When should I make a doctor's appointment?

You need to call your doctor and ask for advice. Sometimes they can tell you right over the phone, and sometimes they don’t even have an opening for another few weeks, so you should call right away.

I once had a very serious skin problem, and the doctor couldn’t fit me in for a week and a half.

@YARNLADY I don’t have insurance, so I don’t have a regular doctor. And that’s the thing (even though it’s my health and I know it’s a little ridiculous) – I kind of don’t want to go in until I really should – because of how expensive it will be for me.

At least call an “Ask a nurse” hotline. Every woman is different and a lot depends on your method of birth control. I understand not having insurance and not wanting to spend your income on being told this is normal for you.

How old are you? Is it possible you are pre-menopausal?

I’m only 25 and I’m not currently on birth control.

Do you feel otherwise “fine”? No weakness, bizarre mood swings, unexplained nausea? I am not answering this as any kind of professional, but as one who’s lived without insurance.
When you do get your period, is it a normal flow? No out-of-ordinary pain with it?
Some women I among them do not fall into average 28 day cycles. It could be, as my answer was, only one functioning ovary and they don’t fire in predictive cycles.

Look up local women’s clinics in your area and go. If you’re not underweight or chronically hyperstressed then there’s the possibility of cysts or fibroids, both of which could be benign or not.

Well… No, not completely fine. I have endometriosis, which I’ve had for a while, but I generally have regular periods. It’s normal to light flow and typically only lasts about 3 days. I don’t usually completely skip though – sometimes I’m late – and I’m going on the second month without having it at all.

I was told once over 3 months. I missed my period for 15 weeks at one point, but knew I wasn’t pregnant (I tested every single day because I was baffled) I have endometriosis though, with the other spectrum of it…lighter periods but still extremely painful. So, I sort of knew what was going on.
I’d wait 3 months, then call for advice to see if they want you to come in.

@DrasticDreamer: If it were me in your shoes then I’d go somewhere to make sure there’s not a complication with the endometriosis. the women I’ve known with it have all had painful complications more than a few times.

@DrasticDreamer Yeah, it’s definitely always painful. If I don’t have it by the end of this month, I’ll definitely go in. I just don’t wanna rush it with no insurance. :-/

Helluva world we live in, isn’t it? Where you can’t get professional opinions without multiple lab tests for fear of being sued. Pay for them out of your own pocket, because insurance is a huge bite out of a paycheck and you figure, being 25 and healthy, you should put that towards housing and food. Then, when you do break down and go to a doctor, it costs you $1000 to be told that you’re normal for that particular problem… makes you really reluctant to go back to a doctor for another problem. forgive my rant. I’m pissed at insurance and doctors right now

Agree with @casheroo

I would call Planned Parenthood and just ask their opinion. Are you super stressed or do you have other reasons that would make you skip your period? If not I’d be concerned. I would call someone. At least to ask.

Do you have any health clinics in your area that help the uninsured? Seconding @deni ‘s suggestion to call Planned Parenthood, but also ask them if they will provide you a free or low-cost checkup. My roommate used to work for a county health clinic where low income folks (which may not include you) could get free or low-cost care.

@deni I have been a little stressed (I was very badly a while ago), so maybe that is it. I can’t think of any other reason I might skip it for two months.

I’m gonna take the advice and call Planned Parenthood to see what they say. There are clinics around that help people without insurance. I don’t know if I count as low income. I’m a student, currently don’t have a job – but I’m living with my parents since I can’t afford not to at the moment – and I’m not sure if that’s taken into account. But I’ll definitely call around.

@DrasticDreamer I think some women’s bodies are really effected by stress moreso than others. Or, it doesn’t even have to be stress. It’s weird…for example, when I get on an airplane, my period is generally a few weeks late. Isn’t that bizarre? That has changed since I started birth control, but before that, the littlest thing threw it off weeks or even a month!