While it may have been a cool thing to have your first few periods, that was a long time ago for many women and now all you want to do is learn how to stop your period. Many women are looking for reliable and safe ways to have some kind of control over their menstrual period. This is known as menstrual suppression and it is done to keep up with your lifestyle or to help your relationship. There are several ways to help your period be shorter, lighter or to stop altogether, depending on what you are looking for. Menstrual suppression is possible but it should be done under your doctor’s supervision.
How to Stop Your Period with Birth Control
1. Mirena IUD
The Mirena IUD is a tiny, T-shaped, plastic device that is placed in the uterus. It releases progesterone and is protective against pregnancy for almost 5 years. It causes the periods to be less frequent in the first 3-6 months after receiving it. It works by causing the mucus inside the cervix to thicken so that the spermatozoa cannot get into the uterus. In this way, the egg cannot be fertilized and you cannot get pregnant. It stops your periods and prevents pregnancy at the same time.
2. Birth Control Pills
Birth control pill consists of a series of 21 pills that contain hormones and 7 pills that contain just a filler. You can skip your period if you just take the pills with hormones and don’t take any pills as fillers. In this way, you can go many months without having a period. There are some birth control pills on the market that are designed to allow you to have just a few periods per year as long as you take them correctly. There are health benefits to taking birth control pills, especially if the period is heavy. This method of birth control can clear up skin blemishes, prevent iron deficiency anemia and can decrease your chances of having uterine or ovarian cancer.
3. Depo-Provera
When you get Depo-Provera, you will get a hormone shot containing progestin medications that will be protective against pregnancy for about 3 months. It is given as a shot every 12 weeks and can be given in situations where a woman is breastfeeding or is unable to take estrogen. Many women will have lighter periods that are further apart and 50 percent of women who take this form of birth control will cease having periods after using it for about one year. Some side effects of Depo-Provera are irregular bleeding, mood changes, spotting and weight gain. If you aren’t happy with the shot, you can’t do anything about it for another 12 weeks while it wears off. You also have to go back to see the gynecologist every 12 weeks for another shot. It may also cause infertility for several months after you have stopped taking the shot.
4. Implanon and Nexplanon
These involve having a rod-like implant placed inside the skin of the arm. It will prevent pregnancy for about three years. Like Depo-Provera, it lightens the periods and can be helpful if you're wondering how to stop your period altogether. About 33 percent of women who use this method will not have periods after placing it in the skin for about one year. Unfortunately, there are women who get longer and heavier periods when they take this form of birth control. If you don’t like this method of birth control, you can always have it removed.
5. Nuva Ring
This is a tiny ring you wear inside the vagina for a total of three weeks. There are hormones inside the ring that prevent ovulation. You are supposed to take the ring out during the fourth week but if you want to stop your period, you simply wear the device for a full month and put in another one without a break. There may be spotting or bleeding in the first six months of wearing the device. This is completely normal and usually resolves itself.
How to Stop Your Period Naturally
There is no real proven natural method to stop your periods but you can try the following ways to see if they work:
1. Aleve
You can take Aleve if you want to stop your period. It can also relieve the cramping often experienced when you have your period.
2. Red Raspberry Tea
This is an herbal tea that seems to help women stall their period. Keep in mind that it does contain a lot of sugar and can raise your blood glucose levels.
3. Regular Exercise
One way to stop your period or have shorter periods is to engage in regular exercise. If you work out on a regular basis, your periods will tend to be shorter and lighter. Really active women may be able to have no periods whatsoever.
4. Hydration
Water is generally good for your health and can shorten your period as well. Water flushes out the uterine lining faster so that you end your period earlier. Drinking water will also aid in the relief of cramping and bloating. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol.
5. Balanced Diet
If you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, your period will be lighter. It is also claimed that if you suck on lemons, your period will be able to stop temporarily. Green beans are good vegetables to eat when you want to know how to stop your period.
6. Gelatin
Gelatin will help stop your period for at least a couple of days. All you need to do is mix a pack of gelatin with water and drink it in one sitting. This will delay your period by up to 48 hours.
FAQs for Stopping Your Period
Q: How long can a period be skipped?
A: You can skip as many periods as you wish. It depends on whether or not you have spotting or breakthrough bleeding. If you get this, let yourself have a period and the spotting will stop.
Q: Am I harming myself by having a skipped period?
A: It is generally safe to go up to several years without a period. It is no different from breastfeeding a baby and not having periods during that time.
Q: Can I use the patch to skip periods?
A: This is not possible. In the way the patch works, you need to have one week out of every month without the patch on. Also, if you keep the patch on continually, you might get a blood clot.
Q: Should the pill be monophasic if I want my period to be skipped?
A: You need monophasic pills because they cause less breakthrough bleeding when you are taking them all through the month.