Period Stops, Then Starts Again, Then Stops - What’s Going On?

Bleeding for less than 3 days can be normal for some women, particularly if you have always had periods that lasted 2 days. 

If however, you have had a change from longer periods to shorter bleeds, it can be a sign of a hormonal imbalance.

Most commonly this change in period length is contributed to a decline in estrogen - the hormone responsible for building up the lining of our uterus which is shed at menstruation. 

Lower levels of estrogen mean that your body struggles to build a thick, healthy lining in preparation for a potential implantation of an embryo if you were to fall pregnant that cycle.

Shorter, lighter periods are often accompanied by a change in period colour from bright red to a light pink, watery period.

Find out more about what your period colour and flow is telling you about your hormones in this post.

In some women, their period will start like normal, only to stop completely for a day or two, and then resume again, sometimes with a heavy flow. 

Why could this be happening? 

There are several reasons why your period can stop, start, then stop again. 

If your period is lasting for the normal length (between 3 to 7 days), but you are experiencing a day or two in the middle with no bleeding, here are the main causes:

When you bleed on your period, the lining of your uterus is broken down and shed through a tiny opening of your cervix, down the vaginal canal and out of your vagina.

Your period consists of a mix of blood and endometrial tissue. The opening in your cervix is small, which means that small pieces of endometrial tissue can block this opening, causing a temporary blockage of flow.

When this happens, your period may stop for several hours or a day or two.

Once the blockage is removed, your period will resume again. This can mean that you experience a heavier than normal flow for the first day after bleeding resumes, due to a buildup of blood waiting to be released.

If a small piece of tissue blocking the cervix is the cause behind your period stopping and starting again, this is generally nothing to worry about. This is frequently the cause of a one-off stop-and-start period. 

According to Maya Abdominal Massage Therapists, it is very common for women to have ‘tipped’ uteruses - or a uterus that is in a flexed position.

Why your uterus is not in the correct position, it can be more difficult for the menstrual blood to flow freely out of the uterus. This could cause your period to start, and then the flow being stuck for several hours or days.

Maya Abdominal Massage is an ancient technique of massaging the pelvic organs which is said to improve their positioning, increase blood and lymph flow by encouraging the uterus to return to its correct position.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners often view periods that on and off period as an indication of stagnation of energy flow (qi) in the body.

This can be a physical stagnation of energy (i.e. stagnation of the blood moving out of the uterus), emotional stagnation (i.e. holding on to frustration, anger or sadness), or both.

Visiting a reputable acupuncturist or Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner can help to remove the stagnation in this area.

If you are based in Sydney, Australia, I highly recommend my friend and colleague Isabella who practices both Maya abdominal massage and fertility acupuncture. 

While it may seem woo-woo to some, we all know how powerful our brain is on influencing our health (think of the placebo effect or how worrying can cause your stomach to hurt).

Many women have an emotional connection with their menstrual cycles.

When we are feeling stuck, not in the flow or stagnating in areas of our life, this can show up in a physical form in our bleeding patterns.

Experience painful periods or a heavy flow?

It’s likely that your body is feeling tense as you ride the waves of cramps.

Holding on or tensing your body can also restrict the flow of blood out of your uterus.

If you can relate to this scenario, or the feeling of being ‘stuck’ emotionally, it can be helpful to focus on deep breathing, relaxing your pelvis and ‘letting go’ during your period.

I have found menstrual meditations to be of tremendous help during particularly painful periods or when I feel I have something emotional that I need to clear during my bleed.

There are several menstrual meditations on my favourite free app Insight Timer, or try searching YouTube for free guided meditations designed for your menstrual cycle.

Another technique I have found incredibly helpful for myself and my clients is taking a slow walk on the first day or two of your cycle while focusing on deep belly breaths and repeating the phrase “I release all that no longer serves me” in your head.

It can help to visualise the blood moving out of your body and carrying with it any emotions or experiences from the previous month that you would like to let go of. 

In a normal menstrual cycle, the first day of your bleed correlates with a sharp decline in all of your sex hormone levels (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone).

These hormone levels remain low for the first few days of your bleed.

Around days 4 or 5 of your cycle, your body begins to increase levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This stimulates several eggs to begin maturing in your ovaries in preparation for ovulation in the middle of your cycle where one dominant egg will be released.

As these eggs begin developing, your body begins to produce increasing amounts of estrogen which triggers your period to stop, and your uterus to begin building up another healthy lining in preparation for potential embryo implantation.

In some women, estrogen levels are too high in this first phase of the cycle.

This can cause bleeding to stop too early in the cycle when there is still menstrual blood to be shed resulting in some females who may have bled for an hour then stopped with a period that starts and stops the same day.

Excess estrogen commonly presents as increased period cramps, heavy, clotted periods and PMS symptoms before your bleed.

Wondering if you have a hormonal imbalance that is contributing to your stop-start-stop period?

Take my free 3-minute hormone balance quiz to find out if your symptoms indicate a hormone imbalance, plus get access to my free personalised guide to healing your individual imbalance naturally. 

If your period has stopped for several days (more than 3 or 4 days) and you experience light spotting, you are likely experiencing something different to your period.

This type of bleeding is known as mid-cycle spotting and can be related to ovulation, lower levels of progesterone, or birth control use. For some women, spotting at the time of ovulation is common and harmless.

If you are tracking your cycle and notice a very small amount of spotting at the time of ovulation, this can be caused by the rupture of your follicle as your egg is released.

This type of spotting will generally last for a short time and will not be seen again until you start your period.

If you are currently taking a form of hormonal birth control (such as the pill, contraceptive patch or implant), spotting can occur during your cycle related to changes in hormone levels from your birth control.

Devices like an intrauterine device (IUD) can commonly cause spotting in the first few months after having it inserted. If this bleeding continues, visit your primary health care provider for advice.

Spotting, particularly later in the cycle in the week before your period is due, is commonly caused by low levels of progesterone. In a healthy cycle, progesterone is secreted in high amounts after ovulation.

Its main role is to maintain the lining of the uterus that has been built up by estrogen in the first half of the cycle, in order for an embryo to safely implant if you are to become pregnant.

If your egg is not fertilised, progesterone levels sharply decline after around 10-14 days, causing your period to start.

When levels of progesterone are too low during the cycle, the lining of your uterus can start to slip away too early, causing spotting before your period starts.

Wondering if you might have low progesterone? Take my free quiz to find out and get access to my personalised guide to healing low progesterone naturally.

If you notice any mid-cycle bleeding that is not related to your period, or you are currently pregnant, it’s best to visit your primary health care provider for a check up as this type of bleeding can indicate more serious issues going on.