Question for the ladies...

Ok, first things first. If you were on hormonal birth control, it can take awhile for your body to begin hormone regulation again in a consistent fashion.

Second, dieting and starting a new workout regime can both shock your body into delayed ovulation (which means a delayed period). My cycle normalized to an 18 day ovulation after I started losing weight until I started working out regularly - then I suddenly had a 45 day cycle (I ovulated on cd 33!). That is not at all abnormal.

Finally, it is totally normal to have wonky cycles. Nearly every woman does at some point. A couple of wonky cycles is not an indication of any serious problem and not an indication of fertility problems. Promise - this is a field I know a great deal about after dealing with sub-fertility for a long time.

Here is what you need to do at this point - if you hit 60 days since stopping birth control/your last period with no signs of a period and a recent negative pregnancy test, call your OB/GYN. Some want to see you at 60 days, some will want to wait 90 days, especially if you are coming off a hormonal birth control. Follow their directions. Between 60 and 90 days, they can give you Provera to jump start your cycle. That may be all it needs, and things may start regulating themselves. It can take months to get regular after hormonal birth control, especially if you were on it for a long time. But if things continue to be irregular, then you've already got a head start on it, so you can begin talking to your doctor about any necessary testing to see if your hormones are regulating properly.

But honestly, I'd guess it's just the combination of factors here. If kids are in your planned future, you may want to get a jump-start and consider learning to chart your cycle - it can teach you a ton about how your body is working (or not). www.fertilityfriend.com has an excellent tool and free course if that is of interest to you.

I have been on birth control for years to regulate my period because it was all over the place when I was younger. When I talked to my doctor about going off of it, she warned me that your situation could happen and not to freak out so it is totally normal. You could always talk to your doctor to put your mind at ease.

My periods were incredibly irregular until I got on birth control- they were anywhere between 29 and 45 days apart. It stressed me to no end. I know from experience that making a change in your diet and activity level can DEFINITELY have an effect on your cycle.

Since you just stopped taking BC in December, I wouldn't stress too much about it. Some methods take longer than others to 'get out of your system'- I've been advised by my doctor that after being on the depo shot for a few years, I may not have a period or be able to get pregnant for 6 months to a year if I ever stop taking it. Your body may just be taking a while to get back to normal.

That being said, I would still be freaking out in your situation. Give it a few months, and bite the bullet and go to the doctor if things aren't returning to normal.

Honestly, I think everyone ought to read up about charting to learn the basics of the menstrual cycle no matter what. Many of us were poorly educated about menstrual cycles in school or by our parents and don't have a firm grasp of how things are supposed to work and what is normal.

Any stress (emotional or physical) in the ovulatory phase of your cycle can delay ovulation. Any delay of ovulation results in a 'late' period (but it's not really late, because ovulation determines the length of your cycle - the number of days between ovulation and your period is a constant - if that luteal phase is extended, then you have a truly late period).

Normal cycles are 21 -35 days (but up to 40 days if otherwise regularly occuring isn't abnormal). Women frequently vary in cycle length by a few days. Charting can teach you the signs of impending ovulation (as can fertility monitors or ovulation predictor tests), and help you pinpoint when you are most fertile - either to help you conceive or to help you avoid conceiving and can make the rest of your cycle less stressful because then you *know* if you have a chance at being pregnant or not.

I've charted for well over 10 years now, both for conception and avoiding conception, and I highly recommend it.

Ok, first things first. If you were on hormonal birth control, it can take awhile for your body to begin hormone regulation again in a consistent fashion.

Second, dieting and starting a new workout regime can both shock your body into delayed ovulation (which means a delayed period). My cycle normalized to an 18 day ovulation after I started losing weight until I started working out regularly - then I suddenly had a 45 day cycle (I ovulated on cd 33!). That is not at all abnormal.

Finally, it is totally normal to have wonky cycles. Nearly every woman does at some point. A couple of wonky cycles is not an indication of any serious problem and not an indication of fertility problems. Promise - this is a field I know a great deal about after dealing with sub-fertility for a long time.

Here is what you need to do at this point - if you hit 60 days since stopping birth control/your last period with no signs of a period and a recent negative pregnancy test, call your OB/GYN. Some want to see you at 60 days, some will want to wait 90 days, especially if you are coming off a hormonal birth control. Follow their directions. Between 60 and 90 days, they can give you Provera to jump start your cycle. That may be all it needs, and things may start regulating themselves. It can take months to get regular after hormonal birth control, especially if you were on it for a long time. But if things continue to be irregular, then you've already got a head start on it, so you can begin talking to your doctor about any necessary testing to see if your hormones are regulating properly.

But honestly, I'd guess it's just the combination of factors here. If kids are in your planned future, you may want to get a jump-start and consider learning to chart your cycle - it can teach you a ton about how your body is working (or not). www.fertilityfriend.com has an excellent tool and free course if that is of interest to you.

^There's some great advice here.

I had a slightly different issue when I started MFP; my cycle decided to go all sorts of wonky. I had two periods a month for 5 months. It was frustrating and confusing. I did some research and figured out that it happens to some women, and it was likely due to the combination of regular exercise and eating differently (read MUCH healthier and much less) than I was used to. It did eventually regulate itself, so I'm back to normal now.

My advice: Look up the effects of ending your birth control. See if this is a common after effect. Call your OB/GYN to ask questions, make an appointment if they can't answer you over the phone. Good luck!

I've noticed that since I've started working out on a regular basis and eating healthier that when I'm on my "sugar pills" my period is extremely light, if anything at all.