You may be one of the many women who battle with an irregular period or menstrual cycle. Lately, you may have decided to try to become pregnant, but have not succeeding. You may now be wondering if in the battle to become pregnant, irregular periods doom your cause from the start.
What is an irregular period?
An irregular period may be defined as a menstrual cycle which lasts more than 36 days or less than 21 days. It may also be defined as menstrual cycles which different from month to month.
Can having irregular periods affect my chances of becoming pregnant?
Depending on the cause of your irregular periods, they can indeed affect your chances of becoming pregnant. However, while they may make conception harder, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be unable to become pregnant naturally, it may just be harder for you. The irregularity of your periods, the causes of your irregular periods and whether or not you are able to establish accurately when you are ovulating all factor into your chances of becoming pregnant.
Is it normal to experience irregular periods?
It is normal for many women to experience one or two irregular periods a year as stress or illness can throw off your menstrual cycles, causing your periods to be later than usual. However, if you regularly experience irregular periods, you should go see your doctor.
What causes irregular periods?
There are various causes of irregular periods, some of which can affect your chances of getting pregnant.
1. Anovulation – Anovulation is the absence of ovulation and if your body is not ovulating, it is impossible to conceive.
2. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – This is when small cysts, visible on an ultrasound scan, are present on your ovaries. If you are ovulating normally, it may be possible for you to get pregnant on your own even with PCOS.
3. Hormonal Imbalance – If you have a hormonal imbalance, but are still ovulating, you may be able to get pregnant naturally, it may just require more effort to establish when you are ovulating as your ovulation day may vary greatly from month to month.
4. Weight – Being drastically overweight or underweight can disrupt your menstrual cycles and also cause anovulation. Extreme dieting or exercising may also result in an irregular menstrual cycle. Losing weight if you are overweight or gaining weight if you are underweight, cutting down on the amount of exercise and stopping tour diet may regulate your cycle again.
Becoming pregnant with irregular cycles
The first thing to do if you are trying to become pregnant and you have an irregular cycle is go see you gynaecologist. They will run some blood tests to determine whether or not you are ovulating.
If you are ovulating normally, you can either continue trying to get pregnant naturally, or if you have already been trying for a year, request additional tests to discover why you are not conceiving.
If the blood tests show that you are not ovulating, you may need fertility boosting drugs to aid your body in ovulating again.
By: Dave Arnoldi
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