Delaying Menstruation With Home Remedies

Every woman has experienced the frustration and discomfort of getting her period at the most inopportune time such as a vacation or other big event. Birth control pills have long been prescribed to help regulate a woman's period, and many women have certainly adjusted their pill schedule to shift their menstrual cycles accordingly as they desire. But what about those women who aren't taking birth control pills? For women interested in a more natural means of delaying their cycle, progesterone supplementation may be the answer.

Solution:
Natural progesterone, taken orally or applied topically as a cream, can delay your menstrual cycle without the health risks associated with birth control pills. Of course, no method of delaying menstruation should be used long-term and there is no natural means of delaying your period for a significant amount of time. However, it is possible to delay your cycle by a few days, and buy yourself a little time if you have an event or special occasion approaching around that "time of the month."

Theories:
The key to naturally delaying your period is through the maintenance of higher progesterone levels after you ovulate. At the beginning of your cycle, estrogen builds up the lining of your uterus, preparing for implantation of a fertilized egg. Right before ovulation, estrogen levels peak. Then, when you ovulate, your ovaries start producing progesterone, and progesterone levels soon surpass estrogen levels. This rise in progesterone further develops the uterine lining and maintains it for conception. Progesterone is absolutely essential for the survival and development of the fetus. If conception does not occur, progesterone levels drop quickly. This leads to the shedding of the uterine lining and the beginning of your menstrual cycle. As a result, maintaining higher progesterone levels after ovulation would be one means of delaying the onset of menstruation.

Considerations:
Birth control pills do provide synthetic forms of progesterone, but natural progesterone is better absorbed by the body and avoids the negative health effects associated with synthetic hormone use. You can obtain natural progesterone-containing creams, such as wild yam cream, from health food stores, although many over-the-counter wild yam creams have been tested and shown to contain little, if any, natural progesterone. Your best source of natural progesterone would be from an alternative health care practitioner or open-minded physician.

Types:
Take natural progesterone in oral supplement form or apply it topically. Progesterone in a cream avoids the digestive tract and any potential difficulties with absorption, although new micronized forms of oral progesterone supplements are available that are protected from breakdown by stomach acid. Apply progesterone creams twice daily to the wrists, breasts, back of hands, inside of arms, neck or lower belly. Alternate areas of application to avoid oversaturating any one area.

Warning:
You should not attempt to delay your menstrual cycle on a long-term basis. When you are using any type of hormone replacement therapy--natural or synthetic--always consult your physician or other alternative health care provider.