I see it all the time on Facebook groups and forums where girls are having period’s that are either effecting their day to day life or are just plain debilitating. So I wanted to answer the question today of when are periods not normal?
I have started this series on blog around periods in general as I think firstly it’s not talked about enough and secondly there are so many women who are suffering unnecessarily because issues around women’s health are just not taken seriously enough
Firstly I’m not a medical professional and do not have any qualifications in gynaecology or women health. My views are my own and from reading I have done online or in speaking with my own Dr’s.
The Cycle – Frequency
The word menstrual comes from the latin word menses which means month, your period is supposed to happen every month and the time between periods is usually between 28 and 35 days. Some people have them every 28 days and some every 35 days and some in between. If your period is happening more frequently or less frequently or your spotting in between this may be a sign that something is wrong, of course if you are still young in your teenage years then your periods do take a while to settle into a good rhythm and become regular. Also if your particularly underweight this can also stop your periods but this in itself is not normal so it would be best to talk to a medical professional about this.
Heavy or Light?
In general everybody is different some lucky ladies may have a super light period where they hardly bleed and it’s a dream, for others like it might be more heavy. If you are finding that your seeing a lot of blood clots or bleeding through super sanitary towels or tampons within an hour or 2 then this may be a sign that something isn’t right and its time to talk to your Dr. Again with all of these points if you are still a teenager it does take time for things to regulate but if in doubt just go and see your GP.
Length
The length of a normal period varies from 3 days up to about 7 days. If your period is lasting a lot longer than 7 days or its just lasting one day then this could be a sign that something isn’t quite right. As you get older your periods do sometimes get shorter and if you have a baby then this can also change the length of your period.
Pain
This is the big one here and for me the most annoying. Every period I have ever had has been really really painful. It hurts when I ovulate and then hurts a few days before my period even starts and then usually for the first 4 days its horrific. In terms of what is normal if its affecting your day to day life i.e you can’t go to work or school, you’re being sick or you can’t even get out of bed then really it’s not right. Firstly nobody should have to suffer like that every month, there are lots of different birth control methods which can help and also some more holistic approaches such as reducing caffeine or sugar or increasing water which can also help. I know with endometriosis sufferers there is more treatment needed but if you haven’t been diagnosed with endometriosis and do suffer with severe pain each month or pain which lasts more than just your period then its worth talking to your GP and getting referred to a gynaecologist for a further look.
So to sum up if you feel like your period is not normal go and get it checked out with your GP. I know so many women who aren’t listened to or are brushed off with being told their period is normal but if it doesn’t feel normal to you or is impacting on your daily life then keep pushing and don’t take no for an answer. It took me 12 years to get diagnosed with endometriosis and I cannot even count how many times I saw my Dr and they told me to just basically get on with it.
Thanks for reading!
A x
health & Lifestyle Blog | Abigail Louise 