Period talk: Questions and advice

Amy Adams82 said:It’s day seven of my period and things are just... not right. Usually, I’m done in like three days—it changes color and tapers off, you know? But this time, the flow is absolutely insane and my stomach is killing me. It’s still bright red today and these cramps in my lower abdomen are just hitting me in waves. I guess it's just one of those months. Maybe I should keep an eye on it.

So, if I head to the OBGYN, what’s the deal? Like, will they just do a standard checkup or something else? I know they usually don't want to do exams while you're actually bleeding, but I don't know. Maybe I'm just overthinking this, but I really don't want some infection or whatever to just sit there and get way worse. 😢

Obviously, OB-GYNs don't care if you're on your period; they'll still check you out. I mean, it doesn't matter if you're bleeding. I've ended up in the ER a few times because my cramps were just insane—especially when I had that massive cyst—and every single time they did the full works, both manual exams and ultrasounds, regardless of whether I was bleeding or not.

So I’ve got a bit of a question brewing here... is it actually possible for a girl or a woman to be pregnant if she hasn't had her period for like six months straight?

Sandra Garcia60 said:I have a question... is it possible for a girl or woman to be pregnant if she hasn't had her period for 6 months?

Could you maybe clarify what you mean by that?

-Are you asking if there was unprotected sex during those 6 months and you're worried because the period is late—meaning you suspect pregnancy?
Or have you already gone 6 months without a period for other reasons, and you're just wondering if it's possible to get pregnant from having sex now?

Hi there. Can someone walk me through this cycle? Right before my period hits, I’m constantly dealing with dizziness, these awful hot flashes, and just feeling completely drained... then, predictably, my period starts. What am I looking at here?

stormycanyon18 said:Hi everyone! Could someone help me understand what might be happening? Right before my period starts, I always feel terrible—dizzy, dealing with these awful hot flashes, feeling really weak... and then, sure enough, my period arrives. Does anyone know what this could be about?

Whenever I deal with symptoms like those, I usually just grab some sugar water, sit down to rest for a bit, or maybe have a little piece of chocolate...

I suspect it might be a drop in blood pressure or perhaps your blood sugar levels—in any case, having something sweet and taking it easy seems to help.

Thanks, Alexander Allen5 😉

Sandra Rogers95 said:could you maybe clear up what you mean by the question??

-are you thinking that because there was unprotected sex during those 6 months, the delay might be due to pregnancy... or have you already missed 6 months for other reasons and you just want to know if you could get pregnant from having sex without protection now?
or is it more like you've been waiting 6 months for other stuff and you're wondering if one unprotected encounter could lead to pregnancy?

it's definitely the second one 🙂

Sandra Rogers95 said:Could you perhaps elaborate on the question a bit more? I feel like I might be missing some of the context needed to give you a truly helpful answer.

I wonder if there was unprotected intercourse during those six months. If that’s the case, maybe the delay could be due to pregnancy? It’s just a possibility I’m considering.
So, if you’ve already missed six months of your period for other reasons—and I mean completely unrelated health issues or whatever else might be going on—you might be wondering if having unprotected sex could actually lead to pregnancy. It's a fair question, I guess. If your cycle is already totally unpredictable or non-existent due to those other factors, it can feel like you can't really track anything, which makes the whole idea of being able to conceive seem a bit confusing. Maybe it's worth looking into how those underlying issues affect your ovulation, but yeah, the possibility is definitely still there.

Sandra Garcia60 said:I suppose this is the second one. 🙂

To be honest, I'm really not sure...🤷 It’s possible, though I suppose there’s also a chance it isn't.
Did you end up heading over to see Dr. Miller, or did you decide to go with some other specialist for those tests instead?
I don't want to sound like I'm overstepping, but I honestly think it might be a good idea to consult with a doctor first. If you're planning on being sexually active, I guess it would also be probably wise to use a condom just to be safe.

If the uterus is centered, why do I experience pain specifically on the left side of my abdomen during every period?

I realized I forgot to ask my gynecologist about this during my last appointment. 🙄

Maria Morgan said:If the uterus is positioned right in the center, why does the left side of my abdomen hurt during every period?

I totally forgot to bring this up with my OB-GYN during my last checkup. 🙄

Maybe it’s actually your left ovary causing the pain? They aren't located in the center, after all.

Sandra Rogers95 said:Doesn't your left ovary hurt? They aren't right in the middle.

I'm not entirely sure; many of the women I've spoken with mention pain on the left side too, so it isn't quite clear to me.

Is there a standard rule where a different ovary releases an egg each month, meaning they alternate?
I think that's what we were taught in health class, if I recall correctly.

Maria Morgan said:I'm not really sure, because quite a few people I've talked to say their left side hurts too, so I don't quite get it.

Is there actually a rule that the egg comes from a different ovary every month, like they just alternate?
I think that's what we were taught back in health class, if I remember correctly.

I honestly have no idea. For me, it's either everything hurts or nothing hurts at all...
Maybe it's just that more active one,🤷 I'm not a doctor or anything,

Sandra Rogers95 said:I honestly have no idea... I tend to either care deeply about everything or feel absolutely nothing at all.
Maybe that person is more active,🤷 though I guess I'm just not a gym

Either way, thanks for the response. 😉

Maria Morgan said:I don't know—half the people I've talked to say their left side hurts too, so I'm pretty confused.

Is it actually a rule that a different ovary releases an egg every single month, like they just swap back and forth?
I swear they taught us that back in biology class.

Huh, I had no clue about that.😕

Quote:gyn

Mamica4 says: No clue—for me, it's either everything hurts or absolutely nothing does... Maybe that specific one is more active🤷, idk, I'm no

Or maybe it's an ovarian infection. I know for a fact one of my ovaries hurt way worse than the other, and turns out it was an inflammation.🤷

Typically, my period arrives right on the 6th, or maybe a day or two early—my cycle is usually very predictable. About a week before I expected it this month, I went in for a checkup and a Pap smear, and everything looked perfectly fine; I was actually just past ovulation. But for some reason, it hasn't shown up yet.
I’ve only ever missed a period once before, and that was due to an intense shock I went through. After being about ten days late this time, I decided to head back to the doctor because I was worried about a possible pregnancy. Honestly, I didn't have much reason to worry, but I tend to be a bit of a worrier! It turns out I wasn't pregnant. My doctor prescribed some Provera, which I’ve been taking twice a day, but it's been a week now and still nothing.
I’ve had sex both before and after all this, but we always use condoms, and I'm with a long-term partner.

For the last couple of days, I’ve started feeling those familiar pre-period symptoms, specifically cramping and aches in my pelvic area and ovaries.
On top of that, life has been pretty stressful lately. Plus, since I decided to start birth control during my last appointment, I think I’ve just been subconsciously bracing myself and waiting for my period to arrive.

Grace Chase97 said:I guess I wasn't aware of that.😕

It might even be an ovarian infection. I know that one of my ovaries felt much more painful once, and it turned out to be inflammation.🤷

Don't quote me on this; from what I've been able to find in medical literature, it isn't explicitly mentioned, and it doesn't necessarily mean an egg isn't released.

I feel a bit foolish for not knowing more about my own body. If there really is an infection, then I suppose I have an excellent gynecologist if they didn't catch it.

Whenever I ovulate, I usually feel a twinge on my right side—specifically my right ovary. Sometimes it’s a sharp ache, other times it's just a dull sensation.
You really need to keep a close eye on it and track exactly when that pain kicks in and how long it lingers.
In most cases, though, it's perfectly normal to feel sensations on both sides.

You have a point. It might be best to start keeping a log so I can track exactly when and where the pain occurs.

Does anyone actually know what determines how heavy a period gets? Last month was absolutely brutal,
but this month was just... weird. It was totally normal for the first two days, then on day three, it just completely stopped for a few hours 😕, and then on days four and five,
it picked back up at a regular pace. Should I be freaking out?
It’s honestly stressing me out that it just "vanished" for a bit. Like, it wasn't even continuous like it usually is..

wearywalker62 said:Does anyone actually know what makes the flow change up? Last month was super heavy,
but this month was pretty standard for days 1 and 2, then it just... vanished for a few hours on day 3,😕and then on days 4 and 5, it
picked back up at a normal pace.. anything to worry about?
It’s bugging me a bit that it "disappeared" for a few hours—it wasn't one continuous flow like I'm used to..

That's literally my life every single month.🤷 Heavy for two days, almost nothing by mid-day three, and then boom—it starts again. By day 4, I'm basically done.