When Do Most Girls Get Their Period
Most girls get their first period when they’re around 12. But getting it any time between age 10 and 15 is OK. Every girl’s body has its own schedule.
There isn’t one right age for a girl to get her period. But there are some clues that it will start soon:
- Most of the time, a girl gets her period about 2 years after her breasts start to develop.
- Another sign is vaginal discharge fluid that a girl might see or feel on her underwear. This discharge usually begins about 6 months to a year before a girl gets her first period.
How To Track Your Menstrual Cycle
- Note the age of your first period
- Document the time from day 1 of one period until day 1 of the next period. This is the “cycle” of your period
- Track the duration of your period
- Note associated symptoms such as pain, mood changes, and how frequently you need to change tampons or pads.
- Track the presence of clots – minor clots are sometimes normal in the first day or so.
Note: There are also apps specifically designed to help you track your menstrual cycle. Check out the best period tracking apps of 2021 here. Or you can use a paper calendar
Signs Your Period Is Normal
There really is no such thing as a “normal period” as bleeding duration, heaviness, and timing differs from person to person. It’s also totally normal for your period to vary a bit each month. However extreme fluctuations, like if it lasts more than eight days or you skip 2 or more months, may be cause for concern.
According to Rachel Bowman, MD, an assistant professor in the department of women’s health in the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin signs of a typical menstrual cycle are:
- It happens every 21 to 35 days
- Bleeding lasts for two to seven days
- Initial bleeding is light
- A period is heavier on the second or third day, but then lightens again
Although all of those factors contribute to a “normal cycle,” if your menstrual cycle doesn’t check all these boxes, don’t stress about it too much. There are many reasons the timing, duration, and bleeding patterns of your period might fluctuate. These includes:
Read Also: Using Birth Control To Regulate Period To Get Pregnant
Youre Under A Lot Of Stress
The bodys reaction to stress can change the levels of many hormones that cause your period to last longer than necessary, says Dr. Horton.
Stress can cause delayed ovulation, causing your period to start later than expected, which can make your periods longer and heavier than usual, she explains. Identifying and eliminating stressors in your life will help regulate your periods over time. Meditation, getting enough sleep, and regular exercise are also effective ways to manage stress.
How To Relieve Period Bloating
At least 40% of all women have to go through period bloating monthly! As we have mentioned above, hormonal fluctuations, hereditary factors and diet can lead to period bloating. However, you can make some changes in your lifestyle, which can make your menstrual bloating go away!
Along with the mission of answering the question how long does period bloating last?, we are giving you some of the most effective ways for bloat relief!
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Lighter Periods With Birth Control Pills
Those of us who use birth control pills often have shorter periods with a lighter flow. Traditional pill packs feature several non-active or placebo pills that trigger your period. Women can prevent their periods by skipping the placebo pills and diving right into a new pack, or they can take a medication like Seasonale, which is specifically designed to allow women to avoid the majority of their periods.
Since the introduction of Seasonale in 2003, scads of new birth control pill formulas have come onto the market that allow you to skip most of your periods. And when you do eventually have a period on these medications, you can have a lighter, shorter one.
It might take a few months after you first start taking birth control pills until your periods normalize. In fact, the most common cause of irregular bleeding is missed pills.
Long Periods And The Menstrual Cycle
How does the menstrual cycle determine how long a period lasts? Definitive answers are best left to doctors. However, before determining what constitutes a “long period,” is important that she develop a baseline understanding of what is normal menstruation for her. That means paying attention to:
Keeping track of these may help someone determine if a period is long and whether they’re experiencing unusual symptoms. If you believe that either is the case, speak with a gynecologist.
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Why Do Girls Get Periods
A period happens because of changes in hormones in the body. Hormones give messages to the body. These hormones cause the lining of the uterus to build up. This gets the uterus ready for an egg and sperm to attach and grow into a baby. If the woman does not get pregnant, the lining breaks down and bleeds. This same process happens every month. That is why most girls and women get their periods around once a month.
What Does A Long Period Mean
Generally, a period lasts between three to seven days. A menstrual period that lasts longer than seven days is considered a long period. Your doctor may refer to a period that lasts longer than a week as menorrhagia. A long period may be a sign of a serious underlying health condition, such as: hormone irregularities.
Beside this, why is my period not stopping?
Summary. Having a single period that does not seem to stop is not usually a sign of a serious medical problem. Having long periods frequently can indicate one of several potential conditions, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids. A doctor can help diagnose and treat these conditions.
Furthermore, can stress cause longer periods? Stress can affect your menstrual cycle in pretty much every way possible. It can sometimes lead your period to stop altogether. But other times, it can make your period longer or heavier or lead to mid-cycle bleeding.
Similarly one may ask, is it normal to have your period for 10 days?
Changes in your period can be a sign of a problem, and most changes are worth seeing a doctor about. Periods that become irregular when you usually have regular periods. Bleeding for longer than normal, for example your period normally lasts 5 days and is suddenly 9 or 10 days long.
Why have I been on my period for 3 weeks?
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Is It Normal To Have Longer And Heavier Periods During Perimenopause
Excessive bleeding and long periods are fairly common during perimenopause. Many women experience an increased flow and extended perimenopause periods before entering menopause.
In fact, one in four women say that their periods are heavy enough to interfere with day-to-day activities, such as going to work or attending social events. According to University of Michigan researchers, 91 percent of women aged 4252 surveyed reported heavy menstruation for 10 or more days during their transition to menopause. This phenomenon occurred one to three times within a three-year period.
There are various other health factors which come into play, including body mass index , use of hormones, and the presence of uterine fibroids.
Signs Of An Irregular Period
A typical cycle lasts anywhere from 21 to 35 days. Therefore, anything outside of that window whether your cycle is shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 is considered irregular, says Bowman.
Bleeding or spotting between periods can also be considered irregular, says Jessica Geida, DO, an OB-GYN at Axia Women’s Health.
Additionally, “if your cycle is fluctuating more than three days every month say it is 22 days apart during one cycle and then 31 days apart from the next that’s a sign that you may have an underlying issue,” says Bowman.
Some underlying health conditions associated with abnormal periods include:
- Pregnancy
- Bleeding disorders, like hemophilia or von Willebrand disease
- Thyroid disorders
If your period is consistently more than eight days and you are experiencing heavy bleeding or pain you should see a doctor, says Bowman.
Medical term: Abnormally heavy bleeding is bleeding that soaks through a pad or tampon twice in one hour, or passes quarter-size clots, she says.
If you are experiencing irregular periods, your doctor may recommend regulating your period through hormone supplements, like birth control pills. “Birth control pills won’t cure an underlying issue, but they can help with predictability and quantity of bleeding,” says Bowman.
To determine if you have a regular or irregular cycle, try tracking your period.
Read Also: How Do You Know Your Period Cycle Length
Does Breastfeeding Affect My Periods
Not having your period while you’re breastfeeding is known as lactational amenorrhea. How long it lasts depends on how often you breastfeed and when you introduce other food into your babys diet.
Its hard to predict when your period will return after you give birth and how you feed your baby is only one factor that influences this. However, once your body begins releasing eggs again, you can get pregnant even before you actually have your first period after giving birth. There are several safe contraception options you can consider while breastfeeding, but speak to your doctor for advice before resuming sexual activity.
Your Body’s Gearing Up For Menopause
Oh yes, simply getting older can mess with your period. Menopause, which technically means you’ve gone 12 or more months without a period, hits women around age 50. However, your body starts the natural decline in hormones that leads up to menopause as early as 35, says Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Womens Bodies, Womens Wisdom.
When this happens, you may notice your periods getting longer or shorter, your cycle becoming more random, and other slight changes in your menstruation.
If you’ve ruled out everything else, and you’re in your mid- to late-30s, your prolonged periods might simply be due to the natural process of aging. There is, however, such a thing as early menopause, which can affect women even in their twenties. So talk to your doctor if this runs in your family or if you’re showing other signs of menopause, like a low sex drive or insomnia.
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Is It Normal For Periods To Be Short
Women’s cycles can vary in length. For some, this is normal, for others, a trip to the doctor might be needed.
Birth control pills may cause bleeding in the first few weeks and it may take around 3 months for your periods to settle down. You may notice your periods are lighter when taking contraceptive pills as the lining of your uterus isn’t as thick., .
There are a range of reasons why girls and women experience lighter and shorter periods, these include :
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Puberty
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Over-exercising and under-eating and losing too much body fat
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Taking birth control pills and other forms of contraception
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Certain medications
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Perimenopause
How Long Does A Period Typically Last
There’s a pretty big range of normal when it comes to period length. “Usually, it can last anywhere between five to seven days,” says Jessica Shepherd, MD, a minimally invasive gynecologist in Dallas. “But there are times at which it can be a few days longer or shorter.”
Here’s a little Menstrual Cycle 101: During each cycle, your body’s sending hormones to thicken the lining of the uterus to make it a nice little home for a potentially fertilized egg. About midway through your cycle, one of your ovaries releases an egg, which then travels down the fallopian tubes to this newly plush uterus where, if it’s not fertilized by a sperm, it flows out of the body, along with the uterine lining that built up.
While this process is the same for nearly every woman, the length of their periods might differ depending on their specific hormonal shifts over the course of their cycle, which affects the endometrium development, and in turn, the number of days it takes for it to shed, Dr. Shepherd explains.
So, if your period is a day or two longer or shorter than your usual period length and you don’t notice any other symptoms or issues that seem unusual for you , it’s probably not a reason to be concerned.
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Perimenopause Period: How To Relief It
If a woman faces the challenge of how long does perimenopause last, she surely faces some health complications. In most cases, they are related to different forms of bleeding. However, women may suffer from many other health problems and its vital to know how to treat them.
Mind that women may overcome their perimenopausal symptoms using some lifestyle and home remedies. They are quite efficient and do not have any health risks. Consider the following measures:
- Follow a healthy lifestyle. Its important to get rid of bad habits, such as smoking and alcohol consumption. Stick to a healthy diet and be physically engaged.
- Sleep enough. A healthy slumber is one of the best and easiest ways to recover from health problems. Sleep at least 8 hours per day to avoid tiredness, frequent fatigue, and energy losses.
- Reduce stress. Excess stress may provoke premature menopause and worsen its symptoms. Therefore, you should learn how to manage stress and relax. You can undertake various therapies and activities. Amongst such are art and music therapies, journaling , meditation, yoga, tai chi, and something of the kind.
If the issue of how long does perimenopause last leads to worsening of your health conditions, remember these measures. Some of them can be fulfilled by you right at home. The others require the attention of a certified specialist. Discuss your current conditions and the possible treatment measures to choose the safest and most effective ones.
Youre Experiencing An Ectopic Pregnancy
An unusually heavy period can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy , says Dr. Horton. Taking a pregnancy test can help you figure out if that’s what’s going on.
If you have a positive pregnancy test and have pain and vaginal bleeding, you should be evaluated, she says. Your doctor will get blood work and a pelvic ultrasound to see where the pregnancy is located and, if it is ectopic, treat it with medicine or surgery. Unfortunately, it’s not safe for a mother to carry an ectopic pregnancy.
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