Irregular Periods

Does the Béa Treatment work with Irregular Periods?

Yes - it does! The Béa Treatment could be a good treatment option for irregular periods. It helps plan the timing and frequency of the inseminations for the best chances of getting pregnant. The Béa Applicator places our custom cervical cap against the cervix, holding semen in place for up to one hour. It increases the exposure to the cervical mucus, minimises the contact of semen in the vagina (where the pH can reduce sperm quality) and reduces semen backflow.

Reasons why people try ICI with Irregular periods

Irregular periods or irregular cycles are when the length of your menstrual cycle (the gap between your periods starting) keeps changing, meaning they could be coming early or late. This is normal when you’re going through puberty, but once the menstrual cycle is more established it is thought to be irregular if:

• A cycle is shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days
• You have fewer than 8 cycles per year
• You have a cycle longer than 90 days

There are a number of causes of irregular periods including lifestyle changes, diet changes and any medication you may be taking. We've summarised this below:

1. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a common hormonal disorder that affects how the ovaries work and disrupts hormonal balance in the body. This can cause absent or reduced periods, and absent or reduced ovulation.

2. Extreme weight loss or weight gain 

Hormone levels are affected by your weight and the amount of body fat you have. Extreme weight loss can reduce your reproductive hormone production and cause your cycles to become irregular or stop altogether. Extreme weight gain can disrupt your body's oestrogen production, which can make cycles longer and periods can be longer and heavier.

3. Excessive stress 

The stress hormone cortisol has an impact on your reproductive hormone production. Excessive levels of cortisol could suppress the normal levels of reproductive hormones, and potentially cause your cycles to become irregular and reduce ovulation.

4. Excessive exercise 

Exercise is great for your health, but intense and excessive exercise can deplete your body of energy. When your body doesn't have enough energy - it can shut down systems that are considered non-essential, like reproduction.

5. Other medical conditions 

Certain medical conditions can have an impact on reproductive hormones, like thyroid conditions. If the thyroid is underactive, it can interfere with ovulation, causing irregular cycles. Read more about Hypothyroidism here.

6. Sexually transmitted infections 

STIs could cause the characteristics of your period to change. Infections like chlamydia or human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause abnormal discharge or spotting in between periods, which can make your cycles feel irregular. The Béa Treatment is not suitable if you have an active STI. It's recommended to complete any treatment prescribed for an active STI before trying to conceive.

1. Keep a record of your symptoms

Engage with your current health and lifestyle so that you can monitor any symptoms you're experiencing. This will help you to recognise improvements and the positive effects of the lifestyle changes that you make.

2. Build positive lifestyle changes into your daily routine

Think about how you move and what you nourish your body with. You can optimise your lifestyle factors focussing on achieving a balanced and nutritious diet and introducing exercise to reduce your stress response hormones. This will have a significant immediate impact, not to mention benefit your long-term health and wellbeing, improving your chances of conceiving.

3. Get your baseline blood levels checked

Check the levels of hormones, glucose and fats in the body checked via routine blood tests with your GP. Then, work together with your GP to optimise these.

4. Build a relationship with your GP

If you’re not able to detect ovulation during multiple menstrual cycles, then you might need to get help from your GP. This can be difficult if you've previously felt unsupported, but this can be so important when trying to improve your symptoms and optimise your fertility. Having a good relationship can help you discuss potential medications that may help for your own individual hormone profile. This might involve ovulation induction medications like letrozole and clomid. These act by increasing the production of FSH which stimulates follicle growth and ovulation.

5. Try the Béa Treatment

If you know that you're ovulating - the Béa Treatment is a good option for irregular periods. The Béa Applicator places our custom cervical cap against the cervix, holding semen in place for up to one hour.

Speaking to your GP about the Béa ICI Treatment

The Béa Treatment is new on the market – it's possible your GP hasn't heard of it yet. It's an at-home fertility treatment that previously hasn't been accessible or available to purchase online. We know GP appointments are short - so here's the TL:DR version:

The Béa Treatment is the modern take on ICI (intracervical insemination). It's an at-home fertility treatment that's affordable and accessible. It involves placing a cervical cap with semen near the cervix and it has a pregnancy rate of 50% over 6 cycles.

References:

NHS – Irregular periods 

NHS – Periods