Mother nature comes calling out to you every month at a fixed time. Periods can wreak havoc on your emotional state and you can’t even begin about the physical pain it puts you through.
There comes a time in every girl’s life when she thinks of how to delay periods naturally.
Whether it’s a longtime vacation you have planned, a wedding, or you are going to perform Hajj/Umrah, getting a period is the last thing that you want on your plate. You don’t want aunt flow to ruin the event.
At such times, you may think, ‘how can I delay my period’?
If yes, how do stop periods for a few days? Are there any tips on how to delay periods naturally?
Well, keep reading this article to find out all your answers.
Table of Contents
Can You Delay Periods?
Yes, you can delay your period. It is possible through medical or natural ways. Doctors call this practice menstrual manipulation or menstrual suppression.
There are medications that can assist delay the release of hormones and help you postpone your period.
The development of science has given women various options for temporarily or permanently delaying their periods. However, choosing synthetic hormone supplements or medications may not be to everyone’s taste.
It may surprise you to learn that there are some completely natural, home remedies for periods to start or temporarily postpone.
Remember that you may not be able to outwit or trick mother nature, but some of the below cures are absolutely worth a shot in an emergency!
Let’s first see a brief overview of tips on how to delay your periods medically.
How to Delay Your Periods? Medical Ways
The most reliable method to delay your period is through medicine. You can use birth control pills to keep your period from coming, whether you want to postpone it for a week or skip it entirely.
Your doctor will prescribe hormonal contraceptives to delay your period, which can be in the following forms:
- An oral contraceptive pill containing estrogen and progestin
- Drug-releasing intrauterine device
- Contraceptive patch
- Contraceptive vaginal ring
Another pharmaceutical drug called norethindrone (norethisterone) has the ability to postpone the beginning of a period. Your doctor can advise you to take three tablets per day for three to four days before when you anticipate your period to start. Within two to three days after you stop using the medication, your menstruation should start.
Although this medication is regarded as a contraceptive, you wouldn’t use it for long enough to reap those advantages.
What’s more? Taking pills to delay periods can make them even worse because of the high hormonal dosage in them. It cannot be a long-term method, so we should look for natural ways or home remedies for periods to start or delay.
How to Delay Periods Naturally at Home?
How to stop periods naturally? You will be surprised to know that there are some all-natural, non-medical ways to delay your periods for a while.
REMEMBER!! You may not be able to outsmart or fool mother nature, but some of these remedies can definitely be worth a try during times of crisis. These include certain foods to eat or exercises.
Natural remedies generally do not have too many side effects and the worst that can happen is that they won’t work.
Get to know about these foods that can stop your periods.
1- Apple Cider Vinegar
A study done on women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) found that consuming apple cider vinegar restores the normal flow of periods. Contrary to this, some scientists believe that the acid content in apple cider vinegar actually delays the periods.
There isn’t enough evidence to support either of these theories.
If you want to give it a try, mix ACV with warm water. Consume it 10 to 12 days before the start of your period. It may delay it. Even if you do not get the desired results, you will still have many health benefits from apple cider vinegar.
CAUTIONS!!
- Apple cider vinegar may damage your teeth and the delicate tissues of your mouth and throat if you consume it frequently.
- Don’t consume it straight from the bottle. To make it both safer and more pleasant, dilute it with water or another beverage.
2- Lemon Juice
Just like apple cider vinegar, scientists believe that the acidic content present in lemons can help delay your period. This has no scientific proof, but you can still try this.
Try drinking lemon juice a week before your period date to see if it works.
KEEP THIS IN MIND!!!
Eating meals high in acid can irritate your tongue, throat, stomach, intestines, teeth, gums, and mouth. Therefore, if you use this method, make sure to dilute the lemon with water or unsweetened tea.
3- Raspberry Leaves
Just like lemon juice, Raspberry leaves are an abundant source of vitamin C. This important vitamin can help delay your period, by slowing down the menstrual process.
Even if you generally consume raspberry leaf tea, it will prove really effective against cramps. It contains fragarine and alkaloid which reduces cramps by toning and relaxing the uterus. It keeps your energy levels high and strengthens your immune system.
4- Cucumber
Moving further on how to stop periods naturally, there’s cucumber.
You may know already that cold foods can help in delaying your periods. One such crunchy, summer vegetable, cucumber imparts a cooling effect on the body and hence, can keep your periods at bay for quite some time.
You need to start eating cucumbers a week before your period date and see your periods coming sometime later.
5- Watermelon
Just like cucumber, watermelon also exerts coolness on your body, which can be helpful in delaying the periods for a while. Due to the summers, you may feel excessive heat, which can lead to early periods. If you consume watermelon, it will bring your body some relief, and also delay your periods.
6- Gelatin
Although there is no scientific evidence, gelatin is an ancient Chinese hack that many women use.
Experts at Avicenna Hospital say that, if you mix gelatin powder with warm water and consume this drink, you can delay your periods by at least a few hours. Regular consumption can delay your period for almost a week.
CONSIDER THIS!! It’s not clear why gelatin is advertised as a natural way to delay the onset of your period as there is no evidence to back this up.
But large doses of gelatin consumption can pose some side effects, e.g. gastrointestinal problems and bloating. You can use this remedy without overdoing it.
7- Gram Lentils
Take some powdered lentils, and mix them in a glass of water. If you consume this liquid a few days before the start of your period, you may be able to delay it.
However, there is no scientific backup to using gram lentils for delaying periods. Also, an extra amount of fiber intake may lead to bloating, extra gas, and stomach pain.
8- Cinnamon Tea
Another well-liked treatment that can delay the period by a few days is cinnamon tea.
Dr. Rabbia Ashraf who is one of the best gynecologists in Pakistan says that it directs blood flow away from the uterus and eases inflammation and menstrual pains, this tea is also beneficial during particularly heavy periods.
Cinnamon tea has a pleasant scent, is sweet, and is beneficial. It will also assist you in delaying periods without having any negative side effects.
What a deal, huh?
Simply add a cinnamon stick to a cup of boiling water, then sip. To see changes, keep doing it for a few days.
9- Avoid Spicy Foods
Eating spicy foods is known to heat up the body and improve blood flow. It is generally believed that if you consume too much spicy food e.g garlic, pepper, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, etc, it can cause an early arrival of your period.
So, avoid consuming spicy foods when you are trying to delay your period.
10- Uterine Massage
An oil massage on your uterus not only relieves you from menstrual cramps but also can delay your period for a while.
Try getting a regular oil massage and see if it works for you.
11- Heavy Exercise
Among all the methods listed above, only exercise is backed up by scientific data.
Excessive exercise might postpone the beginning of a period. People who have periods may find that their period doesn’t start on time if they exercise themselves vigorously in the days leading up to it.
This might occur as a result of a limited energy supply. Your body may not have enough energy to complete the menstrual cycle if it has expended a lot of its energy during activity and recovery.
Studies show that female athletes often suffer from secondary amenorrhea. In this condition, they lose their menstrual cycles for prolonged periods of time. They can even skip a number of periods erratically.
However, there is no evidence to back up the use of exercise to consciously postpone a period. Only that it does so, frequently as an unforeseen result, has been demonstrated. But still giving the exercise a chance is no harm.
If you engage in some heavy exercise a fortnight before your period, you can delay it. So, grab a mat and start doing some crunches. /
Do Natural Ways to Delay Periods Work?
You have read all the methods that can delay your period. The question is, do they really work, and are there any side effects?
Home remedies to delay periods are safe to try, but you shouldn’t overdo them. As mentioned above, drinking too much lemon juice or apple cider vinegar can cause tooth decay and other problems in the body because of their acidic nature.
Also, excessive workouts to delay periods can make your body weak or cause some injury.
So, even though there is no specific downside of home remedies to delay periods, you should be careful.
Bottom Line!
These natural remedies and exercises can be helpful to delay your period. I feel sorry to burst this bubble, but these remedies may not be effective or always work. There can be downsides to postponing your periods in the long run, it can be bad for your overall reproductive and general health. If you are considering delaying your periods or searching for a way to deal with regular period woes, get an opinion of a well-known gynecologist before trying out something on your own. You can book an appointment via Healthwire or you can call at (042) 32500989.
