AboutPat G Expertise I can help women with the consideration of their decision, and with resources, and I can share my own experiences as the mother of seven and grandmother of six. My approach is to show love and concern, and help women work through the issues, emotional, spiritual, practical. I also help women deal with boyfriend and family issues.
Experience I have been working with women who are considering abortion for several years. I also work with women who have had abortions. Our family has also experienced adoption, so I can talk about that as well.
Education/Credentials I am mostly self-taught. I also studied midwifery for awhile. I have spent years doing research on this topic. In fact, I have been doing research and working in this area since the early 1970's. I have been helping women online for a few years, under the guidance of a woman who was formally training in counseling.
Expert: Pat G Date: 5/17/2008 Subject: menstrual cycle after abortion
Question QUESTION: hi its me again remember the guys whose girlfriend had the abortion well she even got her periods after that on 31st of march. We were happy that everything has gone well.. but now she hasn't gotten her periods this month. I know what you might be think ma'am but we have not had sex at all infact even the foreplay has been strictly above the waist and the two times tat i might have come out it was once when i was under three layers of clothing and the next when she was 2 feet away and completely covered under three layers of clothing. So we have been very very responsible and careful what i want to know is that is it normal to have irregular periods after an abortion and also since she too is very sure an im sure u would be too with the above information that there can be no conception then what else could be the cause of this delayed period?
ANSWER: Hi, Irfan,
Yes, I remember you.
An abortion seriously disrupts a woman's hormones, so anything is possible. Also, there could be other reasons. For example, anxiety can cause a woman to miss a period. I could say that a particular problem is common, but never that it is normal. I don't know the reason for her not having another period, and I would strongly suggest she go to a doctor and have it checked out.
I'm not judging that you had risky sex. I just know that there are a lot of different kinds of damage abortion can do. Please urge her to go to a doctor. Nobody can diagnose her problem over the internet, not even a doctor. Good luck!
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QUESTION: hi ma'am well were sure its not a conception that is a cause of her not getting her periods as like i mentioned we havent had sex at all an nothing of an accident could have happened as we have never gone beyond kissing or hugging therefore we are sure its not that. Though i know you cannot really diagnose over the net can you please tell me the few other reasons that might be a cause of it on a general basis? and one more thing ma'am she has been working out rigourously over the past three weeks almost everyday would that have anything to do with it?
ANSWER: Hi, Irfan,
You MAY have hit the nail on the head. Strenuous exercise CAN cause amenorrhea. If it's making her body lean and muscular, that's as good a bet as any.
I recognize that you haven't conceived a child since her abortion. The only other possibilities are that she is still pregnant from before, or there is a medical abnormality.
I'd say as long as you're not noticing any problems, you can just wait and see. If anything crops up, check it out with a doctor.
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QUESTION: hi ma'am thanks for all the help and i too am thinking that you may be right it is only since the last time she got her period that she has started working out and training on an everyday basis which could very well cause amenorrhea. I checked out what it is like and what causes it and seems possible and considering she is trying to loose weight she isnt giving her body enought nutrition. Apart from this i just wanted to ask you that since she did get a proper 6 day long period 2 days under the proper stipulated six weeks that the doctor had determined and i dont think there would be any chance of her being pregnant as she had a bit of spotting after the abortion and a proper period under six weeks from then. Now just if it is amernorrhea what can be done? I will have her see a doctor soon but just wanted to know from as you are someone who i trust what is the solution to amernorrhea?
Answer Hi, Irfan,
You're welcome. Thank you for the kind words.
Malnutrition can also cause amenorrhea. It depends on the individual and what she is doing in terms of this problem. Another thing that can cause amenorrhea is a low fat diet. This is because "bad" cholesterol is used to make hormones, and without enough of it, even though the body will make cholesterol, there's only so much it can do. Losing weight rapidly by starving oneself can cause all kinds of havoc. For one thing, a low fat diet can actually cause the body to RETAIN fat, because it goes into "starvation mode" and the metabolism rate drops, to preserve the body mass it does have. (This is one reason why people who live in concentration camps for awhile might become obese after they get out.) There are two types of working out. Aerobic exercise will get the metabolism going for an hour or two. But weight lifting, if it builds muscle, will burn fat 24/7. I used to do weightlifting because I wanted to build muscle to hold my joints in place. I tend to dislocate my joints easily. It worked well as long as I was doing it. After working out, I would take a stack that included a hefty dose of whey, and other nutrients that build muscle (such as creatine). I did quite a bit of research to work it all out. And I did build muscle. I did heavy negative weightlifting. But a woman who doesn't want to look "muscular" will often try to avoid actually building muscle and will hope to be able to avoid that and still become strong. It's hard for a woman to look muscular. She has to really work at it. A little bit of muscle helps the woman's body to become shapely. The other danger that concerns me is that if she gets things too out of balance, she could start with an eating disorder. Some women will react to having an abortion by developing eating disorders, by the way. An abortion takes a heavy emotional toll on most women. I can probably write a lot more about this, but my time is somewhat limited because I need to go to bed, so maybe over the next few days, we can get into more detail. Losing weight permanently can be very, very difficult. I am trying, myself; I put on weight after I did something that greatly changed my own hormone balance (which I had to do to save my life, and I was nearly 50 at the time). She should take things one step at a time. She should learn more about how to lose weight safely, and how to build up her strength. She also needs to eat animal protein. And soy should be off limits. She needs to avoid artificial sweeteners and excitotoxins (monosodium glutamate, which soy also usually has an overabundance of). Artificial sweeteners actually make people fatter. If she has amenorrhea right now, and she's not doing anything to whacked out, I wouldn't worry about it right now. Here is a site that has a LOT of information about all these issues: http://www.mercola.com/ This fellow is a walking encyclopedia, and his web site shows it. There are a lot of issues involved, and it won't necessarily be a simple thing to correct. So do as much research as you can, and get her to eat sensibly if you can, and be careful how she does the exercise. And doctors won't USUALLY be able to advise on diet.
