Periods and holidays - why do they always seem to overlap?

Is it coincidence? A conspiracy? Murphy's Law? The work of a cruel and sadistic God? We can't say for sure but we do know that dealing with cramps, bloating and potential leakage while you're supposed to be relaxing isn't ideal. But, where nature fails us, science has triumphed; there's a pill that works specifically to delay your period. Yep, you can put off Shark Week so you're able to enjoy your time away in peace. Here's how it works: you'll need to start taking the medication three days before you're due to start your time of the month. They contain norethisterone, a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone, that artificially keeps your body's levels of progesterone raised and prevents your womb lining from breaking down. You take the tablets for as long as you want to keep it from coming and can put off your period by up to 17 days. It's worth noting that this doesn't act as a contraceptive, so you'll still need to use another method if you're having sex and don't want to get pregnant.   As with any medication there's also a risk that this won't suit you. There are some nasty potential side-effects, ranging from acne and fluid retention to blood clotting and stroke. As one Her reader who previously tried norethisterone told us;

"It worked as expected, delaying my period for that month. However the knock on effect for the next month was tough. I experienced extreme cramping, pain, excessive bleeding and a 15 day period. "I read and understood the side effects, as with any pill designed to interfere with your cycle. However I did not expect such immediate and stressful effects. In my opinion it was really really not worth it."

The medication is only available by prescription so you'll have to chat to your GP about getting it. If you're on the pill, you can delay your period by running your pill packets together and skipping your seven days off. Curious about other methods of delaying your period? We previously took a deep dive into the internet's various suggestions here.