Why You Might Want To Delay Your Period

Delaying your period can be useful for personal comfort, travel plans, or managing health conditions. For some people, controlling when their period happens helps avoid inconvenience or reduces painful symptoms.

Doctors often recommend delaying menstruation to help manage or relieve conditions such as:

  • Acne

  • Endometriosis

  • Dysmenorrhea (painful periods)

  • Heavy menstrual bleeding

Period delay can also benefit people in specific situations—such as athletes, military personnel, adolescents, or transgender and gender-diverse individuals—for whom regular bleeding can interfere with physical activities or gender-affirming care.

Understanding the Basics

Menstrual cycles are controlled by two key hormones: estrogen and progesterone. By using hormonal birth control that regulates or maintains these hormone levels, you can safely postpone your period.

When hormonal contraceptives are used continuously—without taking a break for placebo pills or ring removal—the uterine lining remains thin, and menstrual bleeding doesn’t occur.

Important Considerations Before You Start

Delaying your period is generally safe, but it’s not without potential side effects. Always consult a healthcare provider first, especially if you have underlying health issues.

Possible side effects include:

  • Breakthrough bleeding or spotting

  • Headaches, breast tenderness, or mood changes

  • Estrogen-related complications, such as high blood pressure or blood clots (especially in people with a history of heart disease)

  • Progestin-related effects, such as decreased bone mineral density with long-term use

Your provider can assess your medical history and help you choose the safest and most effective method.

Hormonal Birth Control Options for Delaying Your Period

Birth Control Pills

The most common and flexible option for period delay.

How it works:

  • A typical pack has 21–24 active pills and 4–7 placebo pills (during which you bleed).

  • To delay your period, skip the placebo pills and start the next pack immediately. This is known as continuous dosing.

Tips for success:

  • Take your pill at the same time every day to prevent spotting.

  • Use monophasic pills (which contain the same dose of hormones in each pill) rather than multiphasic ones.

  • Extended-cycle pills, such as Seasonale or Seasonique, allow you to have a period only every three months.

Birth Control Patches

The patch delivers estrogen and progesterone through the skin.

How it works:

  • Normally, you apply one patch each week for three weeks, then take a break during week four (when you bleed).

  • To delay your period, apply a new patch instead of taking a break, continuing weekly patches without interruption.

This method is convenient, but not all patches are designed for continuous use, so check with your provider first.

Vaginal Rings

Products like NuvaRing and Annovera can also delay periods when used continuously.

NuvaRing:

  • Typically worn for 21 days, then removed for 7 days to allow bleeding.

  • To delay your period, insert a new ring immediately after removing the old one.

Annovera:

  • Contains enough hormones for an entire year of use and can be left in continuously.

  • Can be removed briefly for cleaning but doesn’t require replacement every month.

Methods to Avoid for Delaying Your Period

Not all hormonal methods are reliable for intentionally skipping or delaying menstruation:

  • Hormonal IUDs and arm implants may eventually stop bleeding, but they can also cause unpredictable spotting.

  • Non-hormonal copper IUDs often make bleeding heavier, not lighter.

If you’re hoping to pause or skip your period on a schedule, these are not ideal choices.

Can You Delay Your Period Naturally?

Despite what online “natural hacks” suggest, there’s no scientific evidence that foods or home remedies can delay your period.

You might read about supposed natural solutions like:

  • Gram lentils

  • Gelatin

  • Lemon juice

  • Apple cider vinegar

  • Green bean water

However, none of these methods have been proven to affect menstrual hormones. Consuming large amounts could even irritate your stomach, throat, or gums.

As Dr. Jodie Horton, an OB-GYN in Virginia, explains:

“Drinking or eating special foods does not alter the hormones involved in regulating your period.”

If you want to delay your period safely, only hormonal birth control methods are effective and evidence-based.

When To See a Healthcare Provider

Before trying to delay your period, it’s best to speak with your OB-GYN or primary care provider. They can:

  • Recommend the best method for your goals and lifestyle

  • Monitor potential side effects

  • Adjust your prescription as needed

Contact a healthcare professional immediately if you experience:

  • Severe headaches or migraines

  • Chest pain or shortness of breath

  • Swelling or pain in your legs

  • Unexplained bleeding or spotting that persists for weeks

These could signal rare but serious side effects of hormonal contraceptives.

A Quick Review

You can safely delay your period using hormonal contraception like birth control pills, patches, or vaginal rings. Skipping placebo pills or using these methods continuously prevents your uterine lining from shedding, effectively postponing menstruation.

Natural methods, like food-based “remedies,” don’t work and could harm your health if overused. Always talk to your doctor before starting any hormonal adjustment plan.

Delaying your period is safe for most people—but it should always be done with medical guidance.