How to Get Your Period Back When it Goes | 4 Tips That Helped Me

This article has been written from personal experience by Becky and medically reviewed by Doctor Ramlah Tariq FCPS ob/gyn, RMP, MBBS, BSc

In this blog, I’m going to share my tips with you to help you get period back when it goes. There could be a number of reasons why Flo isn’t visiting anymore, which I share, along with my own personal experience.

These tips worked for me, and I hope they work for you too.

But, first, let’s dive into the science behind loosing your period and why it isn’t a good thing.

The science reasons for missing your period

If you miss at least three periods in a row, it is called amenorrhea. This can happen for a number of reasons, including:

• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Menopause                                                                                      
• Contraception                                                                                                        
• Stress                                                                    
• Over exercise
• Undereating and low bodyweight
• Medical conditions like PCOS and hypothyroidism
• Extensive smoking

Some of these are natural, such as breastfeeding, menopause and pregnancy with the least adverse effects on health. Sometimes, this is not the case. Sometimes, a missed period is due to our own lifestyle choices or medical conditions. This is secondary amenorrhea.

Secondary amenorrhea is the one that occurs due to causes other than natural ones that affect our lifestyle, such as over exercise, medical conditions, body weight and stress. This blog is going to focus on how to get your period back when you have secondary amenorrhea. 

Why losing your period isn’t a good thing 

Missing your period for a few months might seem like quite a treat. You can wear white without worry and you can save heaps on sanitary products. However, if you are missing them due to a lifestyle factor, it isn’t such a good thing. Y

our period is a window to show your body’s overall health. Here’s why.

The reproductive system requires energy to work. If you are not getting enough calories, or over exercising, then your body will shut down the unnecessary functions, such as the reproductive system. 

Same goes for if you are really stressed. Researches have proved when your cortisol levels are high, the body will think that this isn’t the safest time to create life and will therefore prevent ovulation by making hormonal changes and stop periods as a result. 

But, you’re not trying for a baby right now, so why does it matter missing the odd period? 

According to a research, loss of periods and irregular periods has been associated with a larger risk of wrist and hip fractures which relates to reduced bone density medically termed as “osteoporosis associated with amenorrhea. 

Having a healthy and regular period which comes every 21 to 40 days, is a sign that your body is functioning well. Missing a period or more, or having a very irregular cycle can signal a problem.

What to do when you lost your period? | Real life stories

I suffered from amenorrhea for a few years due to low body weight and over-exercise. When it was time to start trying for a family it kickstarted me into really sorting it and seeing it as a problem.

I was on the pill for a 5 or 6 years but decided to come off it to help me figure out whether my periods were actually happening, or whether it was just a withdrawal pill bleed – which isn’t a real period.

After being off the pill for a year I had a few periods, but I could never pin point when they would happen – always catching me off guard! When they did they were very, very light.

From here I found there was an issue. Something wasn’t quite right. A visit to the Doctor encouraged me to gain some weight (which isn’t easy to do when you are enjoying watching the numbers slide in a direction on the scales!)

I half halfheartedly tried to gain some weight, or stop exercising so much, but I always slipped back into old habits. It wasn’t until 2018 (so around 4 years of very irregular and sometimes non existent periods) that I decided to really try.

Falling pregnant and having a successful pregnancy was my main motivation. I lost a baby on New Years Day 2019 and that was enough to really kick start me. I felt that it was my fault for having poor quality eggs from years of abusing my body with over exercise and under eating.

I fell pregnant again in May 2019 and had a healthy baby girl in January 2020. It took 4/5 months of the below to help regualte my periods and get my system working properly.

Here’s what I did to help regulate my periods. This worked for me, I hope it can work for you too. 

More yoga 

It is medically proven that swapping one running or HIIT workout for a yoga session can help to reduce cortisol. When you do too much high intensity exercise your body becomes stressed, it doesn’t know that you are taking part in a fitness class and not running away from a Sabre Toothed Tiger.

I decided to ditch my running shoes completely for a little while and took my spin classes to a much lower intensity. I found yoga was a peaceful activity and a great way to relax and reflect.

Meditation

Each night try a little meditation to close your day and switch off. This can help you to relax and reduce your stress. I used Spotify and Youtube meditations. I also found the free ones on Headspace useful.

Gain weight/ lose weight

In my case, I was underweight, which was causing my body to think it was best to switch off reproduction and therefore periods. However, this can also happen if you are overweight too. Try to eat a healthy, balanced diet with a focus on wholegrains, fruit, veggies and protein. Limit takeaways and trans fats. 

I love eating healthy food so I increased my portions sizes. I doubled my morning bowl of porridge!

Maca, vitamin D, CBD oil and Omega 3

Make sure you consider taking supplements. The Nutri Guy (a nutritionist) advised me to take maca, omega 3 and vitamin D. 

• Vitamin D – Low vitamin D may contribute to irregular cycles, long cycles and amenorrhea (read this)
• Omega 3- Help to increase egg quality
• Maca – Maca may regulate hormones and increase energy levels.
• CBD oil– I’d also heard that CBD may help to balance hormones so I added this to my daily supps too.

I also read a book which I would 100% recommend, The Period Repair Manual. It goes through everything from lifestyle to diet and exercise. It also explains the importance of a healthy period and how it can show your overall health and wellbeing.

How long does it take to get your period back when it goes?

For me, it took about 4-5 months to get it back after gaining weight and swapping some high intensity exercise. I introduced supplements, nutrition advice and meditation, then they started to become more regular. I’d never been so happy to see my period!

Every woman is different. If you are struggling with amenorrhea, chat to your GP who should be able to talk you through your options and look into any underlying causes as to why you have missed periods. Remember, if they suggest going on the pill – this is not a real bleed, but a withdrawal bleed. So it doesn’t solve the problem! 

Pills advised by your doctor are according to the underlying cause e-g in cases of medical conditions responsible for amenorrhea, the treatment is focused on those medical conditions resulting in a better period after their resolution automatically.

P.s – I’m not a DR. This is just what worked for me. I hope it can work for you too! This article has been medically reviewed though, to make sure I am providing correct medical information! You can read more about our medical review policy here

Ask the Doctor – Your questions answered

Q: Is there anything you can do to keep a period regular?
A: You can do a lot to regulate your period. The most important thing is to stay positive and stress-free.
Because stress affects hormones. A balanced diet, healthy weight, Yoga, and frequent exercises will
help regulate periods. Intake of honey, dates, ginger, and cinnamon also help.