How many days is it normal to be late

You go to the bathroom, pull down your underpants and… nothing. Before you start to worry about why it could be late, take a deep breath and read this. Your body is not a clock, and variation in your menstrual cycle is normal, especially if you are a teenager , breastfeeding or nearing menopause.

Stress , travel , diet, illness and medication including birth control can also affect your cycle length, symptoms and the length and heaviness of your period. Up to 7—9 days of variation cycle-to-cycle is considered normal for adults. With Clue you can view your recent period dates, cycle averages and predictions for your next three cycles. You are only at risk of pregnancy if you had unprotected penis-vagina sex or had sperm touching your vagina or vulva — during.

If you have a regular menstrual cycle for example, your cycle length rarely varies by more than a couple days , then you are only at risk of pregnancy if you had unprotected heterosexual sex or had a high risk of sperm touching your genitals during your fertile window. You can take a pregnancy test about two weeks after your estimated ovulation day , but the earlier you take a test the less accurate it may be and some brands are more sensitive than others 1.

You should probably take a pregnancy test or contact your healthcare provider if your period is nine or more days late. If you have an irregular cycle i. You can take a pregnancy test about two weeks after your last unprotected sexual encounter , though the earlier you take a test the less accurate it may be and some brands are more sensitive than others 1.

Little is known about what causes this disease, but about five million women in the United States may be affected by PCOS. Like thyroid dysfunction, PCOS can cause a hormonal imbalance in your body, causing missed periods.

The decrease in periods is caused by a decrease in the estrogen hormone. About nine to 14 percent of women in the United States are affected by menstrual irregularities. With the exception of missing your period while on some contraceptives, it is not normal to go without a period for several months and can be harmful to your health.

Visit your physician if your missed periods persist. Media contact: Dee Dee Grays , Facebook 0 Tweet 0. You may also like. New kind of health care center opens in Bryan. Protecting against falls in the bedroom, bathroom. Doctors diagnose PCOS by checking your symptoms and performing medical tests when needed. Medication and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms.

They can cause physical symptoms, too — and your periods could be in the line of fire. Hormonal birth control contains progestin or a combination of progestin and estrogen. These hormones stop ovulation and prevent pregnancy.

Hormonal contraceptives include:. Some hormonal birth control causes a false period known as withdrawal bleeding. But if you keep taking the contraceptive without the hormone-free week, you might have some light spotting or no period at all. Your thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. Usually, it takes a few years for things to settle down. Perimenopause is the transition from the reproductive years to menopause.

This transition might take a year or two, or it could take several years. And during this time, your cycle might be all over the place. It could be 25 days one month and 29 the next.