When your period is late, it’s natural to question whether you could be pregnant. But the likelihood of pregnancy will depend on all kinds of factors, from how many days late your period is to lifestyle changes that could be impacting your cycle.
Key takeaways
- Your period is considered late if it’s more than eight days overdue and your cycle is normally regular and monthly.
- You can miss your period, not be pregnant, and not have a condition. It can be due to stress, changes in your diet or exercise, weight changes, or medications.
- If you think you might be pregnant, take a pregnancy test on the day of your expected period or a few days after.
- Reach out to your doctor if you get a positive result, and if you get a negative result, you can retake the test in a couple of days. If it’s still negative and your period hasn’t arrived, then contact your doctor.
How many days late can a period be before pregnancy is a possibility?
You might be wondering how late a period can be before pregnancy becomes a possibility. Before we go on, let’s do a quick refresher on what exactly a period is. The first day of your period marks the first day of your menstrual cycle, which will continue until your next period. During your menstrual cycle, one of your ovaries will release an egg (a process called ovulation). If it is fertilized by a sperm, and implants into the lining of your uterus, this will mean you’re pregnant. However, if the egg is not fertilized, the lining of the uterus will shed through the vagina in the bleeding you know as your period.
So maybe your period is already three or four days late, or maybe you have irregular periods and you’re not sure exactly how late you are. Well, rest assured that the menstrual cycle isn’t the same for everyone. Healthy cycles can range in length from 21 to 35 days. Plus, how long a cycle lasts can vary from cycle to cycle.
How do you know if your period is late?
Whether you’re busy or just have a lot on your mind, it’s easy to forget when you should expect your period to start. But if you’re not sure when to expect your period, it’s hard to know if it’s late.
A period tracking app like Flo can help. By logging your usual menstrual cycle dates, Flo can predict when you can expect your period — clever, huh? This information can also be very useful if you need to go to your health care provider when you miss your period. Having information about your cycle can help them understand what’s happening inside your body.
So, when is your period considered late enough to warrant questioning? Your period is considered late — and worth investigating, either with a pregnancy test or a visit to your doctor — if it’s been more than seven days since you expected it to arrive.
Is it normal for your period to be late sometimes?
Are you looking for some reassurance about a slightly late period? It’s actually normal for the length of your cycle to vary by a day or two each month. In fact, your period would only be considered irregular if it arrives more than seven to nine days later than you expected it. This means that a 30-day cycle one month followed by a 34-day cycle the next is likely nothing to worry about.