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I want my period!

Ok, I’ve read through most fo the menstruation posts, and not found my answer…

I went had my last period in mid-June and stopped taking birth control pills at that point. I have not gotten my period since and I really want it. Not becuase I think I’m pregnant (I’m not), not because I think it’s unhealthy not to have your period, but I am in love with a wonderful man, I have a mild latex allergy (so I don’t like using condoms), and I want to get an IUD, which my doctor won’t fit unless I have my period! I have done SO much research on the copper IUD, and it is what I want to try, so no need to go into all that.

My question is this: Does anyone know of foods and/or homeopathic remedies and/or natural approaches to bringing back my period?

Thanks!

Comments

  • I can’t give you much information on getting your cycle back to normal (I’ve NEVER had a normal cycle), but I can tell you that not all doctors require you to be on your period to insert the IUD, they just recommend inserting it at that time to reduce the discomfort the “procedure” causes.

    If it were me (and it was about 3 years ago – try scheduling an appointment when you don’t know if your “Friend” will come next week or in 2 months), I would call around to a few different doctors in my area- starting with Planned Parenthood. Most will require you to come in for bloodwork to rule out pregnancy, but you will probably find one who isn’t as strict on the TOM during which they insert the IUD.

  • heyenglishheyenglish Raw Newbie

    I wish I could help you out here, but I don’t know of any natural things to get your period started again. I know when I quit taking birth control, I didn’t have a period for 6 months. I was also eating an incredibly unhealthy SAD diet.

    I’d say that maybe you just have to give your body time to readjust it’s hormone levels and get things started again. Maybe eating iron-rich foods or taking an iron supplement could help?

  • It seems to me that not having a period is quite normal whey your healthy, as long as you’re ovulating. Are you still ovulating monthly? Doctors don’t always listen because they think everybody’s body was meant to be the same, but maybe you can explain to your doctor that it’s normal for YOUR body not to have a period. Maybe you can try to have the procedure during your next ovulation?

  • CarmentinaCarmentina Raw Newbie

    Red clover? I’m no expert here, but I’ve read it and Vitex both help rebalance female hormones…

  • Thanks all for responding.

    kathryn, my doctor did say she prefers to insert the IUD on a period, I guess she didn’t demand it, and I could push her do it without having my period if I wanted, but really, if I can reduce pain during the fitting, I will…

    chakra essence, I am fairly sure I’m ovulating, because I’m SUPER healthy right now (I’m raw, training for a marathon, and (due to slight anemia) taking b12 shots 2/month & iron supplement every day (Floradix—I know, not raw, but I’m not 100%), so why shouldn’t I be ovulating. And I’m fairly sure that overexercsing isn’t the problem with my missing period, because it’s just in the last couple weeks that my training has exceeded what I was already doing exercise-wise before I started training.

    cpagosa, the parsley tea idea sounds like it’s too easy to pass up. A bit of research online seems to show that others have used that to bring on periods, too. I will leave work in a bit (my office is about 100 feet from my house!) and try it at home… though, my parsley is kinda old (over a week), but I guess it’s better than nothing, right?

    Thanks!

  • FeeFee Raw Master

    Mandy – you can apparently be ovulating without having periods so don’t worry that you’re not ovulating. When I can off the pill (in a May) I didn’t have a period until the December, so it can take a while for your body to right itself.

    I however did not want mine and it arrived today – would you like it?

  • Lady Le HarleLady Le Harle Raw Newbie

    My period stopped a couple of months ago, but once a month I still have the symptoms of it arriving… but no bleeding!! My boss is a naturopath and these things are what she suggested to help balance hormones and to encourage menstruation: Omega 3 fats: apparently having too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3 can really mess with your hormones and cause all kinds of distress. So perhaps start adding flax or hemp oil into your diet and see what happens! Vitex Agnus Castus (or chaste berry) Apprently best in a concentrated form (supplement or tincture) This is a long term one, but it is a woman’s best friend:) You need to take it regularly and it takes a couple of months to work properly. It helps with PMS symptoms as well as being very good for people who are coming off the pill. Dont worry honey, I know many ladies who have come off the pill and have to wait a few months for it to return. Your body now has to remember its own natural rhythm and cycle after a time of being instructed by the pill. Its all good!

  • BeTheChangeBeTheChange Raw Newbie

    OK, one of the reasons why I follow a raw lifestyle is because it wowed me last summer when I got my period for the first time in 4 years. I had ammenohrea from this wierd condition where my body was emitting the hormone that pregnant woman emit to stop their period during gestation. I refused to take pills for it, and just dealt with it, but all of a sudden last summer, after two months of being raw, I had a full-blown 4-day period that I had not had in FOUR YEARS! My body completely healed itself, and since then, I am pretty regular. I feel like a new woman. And I find that avocados literally trigger my bleeding when I feel certain symptoms and I know I’m going to start soon. Also, any overly processed food the week before it’s coming, and I will start bleeding immediately because my body is trying to get rid of it! CRAZY!

    Anyways, back to your question, I’m getting off track. My point is that as long as you eat a predominantly raw, balanced diet, rich in olives and avocados around the time of menstruation, I believe that your body will heal itself. Also, raspberry leaf tea is helpful the week before to help support your system while it is doing its lining-scraping-deal :) The healthy fruity fats are essential and what I believe really helped bring back my flow!

    Also, have you heard of Glyde condoms? They are a completely trustworthy and mainstream vegan condom, without latex…I encourage you to give them a try before you are runnin around knocked up because of your latex allergy… you can find them on www.veganessentials.com or www.thesensualvegan.com

    Hope this was helpful…!

  • BeTheChangeBeTheChange Raw Newbie

    Also, if you look at the “craving chocolate” forum going on right now, Angie writes about how raw cacao powder taken as a supplement helped relieve many of her mestruation issues, which may be worth investigating to you.

  • BeTheChangeBeTheChange Raw Newbie

    Question for everyone: I have seen time and again many raw foodist women claiming that only impure bodies bleed during their periods. Thoughts? I personally disagree entirely, and my period is not only a wonderful experience but a spiritual time for me, as I reflect on how blessed I am to BE A WOMAN!!! I couldn’t experience it for four years, and I did not realize what I was missing until I started having it again regularly last year. We are woman of Isis, and of Luna, and we reflect all of nature by operating on monthly cycles…

  • BeTheChangeBeTheChange Raw Newbie

    Oh! and Mandolyn! drink pennyroyal tea! It does not come in packets at a grocery store or anything, but you can find it loose at your average healthfood store or homeopathic aisle, or I’m sure you can buy it online. It does not help with symptoms etc, but actually encourages bleeding—just be cautious with it and only drink it once a day, 1 heaping TB per 8 oz hot water…it is a strong taste, so sweeten at large to make it more platable, or mix it with mint tea.

    READ THIS: http://www.sisterzeus.com/Pennyroyal.htm

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    I didn’t have my period for a few months when I went raw. Then, I had a brief time where I was eating A LOT of avocados, and it came back STRONG for a month or two.

    Then I cut out all overt fat, and now it’s gone again, but I still get period-like symptoms every month.

    I don’t really miss it. :-) but if you do, try eating lots of avo’s…for some reason that worked for me.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    I don’t have a recommendation on an herb to start your cycle… but if nobody has mentioned this, couldn’t you use NFP between now and when you get your normal cycle/period? You just track your fertile/infertile days. (Just be careful with this method.)

    Read-up on it. Here’s a tool that may help (I just started playing with it… but have been using NFP for a couple years now.) NFP for Palm OS.

  • It’s not at all unusual to go for a while without a period after stopping the pill. The first time I did it, it took 9 months to get it back. Then after going back on it and stopping again it took three months. Now, for some reason after going raw (and going from 118 to 104 it’s stopped again). I could be wrong… but I believe the body just has to regulate itself… and personally, if mine doesn’t come back, I’m going to pay a visit to the acupuncturist rather than the ob/gyn who, no doubt, will want me to go on hormones to bring it on. Good Luck! Please keep us updated and let us know if you find anything that seems to help!

  • Wow—thank you all for your responses! I’m beginning to really appreciate this site…

    It definitely is reassuring to hear that it took some of you months to return to a normal cycle after quitting the pill. My doctor was a little alarmed and suggested I consider going back on the pill (which she realized I wasn’t into as soon as she looked at me, so didn’t press it) and my naturopath wanted to do a full exam (at a cost of $100 + whatever remedies she reccomended to be bought at the natural foods place), which I don’t have right now. I do trust her though, and if I can squeeze $100 out of my next paycheck, I’ll do it.

    So, update: I brewed some parsley tea yesterday afternoon and drank 4 cups yesterday and have had 2 today. No bleeding yet, but I read it could take up to 3 days, if I’ve ovulated, that is (apparently you can bring on menstruation with natural approaches, but you can’t do much to make yourself ovulate). That’s what I don’t know, though, if I have ovulated.

    I know NFP can help me determine

    I eat 1/2 to 1 1/2 whole avos a day—I’m marathon training and it seems to be the only thing that makes me feel full, so I’m totally on the avo boat.

    Yes, Fee, if I could take your period I would. :)

    BeTheChange—I’m with you in terms of wanting to get my period regularly. I know some people in the raw community feel that it’s not exactly healthy to menstruate (or at least that it’s ok NOT to bleed), but I do think it makes me feel healthy and rather fond of my femaleness and I don’t mind it. I started using the Diva Cup this year, and feel even more connected to the whole process and cycle. (Thanks for the condom recommendation, too, I’ll check those out for sure.)

    Germin8—I’ve heard that NFP also helps women get to know their bodies much more intimately, but with my lifestyle at the moment, I don’t want consider adding another daily practice that I’ll probably forget to do half the time. Though I am interested in the method as a way to get to know my body and to predict when I’m going to get my period once it does start, I know that at least right now, it won’t be a reliable method of bc for me.

    Once again, thank you everyone, and I’ll keep y’all updated about the bleed! :)

  • oh!

    Lady le harle—thank you for your suggestions, I will follow up on those and in terms of omegas I use hemp seed in my green smoothie everyday and flax seeds fairly regularly (3-4 times a week in other recipes), but it’s good to know about the balance.

  • chicorychicory Raw Newbie

    cpagosa~ parsley tea is also an aphrodisiac!

  • clr-1976clr-1976 Raw Newbie

    Hey guys,

    I’ve joined this late..

    I tried the ‘marina’ (not sure if thats how you spell it) coil when I came off the pill, but didnt get on with it, tried it for 8 months so gave it a fair shot.

    The pill gave me chloasma, a dark pigment thing on my face, and my doc said the the only was to try and get rid of it is to stop artificial hormones.

    So,.. maybe 8/9 months later still there, still waiting for proper periods!

    I was getting maybe 1 day every 3 months or so.

    To cut a long story short the doc decided to investigate with a blood test and found that my prolactin (the lactation hormone) level was 6 times higher than a non preg female should, I had more tests and an MRI & they found I had a tumour on my pituitary kicking out all the prolactin. Benign thank goodness but still effectively making me infertile as prolactin stops you ovulating.

    I’m on drugs to control it now and the level’s back to normal, theyre happy that I’m ovulating as theyve checked with blood tests.

    Its the one thing I wish I didnt have to take as its a ‘medication’ but I could never get pregnant without it so its kinda a double edge sword.

    Apparently theyre very common, so if in any doubt I’m sure doc can do a reassuring blood test to check hormone levels.

    BeTheChange I wasnt ovulating at all during that time and I too LOVE the fact I am now, yeah, it can be a pain but I wouldnt change it for the world!

    I use a persona monitor now, maybe thats a UK version of NFP??

    Too scared to stop the tabs now. Apparently the only thing known to stop it natuarally is pregnancy or the menopause!

    Pigmentation’s still there but hey who cares.

    Good luck with the IUD and I think its great there’s so much support and advice on this site.

  • RawaholicRawaholic Raw Newbie

    Look up Carao Extract on web search engine. It may be what you need.

  • itouristitourist Raw Newbie

    The posting in this thread have been super informative.

    Why parsley tea? Why not just juice (put in a blender with a little water) the parsley?

  • I didnt get my period over a year, until now i got it fully back and now its normal. This is what I ate pounds of red or purple grapes, every single day. I swear I never included the grapes before in my diet and never got it. I got my period back after eating tons of grapes, there might of been a nutrient I was missing that grapes had. Im happy I got it back, and im getting it every month now. Its got to be the grapes that got my period back, It sounds funny but I believe it did:) Im still eating only grapes ,everyday LOL. try it for like 2 weeks eating alot grapes everyday see what happens.

  • rawpretzelarawpretzela Raw Newbie

    I want my period back too! I'm so afraid of going to the doctor, because I feel like I'm doing everything right, I eat enough fruit, veggies, and some nuts/seeds. I make some exercise but nothing drastic.. what's happening!! I'm so scared I might not be fertile again!

  • I finally got my period back and I feel better now, Just try to eat alot of grapes, I think theres a certain nutrient in the grapes that will help. Eat at least 6 pounds of grapes a day, if you cant eat that much of eat include at least 2 to 4 pounds a day. Why I can eat 6 to 8 pounds of grapes a day is because I dont eat any other fruit except grapes lol:) But I love it!!!

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