Why Is My Period 8 Days Late?

Last updated on July 27th, 2018 at 05:25 pm

Period 8 days late is most likely because you’re pregnant. However, women with emotional stress or ovulation problems may have a late period for weeks or months.

If you are trying to get pregnant and missed your period for eight days, it’s likely you are pregnant.

Do you feel different with symptoms like change in your activities and mood, feeling tired easily and abdominal cramps?

While most women with eight days late period may be due to pregnancy, there are numerous other explanations why your period can come late.

Some reasons why period is 8 days late?

Perhaps you are troubled why your period is yet to come. Most women have a menstrual cycle that lasts for 28 days. This implies that every 28 days you are expected to see your period.

However, in some women, period may fluctuate due to hormonal changes or pregnancy. Some reasons your period is late for eight days are

1.  Pregnancy

Eight days late period after intercourse some weeks ago may just mean pregnancy. If a woman has intercourse without protection during her fertile days, she is likely to conceive. Due to hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, women will not have period while pregnant.

One of the earliest signs if pregnant is very light bleeding that occurs just when you are expecting your period. It occurs because of the implantation of the embryo and resolves in a few days. If you still wonder if you are pregnant or not, these are some other pregnancy symptoms you may have

• Low abdomen cramps while expecting your period
• Cramps after period
• Craving for particular kind of foods
• Increased sensitivity to smell and taste
• Breast soreness
• Nipple itching
• Pain in both breast with an increase in size
• Fatigue
• Mood changes or change in your normal daily activities
• Increased urination due to pressure effects on your urinary bladder

What to do?

You may or may not feel pregnancy symptoms days after your period. However, it’s vital you check for pregnancy to confirm. A pregnancy test can easily be carried out at home. The urine sample can be collected and tested with a strip. First response pregnancy test kit is accurate and can confirm pregnancy.

2.  Excessive weight loss

It’s possible you want to shred some fat and reduce your weight very fast. However, a very vigorous exercise that severely reduces your weight can affect your period. Losing weight more than 10 percent can affect body hormones that regulate your period.

3.  Stress

Stress can hold off period in girls due to effects on hormones like cortisol and gonadotropin-releasing hormone. If important hormones let out by the hypothalamus are inhibited, it affects other parts of the body system like the pituitary glands and ovaries.

The hypothalamus is the main control center that sends signals to the pituitary to release follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. These two hormones act on the ovaries to regulate ovulation by secreting estrogen and progesterone.

During chronic stress, hypothalamic hormone secretions are affected. This can affect other body systems that depend on this hormones to control your ovulation.

Stress is a common reason for a late period in women. If your period is still absent for eight days after demanding weeks or months, it is advisable to lower your stress level or visit a specialist.

4.  You’re on COC pills

COC pills or combined oral contraceptives are drugs used to prevent pregnancy. Though there are other modes of action, it acts by blocking the ovarian release of an egg (ovulation) from occurring.

If you’re going to be on birth control pills like Seasonale, you will get absent periods for months.

You may as well still get pregnant while on contraceptive pills. This commonly occurs if your pills are not taken regularly or if you missed your pills for days without using condoms during intercourse.

5.  Polycystic ovaries

If you have abnormal cystic growths in your ovaries, it could delay your period for days to weeks. Some women may not have period for months. Polycystic ovaries, also called PCOS, occurs due to abnormally elevated androgens which affect hormones responsible for control of your period and ovulation.

Likely PCOS symptoms you could experience are

• Acne breakouts
• Obesity
• Irregular short or light period flow
• Hair loss and thinning of your hair

Also, its possible you may find it difficult in getting pregnant if you have PCOS. This is because it affects the release of an egg from your ovaries. However, it is possible you could still get pregnant with drugs like clomiphene and combine oral contraceptive pills.

Other causes of 8 days late period are

• Perimenopause

• Thyroid hormone dysfunction

• Emergency contraceptives

• Abortion

• Eating disorders

Some commonly asked questions

Still concerned you’ve missed your period for eight days? These are a few related issues, and we want to know your other concerns

Period 8 days late white discharge, what does it mean?

The most common reason women have white discharge after missed period is pregnancy. White discharge may not be the only symptoms if pregnant. Symptoms of pregnancy eight days after missed period are

• Nausea which is worse in the morning but could be present throughout the day
• Abdominal bloating
• Feeling pregnant and urinating frequently
• Breast changes and pain
• Mood changes

Increased discharge from the vagina during pregnancy occurs due to increased blood supply to your vaginal wall and cervix. This excessive discharge may also be a sign you’re pregnant if you experience it before your missed period.

In a normal period cycle, vaginal discharge volume reduces while expecting your next period. If your discharge is heavy before and after missing your period, it’s likely you’re pregnant.

Period 8 days late no symptoms of pregnancy, is it possible?

Yes. Though you may get worried about being pregnant, your eight days late period could be due to

• Stress
• Drugs you are taking
• Abortion pills or procedures
• Polycystic ovaries
• Partial ovarian failures
• Eating problems
• Severe weight loss after strenuous exercise

Period 8 days late negative pregnancy test

It’s vital to rule out pregnancy early by taking a pregnancy test. However, if you still test negative after eight days, it could be due to

• Anxiety
• Emotional stress
• Physical stress
• Oral pills you are taking to avoid pregnancy
• Contraceptives
• Inserted intrauterine devices
• Perimenopause
• Abortion

Period 8 days late and cramping pain in my abdomen?

Period 8 days late and cramping occurs because you’re pregnant. Cramping pain in the abdomen occurs due to increased blood flow to the uterus.

However, your cramping with late period may not be due to pregnancy. Other causes of abdominal cramps are signs of your period coming soon, ovarian cyst, ovarian cancer, and perimenopause.

Period 8 days late should I take a pregnancy test right away?

8 days late period usually occurs because of pregnancy. Though, other factors may delay your period, taking a pregnancy test is the best way to confirm. Various available pregnancy test kits can detect if you are pregnant by this time. First response kit is very simple to use and accurate.