuits, then shouted at DH when he calmly stated I could just pick them up

I gave it one year before going back on the injection!

From my perspective of heavy, very painful periods, then erratic cycles etc, I’m frankly delighted to have had nothing since I went on the mini pill. I love not seeing that smear of red giving me the heads up that a period is en route.

Absolutely get it OP. I spent my 20s on hormonal contraception and deeply regretted it later. We've been brainwashed into thinking it's wonderful because it absolves men of responsibility, but for many women it makes us feel crap, depressed and bloated, leads to weight gain, and means you actually have NO idea what's going on with your body.

I hate it. I've had kids now, I'm giving myself a last couple of years to absolutely rule out a third then I'm getting my tubes tied. Can't wait!

I like and dislike the hormonal fluctuations of periods. I have a very predictable cycle. Before I am on I have mood swings and low libido. Then during and immediately after my period I feel very sexy and happy. I will miss these marks of time. On the pill and implant I felt flat the whole time. I now enjoy the highs and lows, knowing as a woman in my forties they won't last forever.

I don’t understand this feeling at all. I’ve been on the contraceptive pill for nearly 8 years now with no periods and I wish I’d gone on sooner. I had really awful, heavy painful periods and I just have memories of crying a lot, taking extra strong pain killers every 4 hours and being crippled in pain most of the time. I do NOT miss these miserable days and have no desire to ever go back to them.

I was taking a pill that stopped my periods for about 7 years. It was lovely, but it was causing acne so I've now swapped to a different one. I should be having 'periods' with this one but I'm not so far- I'm not particularly worried because after all those years I'm sure it takes a while for things to settle (also definitely not pregnant by the way!) but I do almost want to have one?! Just to make sure things are working I guess?! Just one though, then they can stop again 😂

Not a hope of me missing them, I'm done with all that malarkey thank goodness.

How can you miss periods? Once there not needed (for fertility purposes) they should just stop altogether.Im 41 now can't wait for them to stop altogether.

Btw what is the typical age for them to stop.I know it varies but I was hoping on the next five years or so.

I’m fifty one, suspect in peri. Periods as regular as clockwork but getting heavier. Can’t wait till they stop. I never thought I’d say it, but the thought of no more periods sounds bliss to me.

No, I have the coil and don't have periods anymore. Brilliant, and no need to buy expensive / environmentally friendly products!!

YOU’VE GONE ABSOLUTELY BONKERS AND MUST BE STOPPED runs from room screaming

Even on the coil my cycle is like half a day and the months when it is normal are such bliss. I do know what you mean though and I think PP saying it’s about TTC.

...I think the PP saying it’s about TTC is right.

As an endometriosis sufferer, periods are absolute hell. I understand where you're coming from with wanting to know your body is doing its thing whilst TTC.

Weirdly I know what you mean!

I've never taken hormones so the only time I've not had them is when pregnant / ebf.

I don't mind them, they feel right, they're part of me, in a way. I am 41 now and starting to feel a bit wistful about the fact that I'm not going to have them that much longer. That is so weird, really, because they are a nuisance. I've never suffered pain from them, but they are moderate / heavy and I've definitely had my share of inconvenient leaks and floods and setting an alarm to wake up early on the dreaded Day 2 to waddle to the bathroom and deal with the carnage so as not to flood the bed.

I've never wanted them to stop, though, and always felt like hormonal contraception would be very wrong for me so never tried it.

Wow I hate them. But mine are very heavy and make life difficult as I worry about leaking when out etc.

Breastfeeding and peri-menopausal so no periods - and yes, I miss them too, OP I feel strange without them. Not as feminine? Not so revved up? I don’t know. Hard to explain.

Obviously painful or heavy periods are crap but I think there’s something reassuring about periods, and it’s weird not having them.

Oh that reminds me, breastfeeding never even stopped my periods and (have bf 4 children) they returned 8 weeks after birth each time

Re age of periods stopping it was all over by 50 for me and they'd got very irregular for a couple of years before then.

Had a hysterectomy last September, I can safely say I've never missed anything less especially as I see my poor twelve year old daughter go grey and green every month like I did.

I can't relate at all.
I've been on the combined pill since I became sexually active so only had withdrawal bleeds.
In 2014 I stopped taking it so dh and I could ttc. I hated having proper periods. I got pregnant 4 months later. After giving birth I bled for 3 weeks. A short while after I got my first proper period after giving birth. I exclusively formula fed and at the 6 week check I went back on the combined pill so was back to my withdrawal bleeds. Since last year I've started taking my pill back to back, so I only have 3 withdrawal bleeds a year. I love it.
The way I see it there is no need for me to bleed so why bother with it? So I don't.

For me they were a painful reminder of my infertility

Yep, every month a reminder that you're not pregnant. I appear too old to conceive, but too young to be rid of them.