TresSugar

Group Therapy: Convincing Mom to Approve Birth Control

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:22:39 -0700

My sister is 17 years old. She has had problems with her period since she first started getting it, and now she hasn't had it in two months. She wants to see a doctor about it and possibly be put on birth control to help regulate it. However, she doesn't know how to ask my mom about it, because she is afraid that my mother will think she wants it so that she can have sex with her boyfriend. This is not why she wants it at all; she has extremely high standards for herself and doesn't want to have premarital sex.

So how do you think she should approach my mother about this issue? What do you suggest?

[EDITOR'S NOTE: To be involved in more GROUP THERAPY, click here]

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Do Tell: What's Your Worst PMS Symptom?

DearSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:00:00 -0800

Did any of you catch this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live? If not, you missed one hilarious skit! It was modeled after the birth control pill Seasonale, which only gives you four periods a year. SNL's hypothetical Annuale only allows one period a year, leaving the women in this ad in PMS hell when Aunt Flow finally does arrive. As funny and kitschy as this commercial is, it holds some truth as well. As we all know, PMS is never fun so do tell, what's your worst PMS symptom?

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Five Common Causes For Late Periods

DearSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0700

A late period is one of the scariest experiences if you're not planning on being a mom anytime soon. It's actually pretty normal for women's periods to be delayed for several reasons, and you shouldn't just assume it's because you're pregnant. Here are a few to keep in mind.

Your cycle might be irregular from month to month. This means that last month your cycle might have been 24 days long, and this month it could be 32 days long. When your period doesn't show up when it's expected, it could be because your body hasn't finished its cycle yet.
Stress caused you to ovulate later than usual. Your body releases an egg from your ovary with the intention of becoming pregnant and if you were worried or upset about something at that specific time, your body will wait until it feels you are emotionally ready. That means you could ovulate up to a week or more later than usual or you could even skip your period altogether.
You are sick or injured. If your body is not well, then you aren't equipped to handle a pregnancy. Your body will ovulate when it feels you are healthy again. This could delay your period or stop it altogether.
You're not getting enough to eat or are exercising too intensely. This again will affect your overall health. If your body is working too hard to keep you well, then there's no way a pregnancy can occur. Your period may be late, irregular, or it may disappear altogether until your body feels that your health is in order.
You're taking new medication. Taking certain prescriptions or changing your meds can affect your cycle, so talk to your doctor if you skip your period.

Dear's Advice: If your cycle is consistently regular and your period happens to be unusually late, worrying about whether you're pregnant isn't going to make you get it any faster so take a pregnancy test to help ease your mind. Whatever the results are, you'll be able to decide what step to take from there.

Lybrel Birth Control Pills: No Period?

DearSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:00:37 -0700

A while back, I discussed whether or not it was safe to get only four periods a year by using Seasonale birth control pills. It is safe, and here's why: When you take the week of sugar pills while on birth control, the period you get isn't a real period, since the hormones prevent you from ovulating and you're not releasing an egg. It's actually a pill period, and it is your body's reaction to the withdrawal of hormones. Having a pill period every month is just as safe as having one every three months.

OK, but what about having no periods at all? The birth control pill Lybrel is all over this idea. For the details, read more.

This low-dose combination birth control pill allows you to take it 365 days a year with no sugar pills, so you don't get any pill periods. Some women do experience unscheduled bleeding or spotting in the first six months (or longer) but for many, they'll take that over a monthly period any day. So is it safe to take hormones 365 days a year and never get your period?

Since the period you get while on the pill isn't a real period and is unnecessary, doctors feel that it's OK to get it once a month, every three months, or never at all. The FDA approved this pill in May 2007, but since this is a fairly new drug on the market, the long-term effects are unknown. In addition, cancer experts are concerned about the possible health risks of taking hormones continuously, since there are no long-term studies yet about whether it could cause breast cancer or other hormone-fueled tumors.

As with all methods of birth control, you have to choose the one that fits in with your needs and lifestyle. If not getting your period sounds like the best news ever, talk to your doctor about your questions and concerns. If unscheduled spotting and unknown long-term side effects don't bother you, then Lybrel could be your new best friend.

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Can You Get Pregnant When You Have Your Period?

DearSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 08:00:00 -0700

For a while, I always thought that you could have unprotected sex while you had your period, and it was a "safe" time when you wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant. Then I heard there are a few cases where women have gotten pregnant, so what's the deal?!

If a woman has a typical 28-day menstrual cycle, then she will ovulate in the middle of her cycle (around 14 days after the 1st day of her period). Even if she has unprotected sex 5 days before she ovulates, she can get pregnant (remember that sperm can live up to 5 days inside a woman's vagina).

Studies show that if a woman's cycle is shorter than 28 days, she'll ovulate much sooner, so if she has unprotected sex while she has her period, it's possible that sperm can still be around when she eventually ovulates - meaning women with shorter cycles may be able to get pregnant if they have unprotected sex while they have their period.

Other factors also play a big role. Stress and certain medications can make you ovulate later or earlier than expected, which in turn will affect when you get your period. This can cause some women to have erratic cycles, where one month it's 25 days long and the next month it's 33 days long. If this sounds like you, then it may be hard to determine when you ovulate, so if you don't want to end up preggers, don't have unprotected sex ever.

What about a "false period?" To find out read more

A true period happens about 2 weeks after you ovulate. The blood is a shedding of your uterine wall due to lack of conception. A false period, like spotting can really be the first signs of pregnancy so if she doesn't know she's pregnant, she can continue going through the month not knowing she's already pregnant -- a scary thought I know. If she had sex during that "false period" when she was spotting (and already pregnant), she'll think she got pregnant at that time, when in reality, she got pregnant about 2 weeks before that "false period."

Spotting or irregular bleeding (that's not a real period) can also happen if you're using an IUD, if you've recently had an abortion, if you have stress or a fluctuation in your hormones, if you have low thyroid levels, injury to your vagina, an infection, or if you are on certain medications such as anticoagulants.

The bottom line is, unless you are charting your cycle every day and measuring your fertility signs (cervical fluid, body temperature, and position of your cervix), there's really no way to know for sure when you ovulate and if your period is a true period.

Dear's Advice: If you are sexually active, and you don't want to get pregnant, make sure to use an effective form of birth control every time you have sex. It doesn't matter if you use condoms, the Pill, the Nuvaring, the Patch, or the Shot - just make sure to use it properly!

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Do Tell: Do You Blame Emotional Outbursts on Your Period?

DearSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Being in tune with our bodies makes dealing with our periods much more manageable, but as we all know, PMS symptoms can differ from month to month. Some of us get emotional, some get cranky, and some of us have to deal with annoying bloating and sore boobs. But just like men tend to blame our bad moods on that time of the month, many women do too!

According to the March issue of Glamour magazine, 58 percent of women polled admit to blaming their emotional outbursts on their period. While I am no doubt emotional during that time of the month, I think blaming PMS for a hot temper is a cop out. I might be alone on this one so do tell, do you ever blame your emotional outbursts on your period?

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You Asked: Can I Avoid My Period?

DearSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar--

What can I do? I was invited to a cruise with a friend that I really like,
but the days are exactly during my period. Is there a way to avoid getting my period during those days, or postpone it to I get back? I am 47 and not taking any kind of pill or contraceptive.

--Period in My Way Winona

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Period in My Way Winona--

I'm not sure when you are leaving for this cruise, but the only way you can postpone your period is to get on a hormonal birth control. You can take the Pill, use the Nuvaring, or the Patch (this one may not be recommended since there can be serious side effects).

These hormones will regulate your period and keep it at bay, as long as you continue to use them. You can get your period every 4th week if you want, but if you are scheduled to be on the cruise that week, just skip the 4th week of pills (they don't contain hormones), and go right into starting a new pack of pills. If you are using the Nuvaring, place a new ring inside you at the start of the 4th week (instead of the 5th week) and if you are using the Patch, skip the patch-free week and apply a new patch at the beginning of the 4th week.

This is safe to do since the period you are getting while using hormonal birth control isn't a "real period". Talk to your doctor about which method may be right for you before you start interfering with nature!

If you are not into taking hormonal birth control, just use tampons. They're discreet, you can swim with them and you can keep one in for up to 8 hours. Hope this helps and have fun on your trip!

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Stress and Your Period

DearSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:00:00 -0700

I'm sure every single one of you can relate to the stress of your period being late. If you are not wanting to be pregnant, it can be the worst feeling ever, and it brings up a lot of questions until you finally get your period or take a pregnancy test.

Did you know that stress could also be the cause of your late period? Stress can affect the functioning of the hypothalamus - the gland in the brain that regulates emotions, as well as the hormones required to release your eggs. If you're feeling stressed, worried, or nervous, you may ovulate later in your cycle or not at all. This in turn will make you get your period later than expected, or sometimes you'll skip your period altogether.

This info is only helpful if you are not on some kind of hormonal birth control (you don't ovulate, so you don't have to worry). If you use condoms, a diaphragm, or the FAM (Fertility Awareness Method - also known as the Rhythm Method), than knowing how your emotions affect your cycle is going to be key in preventing a major meltdown if your period is late.

If you want to know how you can prevent a possible late period, then read more

During the time you ovulate, which is usually about 10-18 days after the first day of your period (depending on your cycle), try to eliminate any work-related or relationship stress. Get a massage, take a walk, slip into a relaxing bath, or spend some downtime reading a book on the couch - do things that make you feel calm and happy.

Also, make sure to get regular exercise and eat a balanced diet. Remember that your period is there so you can have a baby (if you want to), so if you're not taking care of yourself, your body will delay or prevent ovulation until your body is fit to be pregnant. It is important to do all you can to keep your mind and body healthy.

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The Period That Won't Quit

DearSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Now that we've delved into what is and isn't normal when it comes to your period, I thought we could take a closer look at what can cause a period that lasts longer than an average of seven days. If you're experiencing this frustrating change in your cycle, a trip to your gynecologist is a necessity. But in the meantime, it's a good idea to educate yourself on possible explanations in order to prepare yourself for your exam. Here are some of the general possibilities:

For women on the pill, spotting or extended bleeding may be solved with a simple change in prescription to a pill with a higher dosage - not all pills are created equal when it comes to hormones. Or if you're chronically tardy when it comes to taking your pill, you may just need to be more diligent.
If you're not on the pill, hormonal issues can still play a role. If you're having any other strange symptoms outside of your period, be sure to mention them to your gyno; she may want to make sure your thyroid gland is functioning properly.
Both IUCs and Depo-Provera can cause irregular bleeding. If you've started experiencing spotting after trying out either of those methods of contraception, and it lasts for an extended period of time, you may want to discuss the possibility of trying out an entirely different method.

To see other reasons that may account for heavy, prolonged bleeding, read more.

If you're experiencing excessive bleeding, persisting over two weeks or more, there are more significant issues that could be at fault, including uterine fibroids, endometriosis, or ovarian cysts. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have any kind of pain or physical discomfort accompanying the excess bleeding.
Heavy bleeding post-period can also be a symptom of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, both of which are very serious. Even if you feel sure you can't possibly be pregnant, it's important to be seen by your doctor.

Dear's Advice: Every woman's different, so don't panic if your cycle differs from your peers. However, if you've noticed a change in your cycle, it's always a good idea to make an appointment to see your gynecologist and make sure that everything is functioning as it should. And don't be afraid to let her in on any other issues you may be experiencing, including emotional ones, as they could be related.

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What Was Your First Period Like?

DearSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:30:00 -0800

There's been some hype around the subject matter of the new book My Little Red Book, and if you take a step back and understand the purpose of these short stories, you'll realize how helpful this dialogue is to curious teenagers, confused dads, mothers, and young women who are dealing with their first period. Contributors from all walks of life share their right-of-passage stories, and since almost all of us can identify with those feelings of fear, change, excitement, and joy that come with a first period, I'm curious to learn what else you felt when you first got yours, so do tell!

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