Missed periods

[merryandbrightdelight]

Please bear with me, it may be a long one but I'll try and condense!

Periods from them starting were always 7 days and heavy, but were every 28 days.
I was on the pill/mini pill from aged 15 to age 27 (came off as was ttc, and ended up having IVF) I am now 33.

DD1 was IVF through unexplained infertility, April 2019, and DD2 was a natural pregnancy, October 2020.

Between two pregnancies I went on the pill for around four months, but came off as I had bad side effects.

I was on the depo for 3 years from October 2020 with my last one July 2023, and had no periods at all on it. Came off it as I started to get bad mood swings and dryness and periods returned in April this year, and are haywire! I log my cycles and have attached them below. I had a smear in July this year (very tilted cervix - always bleed during them and they're very difficult) and it came back clear. Since this, I've had 2 periods and had irregular bleeding during both. First time I finished my period and had spotting (veryC very light pink or light brown when wiping, very light) right up to ovulation week, then nothing for a week to 10 days, then spotting again, then period. Then following that period, spotting up to ovulation week, then nothing at all since. However, no period either! I've been referred for an internal ultrasound to investigate, but my GP said that he isn't concerned, and that the depo can cause many, many issues with cycles.

I'm now on cycle day 36 and nothing at all, although I've been crampy off and on for the last 10 days or so. Negative pregnancy tests and not ttc. I asked about anything to induce a period but GP said scans will show what is going on hopefully and prescribed me buscopan for the period cramps I'm getting.

Anyone had similar? And when did your cycle go back to normal? I suffer massively with health anxiety so I'm trying to calm myself down.

A friend of mine has recommended taking a vitamin D supplement, which I will, and also inositol as she did this to regulate her cycles when she suffered with amenhorrea when ttc, but I've never heard of it so not sure on this one.

Thanks all

I'm no expert so don't take this as fact but it looks like your body/hormones are all out on sync and it's taking longer to get back into the rthym than you thought. Your Dr is right that the depo and contraception can mess up your cycles etc and with the birth of your children too your bodies just like ahhhh what's goin on? I've manage to mess my periods up before and it made me feel groggy as did the depo but that was ages ago now.

Thank you for your reply, I do feel like they're messed up due to the variations in cycle lengths, and a couple have been really light now too compared to how they used to be. I've never not had a period which is what has totally thrown me, I just wish it would show up so I'm not worrying all the time

Seeking reassurance is ultimately unhelpful for health anxiety. You need to calm yourself down by using distress tolerance strategies.
Why do you want to induce periods? They are not essential to life. It can take 12+ months for your body to regulate after depo which your GP should have told you.

Thank you - he did explain this, but I've never ever missed a period before, so it's just got me worrying. I know lots of people miss them for various reasons, I just 'feel' like I'm due on, and have for a number of days, but it just doesn't seem to be coming

Honestly a mixture of being on the pill for a long time, multiple pregnancies especially with IVF, and other lifestyle factors can make your periods go bonkers.

I had periods like clockwork until I started TTC when they went mad. I think the longest was 56 days between periods. Because I was TTC I took letrozole after I had a bleed and which gave me back the textbook ovulate at day 14…..it worked so obviously I’ve not had a period since then lol

Wow 56 days! Can I ask, did you have cramping etc around the time you expected it, even though it didn't turn up until day 56?

Oh so you took it, ovulated and got pregnant I'm taking it? Congratulations!!!

Nope. Absolutely nothing. Then had another 46 day one after that. SO strange!!

And yes for the letrozole. Thank you!

@Hellskitchen24 🙈 honestly if I knew all this around hormonal contraception I would have made better choices.

Ahhh amazing news! I wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy - enjoy every second of it!

Just in case anyone finds this thread and is experiencing similar, just updating that my period arrived today, at cd36 - very light but the cramps were something else! But at least it is here

Pls can someone tell me how to read this because by now haven’t see my period

Hi, so 'x days' at the end is the number of days between your cycle that month. The purple is ovulation with the purple circle being your predicted ovulation day, and the pink is the number of days you have had your period for