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Hey, we all want to get it over and done with.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart — Written on May 14, 2020
Have you ever had a moment where you just wanted to figure out how to make your period come faster, before its normal schedule? Whether it’s for a sexy event where you’re going to be wearing white, or because you just really want to know if you’re not pregnant, it’s happened to most women at least once.
Truth be told, there aren't always methods to induce your menstrual cycle. Sometimes, our bodies are a bit stubborn.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t at least try to learn a few ways for how to get your period faster and make your cycle run its course sooner rather than later.
Over the years, women have discovered quite a few ways to get Aunt Flo to make her visit a bit early. That being said, a lot of the ways to induce your period can be unsafe for your body. This list will give you some options that are safe for you and might help jog things along.
1. Take Vitamin C.
Studies have shown that ingesting high levels of Vitamin C can increase estrogen production in women. Estrogen production makes your uterus contract and causes your uterine lining to grow.
Vitamin C also reduces your ability to access progesterone, which encourages your body to shed its uterine lining. Drink up some orange juice and you might be able to have Aunt Flo show up a couple of days early.
2. Drink ginger tea.
Feeling an herbal cure? Herbs that fall under the “emmenagogues” category are known for being used to induce periods when ingested. Some of the herbs that make it happen include ginger, parsley, and Dong Quai. If you take supplements, it might actually help you get your monthly earlier.
3. Hit up a meditation center and get rid of your stress.
Most people have heard of cortisol, known more commonly as “the stress hormone.” When you’re stressed, you produce cortisol. Cortisol does a bunch of things, including having the effect of delaying periods by preventing the release of fertility hormones.
Sometimes, one of the easiest methods for how to induce your period is to just mellow out, listen to some jazz, and take a bath while you blow off steam.
4. Eat mango and papaya.
Certain fruits, like mango and papaya, have enzymes that have been linked to getting an earlier period. Studies have shown that even drinking as little as four cups of papaya juice in two sittings can help induce your period safely and easily.
5. Hit the gym for a nice jog.
If you needed more reason to go to the gym, here’s one that you can’t ignore. Physical exercise has been known to induce periods for ages, especially if it’s something a bit bumpy like jogging or abdominal exercises.
6. Take birth control pills as prescribed by a doctor.
Though these are often taken to regulate hormones, certain birth control pills have actually been rumored to be ways for how to get your period faster and induce it. Unless you have an abnormally long cycle, there’s no real evidence to prove this.
So, it probably won’t work unless you have a cycle that’s significantly longer than most.
7. Take a warm bath.
Having a hard time getting Aunt Flo going, even when she’s supposed to be on time? It could be that you’re very tense down there. Plenty of anecdotes have suggested a warm bath is often a good way to help your uterine muscles relax enough to start shedding.
8. Have sex or masturbate.
This one is a no-brainer. Sex, even if it’s not rough, can often jostle things around down there. With enough movement, it’s very possible for you to induce your period earlier than scheduled.
Scientific evidence shows that orgasms also can help your cervix dilate, which in turn helps women potentially get their period earlier than expected.
9. Take an iron supplement.
Are you feeling a bit anemic? Low iron levels have been linked to delayed periods. By taking an iron supplement, you might give your body the boost it needs in order to induce a period.
10. Lose weight.
This is more of a long-term solution than a short-term one, but it still works. Did you know that having excess fat can actually cause delayed periods? It’s true.
Fatty tissue produces estrogen, which is why many women who gain weight find themselves having irregular and heavy periods. Underweight women may also lose the ability to have a period. By that rationale, getting to a healthy weight could regulate your period.
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Ossiana Tepfenhart is a Jack-of-all-trades writer based out of Red Bank, New Jersey. You can follow her on Twitter.