The most frequent causes of disruptions in the menstrual cycle include stress, travel, extreme exercise, or a brief alteration in your typical routine. Consistently irregular cycles are more frequently caused by eating disorders, weight gain or loss, excessively high or excessively low thyroid levels, or hormonal abnormalities.
A condition known as the polycystic ovarian syndrome is the most frequent cause of persistently irregular menstruation (PCOS). Of course, pregnancy can also be the cause of missing or irregular menstruation. In this article, we will thoroughly discuss the signs of pregnancy when you have irregular periods, along with diagnosis and treatment.
What are Irregular Periods and Pregnancy?
A normal menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. More often than every 21 days, a cycle is irregular. Periods with irregular timing may arrive early, be missed, or last longer than 8 days. Unpredictable periods are brought on by pregnancy, starting or discontinuing birth control.
Menstrual periods are deemed irregular when they deviate from the “normal” range. An irregular menstrual cycle lasts more than 35 days or less than 21 days.
Getting pregnant may be challenging if you have an irregular menstrual cycle. Knowing when you’re ovulating is difficult if you don’t know how long your cycle lasts from month to month.
Is Pregnancy Possible With Irregular Periods?
Yes. Not all irregular menstrual periods have an impact on fertility. A lot of women with irregular menstrual periods conceive and have healthy children.
Up to 30% of all infertility cases emerge due to issues with ovulation. The actual worry with irregular periods is that the condition may occasionally signify erratic or nonexistent ovulation. And you cannot become pregnant if you do not ovulate.
Does A Pregnant Woman’s Health Suffer From Irregular Periods?
Depending on what’s causing your irregular menstruation, they could. If the reason is unclear, you might not be at an elevated risk for pregnancy issues, but you should talk to your doctor about any potential dangers.
- Preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, a rapid increase in blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy, and miscarriage are all risks that pregnant women with PCOS are more likely to experience.
- Higher prevalence of uncontrolled hyperthyroidism among pregnant women.
- Dependable source for delivering stillborn, preterm, or birth defect babies.
Signs of Pregnancy When you Have Irregular Periods
If you are pregnant, you could experience some or all of the early pregnancy symptoms listed below. These signs and symptoms are almost the same as normal pregnancy symptoms.
1. Implantation Bleeding
One to two weeks after fertilization, during the time of implantation, some women experience bleeding. Cramps and bleeding are two implantation symptoms that might be mistaken for mild menstruation. The following characteristics will help you distinguish between implantation bleeding and period blood:
• Implantation bleeding is extremely light in flow, while the period flow is usually heavy.
• Period blood is reddish, whereas implantation bleeding is pink or brown colored with occasional discharge.
• Implantation bleeding should only last one to three days, while the period cycle is 5-7 days.
2. Nausea
Due to hormonal changes, one of the most prevalent signs of early pregnancy that frequently begins as early as two weeks after conception is nausea. Morning sickness may happen due to low blood sugar levels, which typically interact with hormones in the morning. Vomiting might or might not be present.
3. Enlarged or Sensitive Breasts
Pregnancy hormones can cause a woman’s breasts to swell or become sore, which is where some women first detect their condition.
4. Fatigue or Extreme Tiredness
Early in pregnancy, while your body adapts to the fetus, you could experience fatigue. Increased progesterone levels, which control the menstrual cycle, may potentially be a factor in weariness.
5. Additional Signs
Although they are less frequent in the first few weeks of pregnancy, the following symptoms might still appear in the first trimester:
- mood swings
- headaches
- backaches
- frequent urination
- Changes in eating habits, such as desires, cravings, or aversions
Causes of Irregular Menstrual Cycles
Between adolescence and menopause, when a woman’s menstruation ends, many women experience irregular periods. Periods might be unpredictable during adolescence and the perimenopausal stage (when your body makes the natural transition to menopause).
In addition, eating disorders, including anorexia, uncontrolled diabetes, and some drugs, might result in irregular periods.
- Primary ovarian insufficiency
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism
- Obesity
- Eating unhealthy food such as junk food
- Taking birth control pills, copper-T or transdermal patch implantation as pregnancy control measures
When Should a Pregnant Woman With Irregular Menstruation Visit The Doctor?
If any of the following apply to you, you might visit the doctor for irregular periods:
- Your period has been regular for 90 days or longer
- You haven’t had one in at least 21 days
- You have periods more frequently than every 35 days
- Your period lasts longer than seven days
- Your period is unusually heavy
- Your period is excruciatingly painful
- You bleed between periods
Your doctor will recommend a plan of action and assist in identifying the reason for your irregular menstruation.
Diagnosis of Irregular Period Pregnancy
Pregnancy is only one of the numerous causes of irregular periods. While home pregnancy tests assert that they are most reliable after a missing period, it may be challenging to determine this if your menstruation is irregular.
Try waiting either 28 days since your last intercourse or 36 days since your previous menstruation if you suspect you could be pregnant. If the test is negative, but you still believe you could be pregnant, retake the test a few days later.
Any of the following examinations or tests may be carried out by your doctor to identify the cause of your irregular periods:
- Examination of the pelvis, the heart, and the lungs
- Examinations of the heart rate, weight, and blood pressure, a pregnancy test, a pelvic ultrasound, and blood tests to check the levels of certain hormones
- Urine collection every day for a HCG test
- Pap test
In order to better assess the findings, your doctor will also obtain a thorough history of your family and personal affairs.
Treatment For Irregular Period Pregnancies
Depending on the diagnosis, many therapies are used to treat irregular periods, some of which also target underlying disorders. The irregular menstruation types need various treatments. The following are possible treatments for irregular, infrequent, or nonexistent periods:
• Cyclic progestin; oral contraceptives (birth control tablets)
The following are possible treatments for heavy or protracted periods:
• Progestin- or tranexamic-acid-containing medications;
• An intrauterine device (IUD) that releases hormones;
• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Uterine artery embolization, which stops blood flow to the uterus;
• Endometrial ablation, which involves cauterizing blood vessels in the uterus’ endometrium;
• Surgical excision of uterine fibroids or polyps.
• Hysterectomy
The following are possible remedies for uncomfortable/painful periods:
• NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• Utilizing contraceptives and a heating pad
Conclusion
Since the signs of pregnancy when you have irregular periods are almost similar to the normal pregnancy signs. Therefore you may not be able to clearly identify your pregnancy by just looking at the symptoms until you perform a home or a laboratory pregnancy test. Irregular ovulation is the leading cause of irregular periods in many women. While irregular menstruation and late ovulation might make it more difficult to conceive, your doctor can help you become more fertile by addressing the underlying reason for your irregular periods and tracking your success after you become pregnant. This will make it more likely that you’ll be pregnant healthily and have a healthy baby.
Also Read: Most pregnancies around the world are smooth without any health issues. But, some may have to face a few pregnancy complications.
