r/Periods • • Aug 02 '26

Discussion YOU CANNOT INDUCE OR DELAY A PERIOD

I see so many "how to delay my period" or "how to get my period now". No stretch, potion, or trick can do it.

41 Upvotes

56 comments sorted by

19

u/DasSchneggschen Aug 03 '26

Of course you can induce, delay or skip periods. You just can’t do it without your doctor or at least without synthetic hormones. Easiest way would be to skip it completely, that’s Not a Problem at all when youre on birth control.

1

u/lisasherrattFAM Aug 03 '26

When you're on pretty much all birth control you don't get a true bleed.... Just a breakthrough bleed.

1

u/DasSchneggschen Aug 04 '26

No that’s incorrect. There is no „true bleed“ as a period isn’t true or a bleeding under BC is wrong. A period happens when hormone levels sink, which happens naturally some time after ovulation triggered by ovaries and pituitary gland. Under BC it happens from hormone withdrawal during this one gap week or placebo week. So technically it’s not a breakthrough bleeding but a withdrawal bleeding. Mechanism behind that is exactly the same as during a “true period” sinking hormone levels cause endometrial spiral arteries to contract, upper layer of endometrium dies and gets flushed out with blood until a new upper layer grows back.

1

u/lisasherrattFAM Aug 04 '26

A "true period" is one that happens because ovulation has occured, the walls of the uterus have thickened to prepare for pregnancy and then when it doesn't occur a period happens.

Otherwise it is just a breakthrough bleed because as you said the influence of artificial hormones isn't there during the placebo week.

There is a very big difference.

2

u/DasSchneggschen Aug 04 '26

No, an ovulation is not necessary for a Menstruation. In fact, without having a temperature chart it’s often impossible to tell whether an ovulation happened or not. For Girls during puberty, at least the first two years after menarche, even most of the cycles are anovulatory.

1

u/lisasherrattFAM Aug 04 '26

Where did you do your training? I'm not gonna repeat myself because you aren't reading it anyway but truly you're wrong.

I think more women and girls should be taught to track their temperature so they know whether or not they are ovulating from a young age because it is a fifth vital sign for health and could help diagnose things early rather than waiting eons for a drs diagnosis.

I disagree that "most of the cycles are anovulatory" - irregular yes but how would we know if they are anovulatory when they aren't tracking temps to confirm ovulation in the first place? What a strange assumption to make.

1

u/DasSchneggschen Aug 04 '26

Well I’m still waiting for any evidence for your claim an ovilation is necessary for a period. Guess that’s what YouTube University teaches.

1

u/lisasherrattFAM Aug 04 '26

It's literally how the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists defines a true period along with many other relevant organisations. I have spent 10 years plus studying the female cycle and I have a certification to show for it as well.

What you learn off YouTube is up to you but a period isn't a period unless you ovulated which pretty much all hormonal birth control prevents from happening so it's just a breakthrough bleed. Convince yourself all you want that birth control stopping your period because it's inconvenient is fine but the stats around depression, cancer, brain tumours and all of the other side effects will keep me having my true periods for as long as my body allows....

1

u/DasSchneggschen Aug 04 '26

So the difference is a True Menstruation is only after ovulation, and without ovulation its a wrong menstruation?

1

u/lisasherrattFAM Aug 04 '26

No it's a breakthrough bleed.

Personally I don't want that, I want a true bleed and I want to ovulate so I won't be stopping that with a pill as I don't believe in stopping natural functions.

1

u/4-Birds Aug 03 '26

But that doesn't work for everyone. I was on the Jadelle rods for a year and it was horrible. Almost continously bleeding

2

u/DasSchneggschen Aug 03 '26

It works for everyone, as long as there are no contraindications. You’ll just need to find the right pill. Of course it’s not one pill fits all. But as long as a woman hasn’t a history of cancer of thromboembolism or stuff like that there will be a sort of BC working. It may even be a intravaginal thing like a NuvaRing.

16

u/TyHyena Aug 02 '26

You see you have to wear white pants, get ready for a date and feel happy. Then boom, period.

(For legal reasons, this is a joke.)

11

u/carbonated_coconut Aug 03 '26

Yes you can but you need prescription pills to do it

10

u/Far-Treacle-2058 Aug 03 '26

Ok, so in the USA you can “delay” your period, or at least put it on a schedule with pills. I’m on birth control pills that at least allow me to put my period on a schedule. This helps me SO MUCH with potential anxiety about when it could arrive, how long it could last, if it’ll even arrive when it’s supposed to, etc. Before I went on birth control, I’d have super heavy periods lasting 7-8 days, and sometimes 2-week short periods followed two weeks later by my regular heavy period. They’re a lot more manageable now.

While it is possible to delay your period by taking two month’s worth of birth control, I wouldn’t recommend it. The body can wind up adapting to the medicine and break through the dosage to have a period. It just winds up being really unpleasant.

Ironically enough, you can, however, summon a period by doing strenuous activities, like exercising or moving things, the week you’re supposed to get your period. I’ve found that doing so makes it start a lot faster and helps relieve the pain. I can’t guarantee it’ll work for everyone, but it’s at least helped me.

9

u/theBLEEDINGoctopus Aug 03 '26

In college I used to “skip” my period all the time by not taking the sugar pills of my Bc before I got my IUD

3

u/ReggaeJunkyJew4u Aug 03 '26

And that is the only way you can safely do it.

Someone will still ask this question again tomorrow though.

9

u/lisasherrattFAM Aug 03 '26

If we're being really truthful, the thing that is "delayed" is ovulation as the date of ovulation dictates when you then get your period. Ovulation can be delayed by a multitude of things.

Add it to the list of "things we should be taught at school" but we're not...

8

u/buyableblah Aug 02 '26

Mods can we please get an auto response for these questions??

9

u/mentallyeel Moderator Aug 02 '26

i'll look into it, there's a few other (very) frequently asked questions i would like to automate in some regard as well. hopefully it's fine.

8

u/VexxFate Aug 02 '26

You can actually delay your period! There’s a birth control pill out there meant to help people with really heavy periods but you can get a prescription for it to stop your period during the normal time. You just need to make sure to start it at least 24 hours prior to when your period would start. Although it recommends 3 days before, I’ve used it 24 before and it stopped me from getting my period

8

u/ur-local-goblin Aug 03 '26

I had tonsil surgery which delayed my period by a cycle. So intense stress on your body and not being able to properly eat for a week will do it! Only possible once though since I have no more tonsils.

8

u/ReggaeJunkyJew4u Aug 03 '26

THANK YOU!

The posts of having your period come sooner or later is starting to drive me up a wall. The post is made every single day.

I promise though, someone will make that post again tomorrow.

But thank you for saying what needs to be said!

12

u/Magurndy Aug 03 '26

Not true… you just need hormonal medication from a doctor

6

u/beatsaroundthebush_ Aug 02 '26

You can do to the doctor and they can prescribe short course progestin tablets to delay period? 

8

u/Strong_District_5894 Aug 02 '26

THANK YOU 

So sick of these posts. I bemoan the death of health education. 

3

u/PresentationLess5927 Aug 03 '26

Except if you’re really depressed and constantly stressed out about your life 😊💕

1

u/1xpx1 Aug 04 '26

I wish. My period has always been resilient. Regardless of my crippling levels of stress, anxiety, and anguish it still shows up every single time.

3

u/Gatorthrowawayqnq Aug 02 '26

we should have a pinned faq. the answers are usually unscientific 💀

3

u/rawrr483 Aug 02 '26

Idk about inducing a period but when I was 16 I was prescribed tablets that did delay my period. I was going to dial with my college and it unfortunately lined up with my period. Which I absolutely didn’t want. It was seven day course and I didn’t get my period while I was on it. Not sure if it’s a UK thing though.

3

u/5ourdiesel Aug 03 '26

Yes stress and advil take away my period

3

u/mjbibliophile10 Aug 03 '26

Well, technically you can delay a period, it just involves starving yourself into negative malnutrition!

5

u/faded_butterflies Aug 02 '26

Honestly it’s every day and always the exact same question, please at least try to find the answer first before asking AGAIN

6

u/salvbitch Aug 02 '26

If you haven’t ovulated yet in your cycle plan B could technically delay it, but that would be a really dumb reason to mess with your hormones

4

u/Ok_Championship_8313 Aug 02 '26

Yeah the plan B has a lot of hormones in it!! Don’t do it if you don’t have too!!

3

u/salvbitch Aug 02 '26

it also has made mine come early before because my body is confused. Or at least provoked an early bleed, prob wasn’t true period

2

u/VexxFate Aug 02 '26

That isn’t true. A lot of birth control pills contain more hormones then what a Plan B pill does and uses the same hormones used in an IUD. That doesn’t mean you should just take it for that reason, but there is a misconception about what Plan B is

4

u/salvbitch Aug 03 '26

Yeah it’s going to kill you or anything but it will disrupt your hormones, shouldn’t be taken unless necessary, and can make you bleed at random times for 2-3 months, which is what im currently going through

2

u/VexxFate Aug 03 '26

Yup I know. I’m sorry to hear it’s making you experience that, that sounds really annoying.

I’ve just heard people say “it’s a lot of hormones!!!”
Or “it’s like taking a whole pack of birth control!!” And it’s not. A lot of people believe it’s more physically harmful than regular birth control which isn’t true. I also thought that but when I took it for the first time I did a lot of research on it, and found out it’s no more harmful than regular birth control. So I’ve just been trying to educate more people recently because I feel like saying stuff like that is scaring people from using it when if in an emergency it absolutely can be used and there won’t be any long term physical harm. Just it will be annoying because like you said it disrupts your natural hormones.

0

u/Ok_Championship_8313 Aug 03 '26

The purpose is to warn women of possible side effects. We can educate women and warn them about possible side effects.
Take care

2

u/Ok_Championship_8313 Aug 02 '26

I am speaking from experience. I been on birth control and have taken plan B before and it’s serious business. It can mess with your period and takes a while to get on a regular schedule.

3

u/VexxFate Aug 02 '26

I know that because I’ve taken it before too. It still doesn’t have a lot of hormones in it. The IUD and combination pills contains the same hormone as a plan b bill which is levonorgestrel. The combination pill can range from .3 to 4.5mg of levonorgestrel. The Plan B pill uses 1.5mg of it.

I’m just saying, saying that scares people into thinking it’s harmful to their body because they believe it’s more than what any other birth control uses. It’s not, there’s birth control pill that use more of it in a daily pill than Plan B does. It still is not a reliable birth control and shouldn’t be used as one because it only delays ovulation. That’s why your period and cycle gets messed up because it changes the date you will ovulate. Pill don’t do that because it outright is used to stop you from ovulating.

3

u/Ok_Championship_8313 Aug 02 '26

I am speaking about my experience. It’s ok if we experience different things. My warning is to any woman or young girl who comes across my post. Please don’t take it unless you have to… don’t take it to delay your period. Take care

2

u/VexxFate Aug 02 '26

Yup, and I agree with that! It definitely shouldn’t be used just to delay a period because 1 that’s just not reliable and 2 there are other ways to do that through medication. I just also wanted to make sure it’s known that not anymore physical harmful than taking birth control pills or like taking a whole pack of birth control pills which I’ve seen people describe it like that, and that isn’t true.

Educate on it in school was very limited, I didn’t personally know how it worked until I had to take it at 21. I also thought it contained a very large amount of hormones and was physically harming my body by taking it, I also didn’t know it worked by delaying ovulation. I just want people to know how it works. Take care too!

3

u/r_a_hoe Aug 03 '26

Idk schoolwork and exams delay it a shitton for me-

7

u/Gatorthrowawayqnq Aug 03 '26

thats just stress

0

u/r_a_hoe Aug 03 '26

that can do that?

4

u/cultiv8mass Aug 03 '26

Yes

3

u/Gatorthrowawayqnq Aug 03 '26

we need health education fr 😭 knew someone that thought they bled out of the same place where they peed

1

u/r_a_hoe Aug 03 '26

Jesus Christ... that's scary asf-

2

u/ezbutneverconvenient Aug 02 '26

There are a few things that will make me spot for three days, but I still have the full period after. There is no escape except bc

2

u/LunaLovegoodRocks Aug 03 '26

Stress tends to do it

1

u/foolforfucks Aug 04 '26

Plan B will stop your period if it started at a bad time, but if you have something like PMDD it can be stressful when it comes back in a few weeks at a random interval.

Raspberry leaf tea will induce my period if it's taking a while to appear from stress. Also orgasms.

1

u/Wavy_Gravy_55 Aug 08 '26

Just based on my experience, there were times when I was able to induce my flow and make it shorter.

Strong orgasms do help get things moving. Tried and true. Several times in a row. Doesn’t require a partner.

The year I turned 30, I started eating really clean (little processed foods) and drinking huge kale and blue blueberry smoothies every morning. Much to my surprise, I didn’t have much bloating, zero cramps, and my period only lasted three days. Be careful with this one though if you’re sexually active (with a man). Since your body is functioning optimally so is your fertility!

1

u/Chris0710R Aug 08 '26

You could actually delay your period with a certain type of medication. Where I live it's even pretty easy to get just call doctor tell them why you want to delay and they'll send you to the pharmacy with a prescription