How Irregular Periods Affect Your Ability to Get Pregnant

Written by Saumya Gaur  • 

The ability to become a mother and create another human being is nothing short of miraculous. However, this ability does not come easy to a lot of women. While some women find it very easy to conceive, others have a hard time doing so.

If you are going through a similar experience, don’t worry we are here for you. This article sheds light on one of the factors that affect a woman’s ability to conceive — irregular periods. Before we look at the connection between irregular periods and infertility, let’s examine the issue of irregular periods.

What Are Irregular Periods?

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Usually, a woman who has a regular menstrual cycle gets her period every 21-35 days (1). On the other hand, if she experiences an irregular cycle, it’s possible that she experiences very long cycles such that she gets her period once in every 45–60 days, or skips her periods every few months. This disparity between the monthly cycle and the menstrual cycle is known as anovulation (2).

But there are other scenarios when it’s completely normal for a woman to have irregular periods. For example, when a woman first gets her menstrual cycle, she tends to have an irregular cycle for some time before it regularises. Similarly, women who have been having regular menstrual cycles also experience irregular menstrual cycles once they enter perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transitional phase when a woman transitions from active menstruation to menopause (3).

What Causes Irregular Periods?

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There are many reasons for experiencing an irregular period. It could be anything from emotional stress to extreme weight loss or weight gain. It could also be due to eating disorders such as bulimia, or anorexia. Eating disorders often result in hormonal changes which leads to irregular periods. Doing extreme endurance exercises also results in irregular periods. Even birth control pills are capable of inducing irregular periods.

In some cases, irregular periods can also point towards some serious complications such as PCOD, endometriosis, thyroid disorder, etc. (4).

How Can Irregular Periods Affect Your Ability To Conceive?

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  • Those women who have a normal menstrual cycle, get between 11 to 13 menstrual cycles in a calendar year, which means that they have up to 13 opportunities to conceive. On the other hand, those who have irregular menstrual cycles, still ovulate, but their ovulation doesn’t follow a predictable pattern. It’s very erratic. Therefore, the challenge lies in not knowing when they would ovulate, and therefore, can possibly conceive. In short, if your menstrual cycle is frequent and timely, you have a higher chance of conceiving.
  • Irregular periods can be a roadblock in your journey towards motherhood. Irregular periods, combined with disorders in ovulation account for about 30 percent cases of infertility (5). But this isn’t the end of the road. If you know how to identify the fertility signs such as cervical fluid, internal temperature, and know how to chart them, you can easily predict when you are approaching your fertile period and try to conceive. These days you can find mobile applications that help you track your Aunt Flo days, they even tell you about your ovulation period as well. Monitoring these signs will help you predict your ovulation better, increasing your chances of getting pregnant.

What Kind Of Treatments Are Available For Treating Irregular Periods?

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Before turning towards a medical intervention, you can try home remedies to rectify your irregular cycles (6). You can try making lifestyle changes, such as doing yoga, meditation, and eating healthy. If you lead a sedentary life, try incorporating some form of exercise in your daily routine. Avoid smoking, or inhaling second-hand smoke.

Of course, it would help if you knew the cause behind your irregular cycle. So, if it’s because of stress or eating disorders then seek psychological intervention. You can also try relaxation and stress management techniques. If it’s due to a disorder such as a thyroid issue, seeking medical help would be the best course of action.

In case, the irregular periods are triggered by obesity or PCOS, then losing weight can help. This is because it will result in your body producing less insulin, which in turn would lower the testosterone levels in the body. This would result in a better chance at ovulation (7).

The key is to understand what is causing the irregularity, once you can identify the underlying root cause it becomes much easier to get treatment. If you have irregular periods and are having difficulty in conceiving, we suggest you meet up with your gynecologist and get to the root of the issue.

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And remember, if you have irregular periods, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance at motherhood. It only means that you might have some difficulties along the way, but you will get there. You just need to be patient with yourself, and your body.

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