This is in "ladies only" but I don't really care if men read/respond to it (though I have no idea why this would interest menfolk) so... just a disclaimer.

Ever since I fell in the "morbidly obese" category my periods have been irregular. Usually I could count on my period to come every other month. Each time I got my period it would come with wicked PMS and menstrual cramps that rival labor pain - funny, when I gave birth and reached 8 cm I thought to myself "Huh, this is what my worst menstrual cramps feel like." Just so people know what kind of hell I've lived with each period! I'd have to take 4 Advil and 1 hydrocodone every 4 hours just to manage the pain. If I missed a dose, I'd be curled up on the floor and weeping. And when my cramps woke me in the middle of the night and I had to wait 45 minutes for the medicine to kick in... unbearable.

Anyway, after I had my baby my periods blessedly vanished (probably due to breastfeeding for 6 months). Got my first period 9 months postpartum - no PMS, no pain, just blood. Thought I was just lucky. Periods started up every 2-3 months, painless, just blood. I thought I was living the dream.

Then I lost 30 pounds and now it seems like my hormones are sorting themselves out again. I am suffering from my monstrous PMS again and feel the volcanic buildup of menstrual cramps.

It's normal to see a regularization of menstruation after losing weight, yes? Anyone here go from periods every 2-3 months to going back to a 28 day cycle?

I guess this is kind of a back-handed NSV I'm not particularly excited about this one. My uterus is retiring from childbearing so if anyone can recommend BC methods that stop periods and don't cause a surge in appetite I'd appreciate it. I hate having my period!!!

you may have PCOS! Sounds exactly like what I go through. I'm almost 8 months post op and my periods are nowhere near regular yet, but I have hope. The fact that I've been getting them at all is a big improvement. I have truly never had a normal cycle, even when I first got it at age 10.

Following! I would like to read others' experiences. I really want to believe I will someday have relief from these cramps and a somewhat normal cycle.

I think part of your lucky cramp free periods was because your body was regulating itself after having a baby and breastfeeding. After each of my babies, I didn't have a period for a year or longer each time because we breastfed and when it came back, it wasn't the painful hellish periods I was used to, but more like what I imagine normal people feel, but as time would go on, it worked itself back into the hellish mode again. I'm not saying go get pregnant again, but for me, that was a nice reprieve! Since surgery, and losing weight and weaning, my periods were all over the map, but now they have seemingly settled into a 26 day cycle(which I've always had exactly 32 day cycles so I have no idea what the deal is) but the same pain and flood of blood is coming back. By flood, I mean, I literally cannot leave the house for 3 days a month and use the giant super super overnight maximum diaper depends for pads because none of the "feminine products" are big enough or absorbent enough to even almost catch it. I still have to keep extra undies and pants in the bathroom and sit on a stack of towels to prevent leaks from ruining the furniture. I'm waiting to get hydro ablation done because I'm done having kids(7 is plenty) and that will end my period misery forever(hopefully). If you aren't done having kids and aren't ready for more, maybe talk to your OBGYN and see if maybe mirena or some combo pills might be an option to at least keep the lining from building up too much. I can't do pills because they just don't work for me. I've lost 3 babies after getting pregnant on various birth control pills because my body just doesn't absorb them or I'm a hyper ovulater or something.

@@Cervidae - I've been tested up and down, left and right for PCOS! I had an ultrasound to check out my ovaries but there weren't any cysts. I had my blood tested to check for PCOS and it came back negative. All my doctors assumed I had PCOS because I have all the classic symptoms but nope, I'm good in that regard lol...

@@Sajijoma - Wow, sounds like you got the short end of the stick Sorry you go through that. My periods aren't super heavy, but they are very painful and fraught with symptoms. I don't know 100% if I'm done having kids... the deal is I agreed to carry one baby and my partner is carrying the other (I'm a lady married to a lady). If for some reason she's incapable of getting pregnant I need to keep my oven fresh in case I have to bake another bun. I'm HOPING I'm done but I can't say for sure that I am. I didn't know you could get your uterine lining removed. I'll probably do that after baby number 2 is born since we don't want more than 2 kids (if we can help it - there's always the risk of multiples when you use artificial insemination with fertility drugs). I also don't want to remove all the parts because of the hormones. My mom had a full hysterectomy when she was 39 because her period pain was unbearable (must be hereditary because I'm the same way). But her hormones were all out of whack because she lost her ovaries. I don't know if I want to rid myself of the organs but it sure would be nice to kill my period forever! Will probably research BC pills to find something that works for me.

@@needtorecover definitely keep your ovaries and uterus if you can. Studies are showing that without them, even with HRT that women lose part of their life expectancy when they have a complete hysterectomy. The ablation just takes the lining which for me would cure all my woes. I swear though it is harder for me to get approved for than wls was!

I have had bad painful periods since I had my kids. I have Percocet for he pain, I get bad migraines starting two days before also morning sickness as well but all day long.

With my labors, I had no drugs and didn't think it was that too bad.

As for cycles, mine have been sort of regular give or take a few days off each month. I'm hoping after surgery mine will be better.

I know women who haven't had a period in years, then have the surgery, lose weight and surprise, hello my monthly friend.

~Jenn~

Surgery date 5/18/16

I wanted to have the ablation procedure done a few years back but because of my weight they said I needed to either lose 25lbs or have the procedure done in the hospital. Needless to say, I didn't have the surgery. I was completely devastated that I wasn't able to have the surgery like "normal" women. Therefore I still suffer from the monthly enemy! Maybe after my WLS I will approach this procedure again.