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ENTITY explains why some women may experience a missed period.

For the most part, a missed period seems like something to celebrate. No cramps? No uncomfortable tampons? Yes, please.

But then you remember that menstruation is a normal and necessary part of a woman’s body. Thus, it’s easy to start freaking out about the fact that you’ve missed your period, especially if you think you’re pregnant.

But late periods don’t always indicate pregnancy. Sometimes it has to do with the way your hormones are functioning in your body. So stop worrying for a second and pay attention. Here are five common reasons for a late period.

ENTITY explains why some women may experience a missed period.

1 You may just be stressed.

When you’re under physical or emotional stress, your body produces adrenaline and cortisol. Unfortunately, high levels of these stress hormones force your brain to decide which bodily functions are most important.

Functions like increasing blood flow to the muscles and oxygen are prioritized. But, functions like digestion and the reproduction take a hit. And when the reproductive cycle is delayed, so is your monthly period.

2 You may be gaining or losing too much weight.

For starters, your weight affects your hypothalamus, the gland in your brain that regulates various processes in the body – including your menstrual cycle. When your body experiences an extreme weight loss, the sudden low caloric intake can stress your hypothalamus. Because of this, it won’t release the estrogen needed to build the uterus lining.

On the other hand, when you gain a lot of weight in a short amount of time, your body could produce too much estrogen. When this happens, you could go months without ovulating or cause the endometrial lining to become unstable. This, in turn, causes irregular periods.

3 You may need to calm down in the gym.

You already know how beneficial working out is. However, there is such thing as working out too much. When you push your body to the extreme and restrict caloric intake to lose weight, your body may not produce enough estrogen to complete the menstrual cycle. This is why ballet dancers, gymnasts and professional athletes are at a greater risk for amenorrhea, a condition that causes you to miss your period three or more months in a row.

But even if you’re not a pro athlete, you could still push your body too far. Overdoing it in the gym can cause extreme weight loss, which can then cause irregular periods.

4 You may have a late period because of your birth control.

ENTITY explains why some women may experience a missed period.

Hormonal contraceptives like the pill work by stopping your body from ovulating. No ovulation? No period.

The bleeding you experience while on the pill is essentially a “fake” period. For birth control pills, there are 21 days of active pills (or pills containing the hormones). Then, there’s a seven-day interval of placebo pills. During this time, you have what seems like a period, but it’s really just a “withdrawal bleed” from the rapid decline of artificial hormones.

Sometimes, however, birth control may suppress your hormones so much that you experience no bleeding at all. And most of the time, a missed or late period is a welcome side effect of birth control options such as hormonal IUDs, implants or shots.

5 You also could have delayed periods because of a change in schedule.

Switching things up in your daily routine could affect your menstrual cycle. Working night shifts or traveling can throw off your circadian rhythm, which regulates hormones that are responsible for your period. If this is the case, your period should go back to normal once your body gets used to the changes.

Overall, though, you’re most likely fine. Most women have between 11 and 13 menstrual cycles each year, according to the University of Michigan Health Department. But you may be different. And while most of the time pregnancy is the reason for a missed period, that’s not always the case.

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