"Oligo-what?" I hear you say. Lets rewind a few months to October last year to be precise. We had finished our mock cycle and I was waiting for my period to start. I waited and waited. I knew it might be a bit late but this was crazy. I contacted our fertility clinic and they asked me to come in for a scan to find out what was happening. The day before my scan, boom! My period started!
I worked out that my next period was due in December, days floated by and nothing happened. Christmas day came and still nothing. I contacted my clinic again in mid-January not just about my late period but about my concerns that there is fluid in my right Fallopian tube yet again(another conversation). Again, I was invited for a scan. Boom again! My period started 2 days after the call with my clinic (I'm not sure what this magic is that they have).
At my scan, my consultant determined that yes there is fluid in my right Fallopian tube but I also have a low follicle count. He explained that my delayed periods may be a result of me approaching the perimenopause. The clinic and I will continue to monitor my cycles, and if I do reach full menopause, I'll need to start hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
This was a lot to take in (as usual) but the reason for my post was to talk about Oligomenorrhea. This is a condition where a person can have infrequent menstrual periods as opposed to:
Amenorrhea - No periods at all
Menorrhagia - Extremely heavy periods
My normal monthly cycle is 28 days (this is about right for the average menstrual cycle). Since the mock cycle (and all those hormones), my cycle length has more than doubled. This can be part of Oligomenorrhea.
There are a number of causes of Oligomenorrhea including:
Hormonal changes (hence perimenopause)
Eating disorders
Diabetes or thyroid issues
My delayed periods may not be Oligomenorrhea (I have so many health conditions) but for now, I just need to keep an eye on my cycle. There is some useful information on the NHS website regarding irregular periods.
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