*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a medical professional. The content on this blog is based on my personal experiences as someone dealing with endometriosis and menstruation and should not be considered medical advice. I am sharing my journey, the decisions I made for myself, and the information I gathered in the way I understood it. If you are concerned about your health, please contact a doctor or medical professional. 

Imagine this: Your period was supposed to start 2 days ago and you're freaking out about it. The utter fear associated with a late or missed period. 

You probably don't need to imagine it, you probably have already experienced this multiple times in your life. I remember my first time experiencing this, I was probably 11 years old and I literally sobbed and prayed that I wouldn't be the next Virgin Mary (lol). 

I am here today to tell you that a period that is late by a couple of days is not even technically late. Your period has to be a whole week past the expected date for it to be considered late and has to be six weeks past the expected date for it to be considered missed. 

Now after reading this, you might start freaking out, saying your period has been due for a week or longer. Before you go to the worst-case scenario, there are several reasons for a late period. Here are some of the possible causes. 

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01. Stress 

When your stress levels are extremely high, your brain may make your body switch to fight or flight mode. This can suppress your reproductive system, causing a late period. 

02. Strenuous exercise 

If you are burning more calories than you are taking in, your body cannot support your reproductive system which can cause you to have late or missed periods. It will return back to normal if you slow down your workouts or increase your caloric intake. 

03. PCOS 

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is caused by hormonal imbalance and can cause people not to ovulate regularly, which can cause late or missed periods. 

04. Endometriosis

05. Birth Control 

When you start taking birth control it can take up to a year for your period to become "regular." When you stop taking birth control, it can take a while for your period to return to normal. Be patient! 

06. Perimenopause or early menopause

If you are 40 or older, this could be the reason you are having a late or missed period. For many, a missed period is the first sign of menopause. 

07. Thyroid Condition

Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can affect your menstrual cycle and cause an irregular cycle. 

08. Other Chronic Conditions

Chronic illnesses can affect your menstrual cycle. There has been research showing that celiac disease and diabetes (Type 1 and 2) can cause irregular cycles. 

09. Hormone Imbalance 

A hormone imbalance can be caused by a variety of reasons. It is important to talk to your doctor about testing if you think this could be the cause. For more information, check out this link. 

10. You're Pregnant 

I put this one last because I didn't want you to freak out. If none of the other reasons relate to you, then I recommend taking a pregnancy test. If it is negative, I highly recommend talking to your doctor. 

If your period is only 2 days past due, don't freak out! If it's 7 days past due, check out these reasons before you freak out. If you are still freaking out, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR! 

Happy Menstruating!