Category: Gynecology

Have you ever had a late or missed period when you are certain you aren’t pregnant? It may cause you a moment of panic, but a late period is often caused by factors that have nothing to do with reproduction. If you have a late period and you are sure you’re not pregnant, one of the following factors may be to blame.

1. Stress

Stress is not just a mental problem. Being stressed for extended periods can have negative effects on your physical health. Along with causing weight gain, sleep disturbances, and headaches, stress can make your period late. Stress causes the body to prioritize the bodily functions that are essential for keeping you alive, and menstruation is not one of those essential functions.

2. Weight

Your weight can affect your ovulation, which in turn will alter your period. If you are obese or underweight, you may have a late or missed period. Both extremes interfere with the hormonal balance that keeps ovulation regular. This is also the case if you’ve recently had an extreme weight fluctuation due to surgery or illness. For women who are obese, losing weight may help make ovulation and menstruation more regular. Underweight women may need to increase caloric intake and gain weight to have regular periods. 

3. Birth Control

Some hormonal birth control can alter the regularity of your menstrual cycle. For some women, this is the desired effect, but when it’s unexpected it can be worrying. Hormonal birth control works by stopping ovulation, so not having a period is a sign that it’s working. If you are taking oral birth control, the prescription may include a week’s worth of placebo pills. This can cause bleeding, but it is not technically a period, but rather withdrawal bleeding. Sometimes discontinuing or starting birth control can make menstruation irregular.

4. Other Medications

Non-hormonal medications can also cause you to have a late period. These drugs include antidepressants, antipsychotics, chemotherapy drugs, and corticosteroids. 

5. You’ve Just Started Menstruating

Young women who have only had a few periods may not have regular cycles at first. It can take a few months for cycles to become regular. This is also true if you have just come off of birth control medication that stopped menstrual periods. It makes take a little while for you to get a period every month again.

6. Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding mothers may have irregular periods, very light periods, or no period at all. This is especially true if your baby is still getting most of his or her nutrition from breastfeeding. However, just because you don’t get a regular period during this time, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to use birth control to prevent another pregnancy. 

7. PCOS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition in which a woman’s reproductive hormones are not balanced. PCOS can cause cysts on the ovaries, but not every woman with PCOS has cysts. However, one symptom of the condition that is common is late and irregular periods due to interruptions in ovulation. If this is the reason your period is late, your doctor may suggest hormonal birth control to regulate the menstrual cycle.

8. Thyroid Disorders

Your thyroid is a gland that is responsible for your metabolism and other bodily functions. Abnormalities in how the thyroid functions can affect your menstrual cycle and make your period late. An overactive thyroid is referred to as hyperthyroidism and an underactive thyroid is called hypothyroidism. Both can affect your cycle.

9. Perimenopause

If your late period is part of an irregular menstrual cycle, it could be a sign of perimenopause. During perimenopause, the body is transitioning from the reproductive stage to menopause. Perimenopause can happen at different ages, but it happens for most women in their late 40s. Periods during menopause may be lighter, heavier, or irregular in frequency. According to the Office on Women’s Health, perimenopause usually lasts between 2 and 10 years. When your period has stopped for a full year, then you have reached menopause. 

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Green Valley OB/GYN offers comprehensive care for women in all stages of life. This includes preventive exams, family planning, maternity care, and menopause management. If you are concerned about women’s health issues like irregular or late periods, call our Greensboro, NC office at (336) 378-1110 to make an appointment. 

Diabetes is a condition that affects about one in ten Americans. That’s more than 30 million people living with diabetes. It is also fairly common for women who did not have diabetes before they were pregnant to develop diabetes while they’re carrying a baby.  November is American Diabetes Month, which is a great chance to raise awareness about all types of the disease, including gestational diabetes mellitus (sometimes abbreviated as GDM). So, let’s look at some facts you should know about gestational diabetes.

1. It isn’t Uncommon

Different estimates indicate that between 2-10% of pregnancies in the U.S. are affected by gestational diabetes every year. Diabetes is only considered to be gestational if the mother did not have either type of diabetes before pregnancy. Mothers who already diabetic should discuss possible risks and complications with their doctor as well.

2. The Exact Cause is Unknown

Doctors know how gestational diabetes happens, but they can’t definitively pinpoint why it happens. GDM develops when the body does not produce enough insulin during pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone that regulates how your body uses blood sugar from the foods you eat for energy. 

Some pregnant women become insulin resistant because their body’s cells don’t use the insulin it produces efficiently. That means more insulin is required for normal function. Why this happens to pregnant women has not been proven, but it likely relates to hormonal changes that take place as the fetus develops and grows. 

3. You Should Keep Getting Your Blood Sugar Checked After You Give Birth

Gestational diabetes usually goes away after childbirth, but the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later is higher. You should get your blood sugar tested 6 to 12 weeks after you give birth and then every 1 to 3 years afterward. You can lower your risk by achieving and maintaining healthy body weight after the baby is born.

4. Gestational Diabetes Can Lead to Complications for Both Mother and Baby

There are several possible complications of GDM that can affect both the mother and the baby:

• The chances of the baby being very large (more than 9 pounds) increase. This can make delivery more difficult and increase your chances of needing a c-section.
• Early birth is more likely, which can cause breathing issues and other complications
• The baby can have low blood sugar after birth
• The baby has a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life
• Mothers with GDM are more likely to develop high blood pressure or even preeclampsia
• The mother’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes after having the gestational type of the disease increase as well

5. There are Steps You Can Take to Try and Prevent GDM

Before you get pregnant, you can do certain things to lower your chances of developing this condition. If you are overweight, losing weight before you are pregnant is recommended. You shouldn’t try to lose weight while pregnant, so doing it before you try to get pregnant is important. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and plenty of physical activity can also lower your risk. While there is no guarantee that these steps will prevent you from developing gestational diabetes, it is worth taking action to give yourself the best chance of avoiding it.

6. Certain People are at a Higher Risk For Developing the Condition

All pregnant women can develop gestational diabetes, but certain factors can increase a woman’s risk of developing the condition. These factors include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Having GDM in previous pregnancies
• Being over 25 years old
• Delivering a baby over 9 pounds in the past
• Having polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• Having a family history of type 2 diabetes
• Being part of certain ethnic groups, including African American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Latino/Hispanic, or Alaska Native

7. When You Get Tested May Depend on Your Risk

Most women are tested for gestational diabetes between the 24th and 28th weeks of their pregnancy, which is when it usually develops. Women who are at a higher risk of developing GDM may have their blood sugar tested earlier on. However, higher than normal blood sugar in early pregnancy may be an indicator of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes unrelated to the pregnancy.

8. There are Several Effective Ways to Manage It

There is no “cure” for gestational diabetes. The condition does not resolve until after the baby is born. However, you can manage it effectively by making certain lifestyle changes. Diet becomes very important when managing any kind of diabetes, including the gestational variety. Work with your doctor and a dietician to determine which foods are best to eat as well as how much you should eat and how often. 

Engaging in regular physical activity can also help your body be more responsive to insulin, which can lower blood sugar. Exercise should be moderately intense and you should ask your doctor about which types of exercise are safe and what to avoid.

Avoid gaining too much weight during pregnancy by using these methods as well. Most pregnant women do need to gain weight for the baby to be healthy, but it should not be excessive. Talk to your doctor about how much weight is healthy for you to gain.

Make an Appointment

At Green Valley OB/GYN, we have decades of experience managing both high and low-risk pregnancies. You can be confident that we can provide the best treatment possible if you develop gestational diabetes or have other complications. To make an appointment, call us at (336) 378-1110, or you can request an appointment online if you’re an existing patient with an account.

Dr. Michelle Horvath at discusses Pap screening with WGHP TV.

“Just because the Pap screening isn’t every why every year doesn’t mean women don’t need to go in for their annual exam every year.”

See the full post on WGHP.