Veset haguf?
31 May, 2005
Question:This is my first month (full cycle) off the pill since we were married last summer. Usually (even from before I was on the pill) I would get this "feeling" and within 3 hours I would have my period. I never considered this a hargasha or veset haguf, just took it for what it seemed to be (although this may have been a mistake on my part). On the pill it always came Tuesday night (my packages started Wednesday, so a week after my last pill) like clockwork. Before the pill my cycles were about 24 days.
My veset haflaga is tonight (Tuesday), my onah beinonit is tomorrow night, and my yom hachodesh is Thursday night. I'm pretty sure I had this feeling over Shabbat (which would almost make sense, 25 days), but no sign of my period yet. If my 3 onot pass "uneventfully" should I be concerned, or could it just be my body re-adjusting? I never had any bleeding when I went on the pill; it seemed to just adjust on its own…
Answer:You are raising two questions. One is the medical question, if it is ok that you had the feeling but did not yet get your period. The other is a halachic question about if this sensation has halachic consequences.
First, the medical question: It is not unusual for your body to take time to adjust after going off the pill. Most likely, your cycles will eventually go back to normal. If all your onot pass and you still don't get your period, you might want to take a pregnancy test to be sure that is not the reason your period is late. If the test is negative, wait another month. If you're still not getting your period, you should see your physician, although it is quite likely that everything is fine and this is just post-pill adjustment.
As far as the halachic side, it does sound like what you used to have could be regarded as a veset haguf. Therefore, note what happens over the next three cycles. If you once again see that you get your period a consistent amount of time after a consistent sensation, ask again about how to proceed. In the meantime, if you have this sensation again, do a bedikah about 4 hours later and do not have relations during this 4 hour period. If there is a stain on the bedikah cloth, you are niddah from that point. If it is clean, you can resume relations until your next veset (chodesh, haflagah, beinonit) comes.
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