What we can eat to get regular menstrual cycle

Hi, Maria,

Welcome to EmpowHER, and thank you so much for your question.

First of all, I am so very sorry about your miscarriage. I am sure the last half year has been an emotional rollercoaster for you, and that's always so very difficult.

Your cycles are clearly trying to regulate themselve after the pregnancys, but it sounds like your hormones are not quite there yet. Hormones can be disrupted for a few months after a lost pregnancy. Here's what fertiitycommunity.com has to say:

"Miscarriage is not only emotionally upsetting, it disrupts your hormonal system. Your body was charging up with all of its hormonal might to carry a baby and then, suddenly, it no longer needed to continue with that effort. The sudden shift in hormones can wreak havoc on what may have been the most regular ovulation/menstrual cycles.

"For that reason, you should not expect your cycles to immediately return to "normal," that is, whatever normal is for your body, very soon. Some women do experience a relative stabilizing of their cycles very quickly. Others find that their cycles are forever changed after a miscarriage. Unfortunately, there's not much a woman can do to predict these changes."

Many women return to a more regular cycle after about three months. Are you ready to try to conceive again? Are you trying to track your ovulation? Do you know how to do that or can I help with more information?

I am a female, 27 yrs, with regular periods (26 to 32 day cycles) before my first pregnancy. I got preg first time in June 09, was later diagnosed with blighted ovum in Sept and pregnancy was medically terminated in Sept. with medicines only. After that I have had periods on 16th Oct, 19th Nov (35 day cycle), 23rd Dec(35 days) which were longer cycles than usual. Now, on 14th January, I suddenly got my periods( just 23 days) which is short than my usual.
Now, I had a doubt whether it may be a missed abortion and did an urine hcg test with the pregnancy strip (18th Jan) and the result was negative.
Now, can you please let me know why my periods have become longer/ shorter after miscarriage. Also , if I try to conceive now is there a chance that my egg quality may be poor. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
Maria

hai iam 33 i have 2 kids and the youngest is 2yrs. i have'nt been getting my periods irregularly this time i got only spotting.. any help

helo....i din't hve ma menstrual cycle dis month...usually it's regular..is it some matter 4 concern

hello..im 26 years old and i have a regular menstruation cycle.. but for the past 2 months, I haven't had my menstruation.. I am not pregnant.. I would like to know what is my necessary action to have it regular again?
Thanks for your help

Dear Anon, since you did not disclose your age on your posting, I will go by an assumption that you are younger than a perimenopause or menopause woman's age. So based on that here is what I can share with you, irregularity in menstrual periods have a variation that may indicate the beginning of perimenopause or a disruption of the natural chain of hormonal events that controls menstruation. A wide variety of factors can be responsible for irregular periods, among them:

Significant weight gain or loss
Over-exercise
Poor nutrition (or a diet too high in carbohydrates)
Smoking
Drug use
Caffeine
Excessive alcohol use (interfering with how the liver metabolizes estrogen and progesterone)
Eating disorders
Increased stress
Polycystic ovarian syndrome/estrogen dominance
Uterine abnormalities (fibroids/cysts/polyps/endometriosis)
Hormonal imbalance related to perimenopause
Medications
Chemotherapy
Recent childbirth, miscarriage, or D&C
Breastfeeding

As you can see, there are many different reasons a woman can experience an irregular menstrual cycle. Noticed those listed above that have a direct link to nutrition. For example, a diet on high carbohydrates is listed as one possible reason for irregular periods; alcohol and caffeine are also possible causes. I hope that you consult a doctor if this continues after making adjustments to your diet.

1. Have a complete physical, including evaluations of thyroid function and blood pressure. Also, a complete blood count (CBC) test is quite important for the diagnosis of anemia.

2. A pelvic exam is critical to rule out any uterine abnormality, a cervical polyp or fibroid, or a uterine infection.

3. If you are trying to become pregnant, consult with a fertility specialist or a qualified ob/gyn practitioner for further testing.

Hi,
What may be more important than "what" you eat is "how" you eat.

Irregular menstrual cycles may be helped by eating a variety of healthy foods, on a regular basis (not sporadic eating), without missing meals. Eat plenty of healthy fats (including Omega 3s) to provide your body with all the nourishment it needs for a regular cycle.

If you are concerned about bloating, some women who tend to retain fluids easily feel better with less sodium in their diet (<2000 mg/day). Also, reducing alcohol and caffeine has been demonstrated by some women to help reduce PMS symptoms, as well as regular exercise.

If you are interested in trying a supplement, you will probably receive many good suggestions from others on this site. Please be sure to talk with your doctor before trying any of them, as although many supplements are excellent and effective, they may also have unintended side effects!

For instance, chaste tree berry has helped many women alleviate PMS symptoms, but can interfere with hormone-based medications, such as birth control pills. Also, we do not know what other medications or supplements you take, and would be unwise to instruct you on exactly what to take; we can suggest supplements and promising research, and then you will need to take that information to your doctor or pharmacist to ensure that there are no negative side effects or drug interactions with your specific situation.

As far as supplements go, "calcium may be the best one that has shown promising results. It has been determined that estrogen regulates calcium metabolism. Calcium absorption fluctuates across the menstrual cycle. The similarity between low calcium levels and PMS is strong. Symptoms of both conditions include depression, anxiety, and irritability."
Source: http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2143.html