Period 2 Weeks Late White Discharge: Pregnant or Not? 7 Main Causes
Last updated on July 26th, 2018 at 06:00 pm
Question: Why is my period 2 weeks late with white discharge and abdominal cramps?
After sexual activity and without the use of a condom or birth control pill, a late period can be troubling. The truth is your period can be delayed for different reasons, and while you may first think about being pregnant, there are other causes of a late period.
If your period is two weeks late with increased white milky and clear discharge, it’s likely pregnancy.
Having said that, stress, excessive weight loss, strenuous workout plans, thyroid abnormalities, contraceptive pills, IUDs, ovarian disorders (polycystic ovarian disease), perimenopause and delayed ovulation will cause your period to come later than expected.
If your period is late, it’s normal you will have taken a pregnancy test. And if you did, and tested negative for pregnancy, this guide explains the possible reasons. If you are yet to take a pregnancy test, it’s important you take a test right away.
This article explains causes of two weeks late period, when to worry, and early signs that show you’re pregnant.
Why is my period 2 weeks late?
Depending on your menstrual cycle, it’s not abnormal if your period comes every 21 – 35 days. Generally, a lot of girls will get their period after 28 days has passed, and it’s okay if your menstrual cycle is a bit longer or shorter.
Here’s an email I received from Olivia (one of my readers)
Hi Dr. Dunn
I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend some weeks ago, and I think am 14 days late on my period. I’m wondering if I’m pregnant because my breast hurts and I feel like vomiting all the time. Should I take another pregnancy test?
Sometimes, wrong calculation of your next period date may cause panic. If you are not sure about your next period, it’s important you begin to chart the first-day of your period for the next few months.
However, if your menstrual cycle is regular and you’ve missed your period for 2 weeks, here are the possible reasons
1. Pregnancy
Pregnancy is the main reasons a lot of women will miss their period for weeks and months. In fact, when you get pregnant, your period will stop coming, and you will also experience pregnancy symptoms.
During early pregnancy, body hormones like estrogen and progesterone make changes to your body and also prevents your period from coming.
Surely, there is no reason to panic about pregnancy if you’ve not had sexual intercourse; But if you’ve had unprotected intercourse some weeks back, a missed period is an early sign.
Other symptoms you will experience during early pregnancy (even before missing your period) are
Implantation bleeding
Implantation bleeding is vaginal spotting that only lasts for a few days. If pregnant, 2 weeks late period means you are already 6 weeks pregnant, and by this time, implantation bleeding will have occurred.
About a third of women will spot from their vagina if pregnant and this happens when your baby is attached to your womb. Pregnancy spotting only last for a few days ( 1 – 2 days) before missing your period and its dark brown in color.
Increased clear vaginal discharge
Increased vaginal discharge before and after your missed period is a way you can tell if you are pregnant or not.
Normally, before conceiving, it’s normal you will have whitish discharge from your vagina. This discharge is produced high up at your cervix, and it helps to keep your vagina clean and healthy.
After period, and just before the start of next menstruation, women feel vagina dryness that is due to sudden drop in the level of progesterone before period.
So, if you’ve already noticed a heavy discharge before and after missing your period, it’s likely you are pregnant.
Other pregnancy symptoms are breast swelling and tenderness, body weakness, fatigue, increased frequency of urination, nausea, mood changes and vomiting.
What to do?
It is often recommended that you check for pregnancy after missing your period for 7 days. So, it is vital you take a test right away.
If you are unsure about your next period date, and you test negative to pregnancy, wait another week and test again.
2. Stress
Your occupation, night-life, sleepless nights, academic activities and emotional problems may slowly be affecting your health, and subsequently, delay your menstrual period from coming when due.
When you get stressed out, your body quickly produces cortisol hormones. This hormone acts to increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain, lungs, and heart.
If this happens, there is a negative impact on your reproductive system, resulting in a delayed ovulation and a late period.
If you’ve not had time for relaxation or you are experiencing emotional issues, it could also affect your body’s release of hypothalamic hormones that control your period.
Take some time off to relax, or talk to a health care professional.
3. Exercise, weight gain or excessive weight loss
It’s normal that a lot of girls want to look good and stay healthy through routine physical exercise. If you over-work yourself or lose weight too fast, it may shut down regulatory mechanism in your brain (called hypothalamus).
Usually, hormones from your brain travel down to your ovaries and control release of an egg during ovulation. Excessive weight loss, lack of night rest for a long time, overweight and severe exercise negatively affects secretion of hormones from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands.
If this happens, and your ovulation is delayed, your period will be delayed too.
4. Thyroid abnormalities
At the front of your neck is a butterfly shaped gland that controls your body metabolism, growth and also your menstrual period.
This gland, called the thyroid gland, produces hormones which can be excessive (hyperthyroidism) or less than normal (hypothyroidism)
Women with excessive thyroid hormones will experience a delay in menstrual period. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism are
- Weight loss
- Less bleeding during period than usual
- Absent period for weeks or months
- Body weakness
- Dizziness
- Restlessness
- Increased appetite
5. Birth control medications
There are different types of birth control pills in the market. The most common traditional pills are taken for about three weeks, and then, you have a free week where you not on medications.
If you are yet to see your menstruation while on birth control pills, it’s possible you are pregnant, or you are on new generation pills like Yaz and Seasonale.
These new pills can prevent menstruation and pregnancy for a long time (about three months). So, if you are concerned, talk to your doctor about the mode of action and side effects of pills you’re on.
Besides, it’s possible to be pregnant while on these medications. This commonly occurs if you are not taking medications as prescribed. If you are, take a pregnancy test as soon as possible.
6. Perimenopause
If your period is 2 weeks late and you are not pregnant, it could be due to pre-menopause changes. As you grow old, your body, hormones, and uterus start preparing for menopause.
Menopause is a time that occurs naturally in a woman’s life when period stops coming. Before this time, your body begins to change, and you notice your period becomes irregular.
Other perimenopause symptoms are vaginal dryness, body weakness, hot flashes, decreased sexual urge.
Age of menopause is 51 years, and perimenopause will occur around 40 to 51 years. Talk to your doctor if you feel this way.
