How to Delay Your Periods Naturally Without Pills?

Updated on October 20th, 2020
how to delay your period

Mother nature may come calling any time of the month, so it is always good to keep a tab on your monthly cycles. But there are times when we have some festival or an unforgettable vacation coming up or maybe some other reason, and your period is the last thing you would want to handle! Periods can wreak havoc on your emotional condition.

We won’t even start talking about the physical pain it puts us through! Mood swings and period cramps can ruin a very well planned month/ week. So what could you do to avoid them from surprising us on those days? Delay them.

Yes, but pills’ intake to delay periods can later make them even severe because of the sizable hormonal dosage in them. How to delay your period? Well, here the best natural ways that can delay your period.

How to delay Your periods

Note: These remedies should be followed at least a fortnight before your date for the best results.

Delay period naturally 

Few experts believe that certain natural substances, such as apple cider vinegar, may influence an individual’s period. However, very little research is available on ACV’s effects (apple cider vinegar) on menstruation.

One study in 2013 looked at the effects of apple cider vinegar on ovulation in 7 females. These participants were looking for a treatment for a PCOS (a reproductive disease called polycystic ovary syndrome).

People with PCOS can have anovulation, which infers that they do not ovulate. Menstruation and ovulation are two different processes in a cycle. Most individuals who want to postpone their period may only want to avoid the inconvenience of menstruation.

In this research, the researchers observed that ACV (apple cider vinegar) restored ovulation in 4 out of 7 females with PCOS.

[Also Read: Natural Remedies for Irregular Periods]

Do natural remedies work? 

Limited studies are available to back the use of natural remedies, such as shepherd’s purse yarrow (Achillea millefolium) or (Capsella bursa-pastoris), to delay a period.

Other nonmedicinal factors can also affect the period. FHA (Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea) is a disorder that affects hormones called gonadotropins, which affect periods. People with FHA do not get a period.

Some female athletes experience FHA and other menstrual disorders. Approximately fifty percent of females who regularly exercise experience minor changes in their cycle, and thirty percent lose their period.

Other factors that can cause FHA are weight loss and stress.

How to delay your period naturally

1. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been regarded as a miracle cure for heartburn, acne, and even belly fat.

Studies back some of these cures, and some are not. So, it’s no wonder people also promote apple cider vinegar as a cure-all for menstrual issues, like bloating or pain.

But as it turns out, there’s no study to support using ACV to delay your period. The only study that has looked at ACV’s impact on menstruation is in women with PCOS [1].

But this research found that apple cider vinegar may actually cause menstruation in women who haven’t had normalized reproductive cycles because of hormonal imbalances and blood sugar. There’s no proof ACV will halt a period.

Regular doses of apple cider vinegar might also harm your teeth and delicate tissues of your throat and mouth.

Don’t drink apple cider vinegar directly from the bottle. Dilute it with some liquid or water to make it both palatable and safer.  

[Also Read: What to Eat and Avoid on Your Period]

2. Gram lentils

Anecdotal reports say eating gram lentils in the days just before a period may push it back. These shreds of evidence indicate you fry the lentils until soft, then grind them into a fine powder. You can also simply buy gram lentil flour. Consume the powder in a soup or smoothie.

However, there’s no research to support this, and the extra fiber might cause some stomach distress, bloating, and excess flatulence.

[Also Read: Health Benefits of Lentils]

3. Lemon juice

Lemon juice, like apple cider vinegar, is highly acidic food. It’s unclear why anecdotal evidence indicates the citrus fruit might help push back bleeding. There are no studies to support it.

What’s more, foods with many acids can irritate your gums, teeth, throat, mouth, intestines, and stomach. If you want to try this process, be sure to water down the lemon in a glass of unsweetened tea or water.

4. Gelatin

Dissolving gelatin in warm water and taking it is believed to push back the beginning of your period for about 4 hours. If you need an extended window of relief, you will have to keep repeating the gelatin treatment.

It is not clear why gelatin is promoted as a natural way to delay the beginning of your period, and there’s no study to back it. Drinking huge amounts of gelatin may have some side effects, such as digestive distress or bloating.

5. Exercise

Excessive exercise may delay the beginning of a period. People with periods who engage in exertion or heavy physical activity in the days before a period may observe it doesn’t start on time.

This may be a result of low-energy availability. When our body has used a great deal of its energy to both workouts and recover, it may not have the energy reserves to fulfill the menstrual cycle.

Professional sports persons frequently lose their period.

However, there’s no study to support using workouts to delay a period purposefully. It’s only been demonstrated to do it, and often as an unintended consequence.

[ReadWhich Is the Best Exercise for You?]

Reasons for delaying a period

Menstruation occurs approximately every 28 days, but few people can have shorter or longer cycles. Menstrual cycles can range from 21 to 45 days. Most periods last between three and seven days. 

Some reasons why an individual may choose to delay a period include:

  • avoiding bleeding during a crucial event, such as a wedding, sports competition, or vacation
  • preventing painful periods or reducing conditions, such as migraine or endometriosis, that worsen with hormonal changes
  • fewer period-related symptoms
  • higher productivity due to fewer days absent from work or school 
  • overall higher satisfaction
  • Experts estimate that around 2.5 million women between 18 and 50 years of age in the US experience:
  • excessive menstruation
  • painful periods
  • premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • irregular periods

People may choose to delay their periods to avoid these conditions.

One side effect of delaying a period can be breakthrough bleeding.

Bottom Line

Most medical treatments are effective in delaying a period, but to date, scientists have found limited proof to indicate that it is possible to achieve this using natural remedies.

If someone wishes to delay their period, they can choose from a range of hormonal contraceptives. Doctors can help people choose by discussing the benefits and risks of long-term treatment and the individual’s goals.

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