How Can I Keep Track Of My Menstrual Cycle
You can keep track of your menstrual cycle by marking the day you start your period on a calendar. After a few months, you can begin to see if your periods are regular or if your cycles are different each month.
You may want to track:
- Premenstrual syndrome symptoms: Did you have cramping, headaches, moodiness, forgetfulness, bloating, or breast tenderness?
- When your bleeding begins: Was it earlier or later than expected?
- How heavy the bleeding was on your heaviest days: Was the bleeding heavier or lighter than usual? How many pads or tampons did you use?
- Period symptoms: Did you have pain or bleeding on any days that caused you to miss work or school?
- How many days your period lasted: Was your period shorter or longer than the month before?
You can also download apps for your phone to track your periods. Some include features to track your PMS symptoms, energy and activity levels, and more.
Clues In The Hue: What Does The Colour Of Your Period Blood Mean
Pink
Grey
Have you ever noticed the rainbow of different colours that can emerge from your vagina during your period?! Paying attention to these can be beneficial, as the color of your period blood can actually indicate crucial health information. While period blood is known for being red, it can vary in its strength of colour, and even the colour itself. Lets take a closer look.
Symptoms Of Normal Periods
The regular shedding of the lining of the uterus is referred to as menstruation. It may also be called a menstrual period, menstrual cycle, or menses. During this time, blood flows from the vagina. In people with a uterus and ovaries, it usually occurs monthly from puberty until menopause . Menstruation normally stops during pregnancy.
In addition to vaginal bleeding, many people experience other symptoms while menstruating. These include:
- Cramping in the lower abdomen
- Cramping in the lower back
- Moodiness
- Acne
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What Are Some Common Menstrual Problems
There are a variety of problems that can occur with the menstrual cycle. Some of the common problems are covered briefly below but its best to discuss any specific period problems with your local doctor, Family Planning clinic, or Aboriginal Medical Service .
Painful periods
Most people have some pain with their periods. This common type of period pain is caused by hormones which make the muscles in the uterus cramp so that it can shed its lining during a period. As long as its not particularly severe and it settles after a couple of days, its probably nothing to be concerned about. Pain-relieving and anti-cramping medications, a hot water bottle or a heat pack on the lower abdomen might help make sure to read and follow the instructions on the packet.
If the pain is severe and the treatments you are using are not helping, other pain relieving medications and/or a hormonal method of contraception can be used as treatment options. The most common method used is the combined oral contraceptive pill.
If severe period pain is still experienced after trying all these treatments there may be an underlying condition such as endometriosis.
Endometriosis
There are different ways to treat endometriosis. Treatments include hormonal contraception like the pill or a hormonal IUD. There may be surgical options for some people where hormonal options do not work.
Heavy periods
If your periods are heavy, see your doctor for advice.
Absence of menstrual periods
Unusual vaginal bleeding
Spotting During Pregnancy Is It Normal
One of the first visible signs of pregnancy in many women is implantation bleeding. Spotting in early pregnancy happens when the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterus lining. According to Dr. Trina Pagano on WebMD, implantation bleeding usually occurs from 6 to 12 days after conception and it lasts for up to 2 days.10
Not all women who are pregnant experience implantation bleeding and for some who do, the spotting could be so light that it is hardly noticeable. Dr. Traci Johnson on WebMD says that some women mistake implantation spotting with a light period that lasts a few days.11
Around about this time you may notice that your breasts start getting bigger and you may also notice bumps around your areola as your Montgomery glands become enlarged and you get tired easily. In time, you may start experiencing nausea and vomiting and an increased urge to pee as the first signs that you are pregnant.
Many women are, of course, concerned if they notice spotting during their pregnancy. According to the journal Annals Epidemiology, many causes of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy are not serious. Researchers found that about two-thirds of pregnant women experience some spotting and light bleeding during pregnancy. Usually, the pregnancy spotting lasted between 1 and 3 days.12
However, because bleeding during pregnancy can also be a sign of miscarriage, you should talk to your obstetrician about any bleeding, especially if it is heavy.
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I Think I Had My First Period How Can I Be Sure
I had my first period a couple of days ago. At least I think it was my period because I had a red-brown smudge that lasted for a day and a half. The problem is, it lasted for such a short time that I’m not sure if it was my period or not. I am really confused!
Lots of girls expect their blood to be bright red during their periods. But it’s completely normal for menstrual blood to be brownish. It’s also perfectly normal for some girls to have their first period for just 2 or 3 days. Many girls will have a very light flow the first few times they get their period, while others have more.
How long your period lasts and how often it comes might change during the first couple of years of menstruation. Thats because your body might make different amounts of hormones from one menstrual cycle to the next. Other things can affect periods too, such as nutrition, exercise, and medicines. If you have any concerns about your period, talk to your doctor.
*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.
Should I Watch Out For Any Problems
Most girls dont have any problems with periods but contact the doctor if
- Age 15 and havent started period
- Have had period for more than 2 years and it still doesnt come regularly
- Theres untimely bleeding between periods
- Have severe cramps that dont get better with painkillers
- Having very heavy bleeding
- Have periods that last more than about a week
- Suffering from a severe premenstrual syndrome that gets in the way of everyday activities
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How Much Do Dogs Bleed On Their Period
You may also observe that her vulva is large, red, or swollen with some bleeding or blood-tinted discharge. Your dog will only bleed for around half of the total cycle, usually 7 to 10 days. Generally, bigger dogs bleed more than smaller dogs, but it varies between dogs. Some dogs bleed very little.
What Your Period Is Trying To Tell You
Your weight, blood pressure, and heart rate are standard measurements doctors use to gauge your health. But theres another body activity you should also consider when youre trying to get a sense of whats going on in your system: your period.
It makes sense when you think about it. Sudden shifts when it comes to how heavy your flow is, where your cramps rank on the pain scale, spotting between cycles, and other unexplained changes are all clues your period is sending out to let you know that something might be amiss. It could be a minor and benign issuebut it may also be an SOS signal to something serious you won’t want to put off.
To help decode what your menstrual cycle is trying to tell you, we enlisted the expertise of Sherry A. Ross, MD, ob-gyn and author of She-Ology: The Definitive Guide to Womens Intimate Health. Here, Dr. Ross points out six changes to pay attention to, and the conditions that might be behind them.
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Signs Of Period Bleeding
In order to know what spotting is and what it looks like, you should get to know your own monthly cycle. This will help you recognize any abnormal or unusual bleeding that could require a visit to your doctor.
Although some women have spotting at the onset or end of their period, menstrual bleeding is not the same as spotting.
The frequency of period bleeding. Even if you have irregular periods, menstrual bleeding follows a cycle. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that the menstrual cycle can last from 21 to 35 days in length, with 28 days being the average.8
Menstrual bleeding pattern. Bleeding that happens in time with your period usually starts as very light bleeding or spotting and gradually gets heavier. The American Journal of Epidemiology reported that during the first 3 days women usually experience heavier bleeding. This gradually becomes lighter and the bleeding lasts an average of 5 days.6
Premenstrual symptoms. About a week before your period is due, hormonal changes in your body can cause certain premenstrual symptoms. Doctors from the Cleveland Clinic say that some of the more common symptoms of menstruation are cramping in the abdomen and lower back, moodiness, food craving, tender breasts, and outbreaks of acne.9
When Can I Get Pregnant During My Menstrual Cycle
You have the highest chance of getting pregnant on the days leading up to ovulation these are called fertile days.
Ovulation usually happens about 14 days before your period starts but everyones body is different. You may ovulate earlier or later, depending on the length of your menstrual cycle.
Your egg lives for about 1 day after its released from your ovary, and sperm can live in your uterus and fallopian tubes for about 6 days after sex. So you can usually get pregnant for around 6 days of every menstrual cycle: the 5 days before you ovulate, and the day you ovulate. You can also get pregnant a day or so after ovulation, but it’s less likely.
Many people track their menstrual cycles and other fertility signs to help them figure out when theyre ovulating. This is called fertility awareness some people use it to prevent pregnancy, and others use it to try to get pregnant. Check out our app, which makes it easy to chart your cycle and figure out your fertile days.
Some people have very regular cycles, and other peoples cycles vary from month to month. Its really common for young people to have irregular periods. Since your period can be unpredictable, its hard to know for sure when youll ovulate . So if you dont want to get pregnant, use birth control every time you have vaginal sex.
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What Will My First Period Feel Like
You may find your first period comes and goes with very little in the way of symptoms, or you may find you experience quite a bit of discomfort. Common symptoms include:
- Cramping in the lower abdomen
- Breast tenderness
- Diarrhea or nausea
- Dizziness
Most of these symptoms do not last long, and can be treated with ibuprofen or other over-the-counter pain relief medications. A heating pad or hot water bottle on the abdomen or lower back can help ease pain in these areas. More details on menstrual pain and other symptoms can be found here .
Why Do We Have Periods
Your menstrual cycle is the time between one period and the next. Every month there is a complex interaction between the pituitary gland in the brain, the ovaries and the uterus . Messages and hormones are being passed around the body to prepare it for a possible pregnancy. An egg is produced, the lining of the uterus thickens up, hormones prepare the vagina and the cervix to accept and support sperm. When pregnancy doesn’t occur, the egg is absorbed back into the body and the thick lining in the uterus is shed, this is your period. Then the cycle begins all over again.
- Day one of your cycle is the first day of your period. This is when your uterus starts shedding the lining it has built up over the last 28 days.
- After your period is over, the lining of your uterus starts to build up again to become a thick and spongy nest in preparation for a possible pregnancy.
- On day 14 , one of your ovaries will release an egg, which will make its way through a fallopian tube and will eventually make its way to your uterus .
- On day 28 , if you have not become pregnant, the lining of your uterus starts to shed. This is your period. The blood you lose during your period is the lining of your uterus.
The menstural cycle
If you have sex during a cycle, and your egg meets a sperm, you can become pregnant. When youre pregnant, you dont get your period.
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At What Age Does Menstruation Typically Begin
Girls start menstruating at the average age of 12. However, girls can begin menstruating as early as 8 years of age or as late as 16 years of age. Women stop menstruating at menopause, which occurs at about the age of 51. At menopause, a woman stops producing eggs . Menopause is defined as one year without periods, and after this time a woman can no longer become pregnant.
When To Expect Your First Period
Most girls get first period by the age of around 12 years. But getting it any time between age 10 to 15 is also fine as every girls body is scheduled differently. There isnt one right age for a girl to get period but there are some clues that it will start soon like
- Most of the time, a girl gets period about 2 years after breasts start to develop.
- Another sign is vaginal discharge fluid that a girl might see or feel on underwear. This discharge usually begins about 6 months to a year before a girl gets first period.
There are several factors that influence the age of the first period like
- Nutrition
- Illness or stress
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What Are The First Period Signs And Symptoms
Everyones first period experience is different. Some people get their first period before theyve even learned what a period is. Others wait years to get their period and wonder when it will finally arrive. You may feel a bit more tired that day, and may also experience some more intense moods. If you have mood changes around your period, dont sweat it! This is a common symptom of our hormones changing. These strong emotions are linked with our menstrual cycle, and it can be helpful to remember that these strong feelings dont always last. Getting your period is part of puberty. There are other signs of puberty that you may see before your period, but that you will also continue to see after your first period.
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