why do menstrual cycles get shorter?
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What Causes a Shorter Cycle? As a woman grows older, her menstrual cycle shortens. As the number of eggs available in the ovary decrease, the brain releases more follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to stimulate the ovaries to develop a follicle.
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Believe it or not, things like stress, diet, exercise, and illness can impact your cycle length. If your period is less than two weeks late, then it may very well just be that you had a long menstrual cycle this time around. You could wait another day or two to see if you start bleeding, or…
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Also, a woman's menstrual cycle length might be different from month-to-month. Your periods are still “regular” if they usually come every 24 to 38 days. This means that the time from the first day of your last period up to the start of your next period is at least 24 days but not more than 38 days.
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In fact, for some women, stress may play a role in causing irregular or missed periods. As stress levels rise, there's a chance that your menstrual period will temporarily stop, a condition known as secondary amenorrhea.
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It is normal to have irregular periods for the first few years of menstruating — and sometimes even longer. But the only way to know if everything's OK is to visit your doctor or nurse practitioner . The length of a menstrual cycle can vary from girl to girl, but on average they're usually between 21 and 35 days.
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Both weight gain and weight loss can cause you to skip your period and can help regulate your period. Your menstrual cycle is a result of a complex interaction between your ovaries and your brain.
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Oral birth control pills and birth control injections can be used to regulate your cycle. Hormonal birth control can also decrease cramping and shorten the number of days you menstruate each month. If you're just starting hormonal birth control, it may take several months before your periods become shorter.
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Shortened cycles can be an indication that the ovaries contain fewer eggs and that menopause may be approaching. Alternatively, a short cycle could indicate that ovulation is not occurring.
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Does your period decrease your milk supply? It is common to have a drop in supply at certain points in your cycle, often from mid-cycle to around the time of your period. It can also be less comfortable to nurse at this time. This is due to the hormonal changes and is only temporary.
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Your periods may be longer or shorter than usual. You might skip a few months or have unusually long or short menstrual cycles. Your period may be heavier or lighter than before. Many women also have hot flashes and other menopause symptoms during this transition.
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Short cycle intervals are seen more often early in the menopausal transition. Thus, short intervals may be the first sign of women entering the transition, while longer cycle intervals are seen later and are associated with higher FSH production indicating even fewer functioning ovarian follicles.
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Having sex may make your periods shorter. Muscle contractions during an orgasm push out the uterine contents faster. That could result in shorter periods.
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Cycles of a normal length suggest regular ovulation and that all of the sex hormones are balanced to support natural conception. What Do Short Cycles Tell Your Doctor? Shortened cycles can be an indication that the ovaries contain fewer eggs and that menopause may be approaching.
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If you don't ovulate, you'll still shed the uterine lining and have menstrual bleeding. But your cycle may be lighter and shorter than normal. A short, or long, cycle may be a sign that you are not ovulating. Most women who have normal cycle lengths of 28 to 35 days are ovulating.
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The average menstrual cycle is about 25-30 days, but it can be as short as 21 days or longer than 35 — it's different from person to person. The number of days in your cycle may also vary from month to month. When you get your period, it's normal to bleed anywhere from 2 to 7 days.
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Secondary amenorrhea means you have had periods, and then they stop, especially for more than 3 months. Even if you don't have periods, you could still get pregnant. You may not know what caused your periods to stop. Possible causes include pregnancy, hormonal changes, and losing or gaining a lot of weight quickly.
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As a woman approaches menopause, her ovaries gradually makes less and less of these hormones. As hormone levels fall, a woman's pattern of menstrual bleeding usually becomes irregular. Many women experience light, skipped or late periods for several months to a year before their periods stop altogether.