All you need to know about My tubes are tied but my period is late!
Tube ligation is a birth control method, a surgical procedure that is on the consent of a woman to have her fallopian tubes cut, tied, or permanently blocked to prevent future pregnancy. The procedure will not affect your menstrual cycle.
Normally, the fallopian tube carries an egg from the ovary to the uterus every month where it waits to be fertilized by sperm, resulting in pregnancy. But when your tubes are tied, this normal process becomes restricted. However effective the procedure is, fewer out of 1 in 100 women become pregnant after having undergone the procedure. Also, women who undergo the surgery are at risk of having an ectopic pregnancy -where an egg is fertilized outside the uterus.
WHY DO PEOPLE TIE THEIR TUBES?
Tubal ligation is considered one of the most effective means of birth control and most times people who sign up for it are women who do not want to have children, women who no longer want more kids, or women who cannot carry a pregnancy due to their medical conditions such as: Stroke, epilepsy, severe hypertension, cardiomyopathy, systemic lupus, and ovarian cancer.
IS IT REVERSIBLE? Yes. Even though it is said to be a permanent procedure, it can still be reversed. It involves another surgical procedure that will reconnect the blocked segment of the fallopian tube to the remainder of the fallopian tube.
SEE ALSO: HOW TO BOOST FERTILITY IN YOUR 30S
WILL MY PERIOD BE THE SAME AFTER I TIE MY TUBES?
Tubal ligation does not affect your menstrual cycle, so your period will likely be the same. In fact, studies have shown that people who tie their tubes may have fewer days of bleeding, lighter blood flow, and less cramps during their periods. Notwithstanding, some individuals may complain of an irregular period after ligation.
MY TUBES ARE TIED BUT MY PERIOD IS LATE
Remember we have established that at least 1 in 100 women get pregnant even after having their tubes tied. This could happen within the first year of having the surgery or within 10 years of getting your tubes tied.
Why My Tubes Are Tied But My Period Is Late? Factors such as your age can be responsible for the occurrence of pregnancy even after your tubes are tied. Many doctors have said that women in their 20s are more likely to get pregnant even after they have tied their tubes, than women in their 30s and 40s.
Also, there are several procedures used to carry out ligation which may affect how well the procedure prevents pregnancy. How well the procedure is done reduces the chance of a pregnancy occurring to a really slim chance, however, no data has been provided to prove the particular procedure that is more effective than others.
Another thing is, a woman who has had her tubes tied but is in her late 30s or her 40s, is in her premenopausal age group and will experience some irregular menstrual cycle, so sometimes you don’t need to panic unless the pregnancy test strip says positive anyway, then you have to see your doctor. Having your tubes tied and having a positive pregnancy test puts you at risk of having an ectopic pregnancy.
SYMPTOMS OF AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY
An ectopic pregnancy occurs in a woman when implantation of a fertilized egg happens in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Initially, you may have the symptoms of a normal pregnancy such as breast tenderness, frequent irritation, nausea, missed periods, and food cravings.
It is followed by severe symptoms such as:
- Heavy vaginal bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- Sharp pain in the pelvis
- Loss of consciousness
- Pain in the left shoulder
- Lightheadedness
Ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency. The heavy vaginal bleeding is due to the rupture of the fallopian tube which caused internal bleeding. So, should you experience any of the signs above, you should get medical help immediately.
Unfortunately in ectopic pregnancy, the foetus cannot be saved. If your doctor determines at an early stage that your pregnancy is ectopic, a medication that can stop the egg from growing may be prescribed, while monitoring your human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) hormone. Otherwise, surgery is done to remove the pregnancy, usually along with the affected fallopian tube.
Other reasons you can have a missed period when your tubes are tied could be stress or a change in hormones. If you started a new medication such as an antidepressant, or you took up a physically demanding activity, it may affect the levels of your hormone.
More testosterone may be produced than progesterone and this can lead to a stop in your menstrual cycle. Also, suddenly stopping birth control pills after you got your tubes tied, may lead to an absent period before the cycle returns to normal.
CONCLUSION
Tying your tube is a very effective contraceptive method, however, it is not 100% effective. You are at risk of having an ectopic pregnancy when you have your tubes tied. However, the late period could be a result of stress or hormonal imbalance, other than pregnancy.