Late Period? Don't panic yet!

I bet this has happened to you - for no possible reason, your period is delayed. You know it’s impossible to be pregnant, unless it’s some miracle. But don’t panic yet. Here’s a list of everything else you need to check before jumping to conclusions:

Diet

Phytoestrogens (like soy, papaya, lime juice)
You’ve probably heard your grandmother tell you not to eat too much papaya or lime juice because it will delay your period. It’s true - the carotene in these foods boosts estrogen levels in your body and can delay your period by a few days.

Physical strain

Heavy workouts, Change in daily physical activity, Sudden sedentary lifestyle
Have you been working out too hard at the gym? Started taking a bicycle to work or school each day this month? Or have you skipped gym every single day this month? All of these can affect the way your hormones are secreted and circulated throughout your body, and delay your period by a day or two.

Sleep

Travel, Irregular sleep schedules, Jet lag, Changing shifts, Late nights
Have you ever taken a long flight and experienced a delayed period along with the jet lag? If your job involves changing shift timings, you might have experienced the same thing. Even late night studying before exams, just Netflix marathons could have triggered the delay.

That’s because sleep is such an important part of your body’s rhythms. Changing sleep patterns can often cause an increase in cortisol (the stress hormone) which puts all of the body’s non-essential systems on a temporary hold. If you’ve felt a decrease in appetite or concentration after these sleep schedule changes, cortisol is also the reason why this occurs.

Other physical stress

Illness, Medication, Skipped Oral Contraceptive Pills or change in brand, Morning After Pills
Falling ill, starting a new medication, hormonal interruptions such as oral contraceptives and emergency contraceptives can all mess with your period cycle. So if you’ve taken the morning after pill, don’t be worried if your period is a bit off the usual cycle.

Mental Stress

Worry, Depression
The mind has a lot of effect on every system of the body. Just like with travel and other physical stress, mental stress can increase cortisol levels too, and trigger your body’s “fight or flight” response. This can delay periods.

How can I know if one of these changes has caused my period cycle to change?

Also, a lot of things go on with our busy lives each month. It can be helpful to keep track of your period cycles and lengths using a simple, easy to use tracker like the ones Femcy offers. The Femcy tracker reminds you to track your period dates and your symptoms such as stress, travel, mood, exercise and diet. The best part is, you can get recommendations to deal with those symptoms right on the app itself - Femcy gives you recommendations of the best foods to include in your diet at the right time, the right exercises to ease your menstrual phase, and even stress relief guides to calm and center you.

Does this sound useful to you? If yes, download the Femcy app now!

It’s none of these changes! What should I do?

Keep in mind that your body is not a clock. Variation in your menstrual cycle is normal, especially if you’re a teenager, breastfeeding, or nearing menopause. The length of your cycle is measured from day one—the first day of your period, up to the day before your next period. Up to 7–9 days of variation in cycle length from one menstrual cycle to another is considered normal for adults.

Remember, if your period has not arrived in 9 days or more, it is recommended that you seek medical advice (or take a pregnancy test, if that’s a possibility.)