|  | Family Health | Womens Health

What Can Cause a Lighter Menstrual Cycle?

The menstrual cycle is finely tuned, and any number of occurrences can cause it to fluctuate. This fluctuation may change the volume or frequency of your menstrual period. There are a few instances that can cause your period to be a bit lighter than usual. Some of these conditions are harmless and pose no real danger.

  1. Menopausal Transition

    • About two years before menopause takes place, you will go through a stage called menopausal transition. In this stage, the estrogen levels responsible for menses begin to decrease. This causes the menstrual cycle to become lighter and may even decrease the amount of days you're on your period. After menopausal transition, estrogen levels deplete, causing menopause to set in. There are a few treatment options available for women going through this stage, but there's not much that can be done about the change in flow, since menopause is inevitable and cannot be reversed.

    Progestin Mini-Pills

    • The progestin-based mini-pill is an oral contraceptive that mostly contains the hormone progestin. The hormone estrogen is responsible for sending a signal to your ovary to produce an egg for fertilization. When this hormone is decreased or depleted, the signal isn't sent and therefore ovulation never takes place. What may result is a light period instead of your normal menstrual flow.

    Yaz

    • Birth control pills such as Yaz are designed to suppress the menstrual cycle. Yaz's website states that the desired effect of this contraceptive is to lighten and shorten the period. This is especially helpful to women who may suffer from heavy bleeding disorders or iron deficiency anemia. This medication is taken once a day on a 24-day rotating cycle.

    Pregnancy

    • Some women have what's called implantation bleeding during pregnancy. This bleeding is often mistaken for a light period, although it may be shorter in length. Implantation bleeding can happen around the time of implantation or just around the time of your regular cycle. After a few months, this type of bleeding usually subsides on its own. If it doesn't, your physician may prescribe you progesterone, which can be given either as a vaginal suppository or by injection.

    Breast-Feeding

    • The hormone prolactin is produced after birth, causing your breasts to start producing milk. Once this hormone is turned on, oestrogen is turned off. Oestrogen is responsible for sending signals to the ovaries to begin egg production. As long as prolactin is in production, you can continue to breast-feed and your period will stay well away. If you choose not to breast-feed, the production of prolactin will decrease and oestrogen will increase, causing your period to return. This usually happens after a period of 35 to 45 days and may resume lighter or more sporadic than usual.

Womens Health - Related Articles