How do you start your period? Myths and explanations

Your period is late and it worries you? You have a scheduled vacation and want to have your period as soon as possible? There are many reasons why women want to trigger their period. In this article, we explain how to trigger your period naturally and with different methods.

Is it possible to trigger one's period?

Let's start with the basics: can menstruation be triggered when you want it to? Answering this question is not so simple... We know how much the mind plays a crucial role on our body and especially on our menstrual cycle. A absence of menstruation can quickly become a source of anxiety, especially if you are afraid of being pregnant.
For example, you have probably already noticed that when you are stressed, your period takes longer to arrive. This is quite normal, our emotions, our morale have an impact on our metabolism, on our hormones, and especially on estrogen and progesterone. It is therefore possible to "trigger your period" if you act on external factors.
In fact, in order for your period to arrive, you must stop thinking about it and not become obsessed with it. The more you think about it, the slower it will come. Worrying about when your period will come may delay it even more.
Let's agree: this is much easier said than done!
Perhaps some in-depth work on your stress and anxiety (if you are prone to this) would be necessary.
If you relax and stop obsessing about it, your period will eventually come.

Why don't I get my period?

As you will have understood, a whole host of factors can influence your menstrual cycle. We will focus on two types of causes: taking hormonal contraception and physiological or environmental factors.

Taking hormonal contraception

Many women are on hormonal contraceptives. Hormones have an impact on the menstrual cycle.
Generally, when you take hormonal contraception, your periods become much more regular, often even on time. So it makes sense that you would be concerned when your period takes longer to come. But even when you're on hormones, the body is not actually a clock. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, your period may be late, the flow may be altered or it may simply be different than usual. There is no need to worry. However, if your period is too late and you have any doubts about a potential pregnancy, you can take a pregnancy test.

Physiological or environmental factors

Other factors, such as physiological and environmental factors can have an impact on your cycle. It is often said that stress plays a significant role in your cycle and in many aspects of your life. The stress hormone called cortisol has a direct impact on your period: its duration, frequency and pain.
So, to better live this period, it is essential to manage your stress. Here are a few factors that can help you improve your quality of life, and consequently lower your stress level.

Sleep

One of the first factors is sleep. A good night's sleep will give you a more peaceful mind.

Moreover, when you sleep, the body evacuates the stress it has accumulated during the day. Toxins and various waste products will be eliminated during the night. Thus, having a regular sleep rhythm is very important, a lack of sleep leads to exhaustion, irritability and stress. In addition, sleep also helps to regulate moods and to have a more stable morale.
In the same way, stress can lead to sleep disorders (whatever they are), such as night wakings, insomnia or difficulties in falling asleep. It's a vicious circle.

Eating

Another area that can affect your cycle and period is diet.
Diet plays a key role in many aspects of our lives. Some foods should be avoided during your period, while others should be favored.
The same goes for sleep. It is very important to have a regular sleep rhythm, to get enough sleep.
On the other hand, it is possible that during your period (or during PMS), you sleep less well. In fact, hormonal fluctuations also affect the quality of your sleep.

What can I do to start my period naturally?

Even if there is no miracle solution to trigger your period, there are still techniques and tricks that can help trigger it. The effectiveness of these techniques has not been proven and differs from one woman to another. But you can try them with peace of mind: they do not present any health risks. Here are our advices, methods and natural remedies to make your menstruation finally arrive.

Emmenagogue plants

What are the emmenagogues plants?
These are plants that will stimulate the blood flow in the uterus. Supposedly, this can cause the arrival of blood flow.
Among these plants we find :

• the parsley, that you can consume in infusion, to drink the morning and/or evening, with a little honey
• the famous sage, a very well known plant for all that is related to the menstrual cycle
• the mint pouliot, the armoise, the yarrow, the angelica, the shepherd's purse, the raspberry tree... To quote only them.

If you do not like the taste of these plants to drink them in infusion, you can quite consume them in essential oils or in the form of food supplements. For more information, you can contact your pharmacist or your doctor.

Food rich in vitamin C

As previously mentioned, a balanced diet rich in vitamin C is essential for a good hormonal balance. Vitamin C helps increase estrogen. Estrogens are the hormones that cause uterine contractions and thus: menstruation. Before your period arrives, you can start taking it. Vitamin C is found in certain foods such as oranges, ginger, pineapple and parsley. You can also get more vitamin C by taking supplements. Remember to eat enough vegetables.
Diet plays a key role in regulating cycles, managing pain, pre-menstrual syndrome, etc.

Drink infusions

Some plants can be consumed as a drink. This is particularly the case with parsley and sage. Some spices such as ginger, turmeric, or cinnamon, are consumed in infusion, hot or cold, and promote the arrival of the period.

Change your method of contraception

Contraception has an impact on the menstrual cycle. So if you want to have more regular periods, you can take the pill. Taking an oral contraceptive helps regulate the cycle since periods on the pill are artificial periods called "withdrawal bleeding".

Practice a non-intensive sport activity

Sport during menstruation is an issue that keeps coming up. Indeed, sport can help relieve painful periods and accelerate the onset of menstruation by stimulating blood flow. However, it should be kept in mind that it can also have the opposite effect. In fact, some top sportswomen have very irregular periods and a very weak flow, due to too intense a practice of sport. Sport at too high an intensity can cause a disturbance of the hormones. Sometimes even amenorrhea.
So, if your period takes longer than usual to arrive, and you have recently changed your sports habits, your body may be reacting. Especially if you've started exercising a lot, your cycles may get longer and your period may take longer to arrive.
While high-intensity sports can have the opposite effect on the onset of your period, some gentler or more moderate practices, such as yoga, can encourage their arrival.

Opt for an active sexual life

It is not really the fact of having sexual intercourse that will make your period come, but rather the organ. Indeed, the contractions due to the latter will trigger the period and the blood will be expelled thanks to the contractions.

Take a hot bath with essential oils

Finally, you are aware that your mood plays an important role in your menstrual cycle. Thus, avoiding any form of stress or anxiety will help you avoid the disruption of your cycle.
To relax, you can take a hot bath with essential oils. This will help you reach a state of relaxation, and the heat can also help bring on your period by stimulating blood flow. In any case, you should try to relax as much as possible because it is not by focusing on the problem that your period will come faster.
If your period takes too long to arrive, you can consult your general practitioner or gynecologist.

The FAQ to trigger the period

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What is the medication to trigger menstruation?

Can having sex trigger a period?