Signs You Are Getting Closer To Your Period in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Recovery
Recovery from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea is a process. So how do you know that you are on the right track? In this post I list signs that you are getting closer to getting your period in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea Recovery.
Many of those trying to recover from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea struggle with the uncertainty of not knowing how long recovery will take. With the fear that implemented changes will be in wain. It can therefore be very reassuring to be observant about signs you are getting closer to your period. These signs confirm that you are on the right track.
Your appetite is increasing
While you might struggle to reach your caloric goal at the beginning of Hypothalamic Amenorrhea recovery, you should start noticing increased hunger quite soon. Your body will get used to regular eating and start rump up metabolism accordingly. You should feel hungry every 2-4 hours. If you are hungry very soon after your previous meal or snack, it could be a sign that the it was falling short in terms on energy or complexity and hence should increase your meal/snack.
Your sleep is getting better
If you have Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, you are in a state of relative energy deficiency. Your brain will be focused on finding food. Which make sense from an evolutionary point of view. You should not lay in bed and sleep if famine or a period of starvation is threatening, you should be out hunting for food. Therefore hunger is the antidote for good sleep. Once you start to nourish your body more properly, your sleep should therefore improve. You should fall asleep faster, sleep deeper and not wake up early.
You experience night hunger
What might happen is that you wake up hungry in the middle of the night. This is not necessarily a sign that you aren't eating enough (but of course it can be). It could also be a sign of your metabolism speeding up. If you experience night hunger I recommend you having a proper night snack just before going to bed and keeping some snacks at your bedside table. You don't have to be afraid of developing a habit of night eating. The night hunger is a temporary condition and will even out quicker if you embrace and give in for it.
You feel more energized
During the first weeks or so of recovery you might feel more exhausted than ever before. This is common once you give yourself permission to rest. But after the first weeks of feeling fatigue, you should notice that you feel more energized. That your energy lasts throughout the whole day.
You notice discharge in form of cervical mucus
If you are observant, you should start noticing discharge in form of cervical mucus. You might see it in your underwear, on the toilet paper, or just experience a "slippery" feeling. I encourage everyone to track their cycles (here you can read more about how). And to start practicing this while still in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea recovery makes absolute sense because it will give you feedback that you are on the right track.
Spotting
If you see some spotting or very light bleeding, this is a sign there is something going on with your sex hormones. Your progesterone has increased and dropped, but the ovulation attempt was not yet quite successful.
Your temperature is higher (not feeling cold all the time, BBT is higher)
You will notice that you are not freezing all the time. That your hands and feet are not constantly cold. If you track your cycle (which I encourage you to do), you will notice an increase in your basal body temperature (BBT).
Your libido is increasing
Another great sign that your ovulation (and thereby period) is coming closer is that your libido, or sex drive, is increasing. You might noticing yourself thinking more about sex, daydreaming or having erotic dreams at night.
Your digestion is improving
Your gut is a muscle, and it needs enough energy to function optimally. When there is a chronic energy deficiency the body responds by shutting down nun-essential functions to become more “energy efficient”. When the energy availability is increasing, your body will have more energy available to spend on non-essential functions such as digestion.
Your ovulation prediction kit is positive
If you use ovulation prediction kids to track your cycle you might observe the stripes getting closer to positive or even positive. This is a great sign that your LH hormone is rising. Please not that just because you spot an LH-surge it does not necessary mean you ovulated; this needs to be confirmed with an increase in BBT. It is not uncommon to observe a few attempts (often about two weeks apart) before the body finally pursues.
Signs of improvement should come quite soon after you have committed to Hypothalamic Amenorrhea recovery. f you don't notice any of the above listed signs it is an indicator that you are not quite there yet. That you need to do some further adaptions to your lifestyle in terms of food and exercise. But recovery will work for you! Feel free to reach out to me for support.
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