I have a period question

[SparklyUnicorn]

Don't worry, it's not about whether or not periods are disgusting or we women are disgusting for having them.

 

Anyhow, I recently read that the average length of a period is 3-5 days.  In what universe?  I'm feeling kinda robbed.  If mine lasted ONLY 5 days, THAT would be a really really awesome month (and I cannot recall that happening).  I know, they say this is the average, but this seems very short to me. 

 

Does this seem off to you too?  Is there something odd about me?

 

 

 

 

[zoobie]

Mine was always 5 days until recently. Now it's getting longer and randomly appearing thanks to my oldest DD's cycle + perimenopause.

[hornblower]

We have a research center at my local university dedicated to studying menstrual cycles & ovulation. They say 4-6 days is usual.

http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/very-heavy-menstrual-flow

Edited November 14, 2016 by hornblower

[SparklyUnicorn]

Mine was always 5 days until recently. Now it's getting longer and randomly appearing thanks to my oldest DD's cycle + perimenopause.

 

Yeah I can only assume I might be heading there because holy hell I kid you not they are sometimes lasting 10 days.  No not 10 days of heavy heavy, but 10 days where at any moment some blood might show up.  The heavy heavy is about 5 days.

 

TMI...but, again, no women in my life to ask.

[Guest]

Mine are 4 days. The second they start to annoy me or interfere with my life, I will be going in for an ablation. Ain't nobody got time for that!

[hornblower]

btw, if you have not just long periods but heavy periods, they say 

 

The good news is that simply taking one tablet of ibuprofen (over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) (200 mg is the usual-sized tablet) with each meal will decrease heavy flow by a quarter to a half. - See more at: http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/topics/heavy-flow#sthash.T5ryskx5.dpuf

All their life cycle sections are worth exploring on that website. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

We have a research center at my local university dedicated to studying menstrual cycles & ovulation. They say 4-6 days is usual.

 

http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/very-heavy-menstrual-flow

 

ok 4-6 is nudging it into a more realistic direction I think

 

3-5...who in hell has 3 days?!  I'm jealous.

 

I once went 2 years without any periods due to a birth control shot.  Unfortunately, it made me depressed.  Otherwise I'd still be using it because that was so awesome!!!

[SparklyUnicorn]

btw, if you have not just long periods but heavy periods, they say 

 

The good news is that simply taking one tablet of ibuprofen (over the counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) (200 mg is the usual-sized tablet) with each meal will decrease heavy flow by a quarter to a half. - See more at: http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/topics/heavy-flow#sthash.T5ryskx5.dpuf

 

All their life cycle sections are worth exploring on that website. 

 

Yeah that doesn't do crap for me.  I take that stuff like it's going out of style sometimes.  Doesn't change my periods.  And if it does then well I'd probably bleed to death without it.  LOL

[SparklyUnicorn]

Mine are 4 days. The second they start to annoy me or interfere with my life, I will be going in for an ablation. Ain't nobody got time for that!

 

Wow!  That's impressive.

[Guest]

I'm more in five days of heavy bleeding, two of normal, and spotting. It's been better than that too, at about five days total, but that was when I weighed a lot less, had my thyroid properly medicated, and was generally doing well. My lifetime average is definitely in the week+ range with however much spotting.

[hornblower]

Yeah I can only assume I might be heading there because holy hell I kid you not they are sometimes lasting 10 days. 

 

when mine started getting that long & longer, I got sent for a pelvic ultrasound. They check for fibroids & endometriosis & look for any malignancies. 

 

I'm apparently neg for those but they're suspecting adenomyosis. I'm getting an MRI at the end of the month to confirm that & rule out anything else.

 

I know you've not been having luck with your physicians but imo this is something that needs checking & monitoring. 

 

 

[ikslo]

Mine comes for 4-5 days then goes away for a full day or more, then comes back for one day just to taunt me.  It's loads of fun.

[Joker]

Mine are usually only 2-4 days and usually only one of those days are bad. When I was younger, they were a day or two longer but have been shorter since my early 20s.

[SparklyUnicorn]

when mine started getting that long & longer, I got sent for a pelvic ultrasound. They check for fibroids & endometriosis & look for any malignancies. 

 

I'm apparently neg for those but they're suspecting adenomyosis. I'm getting an MRI at the end of the month to confirm that & rule out anything else.

 

I know you've not been having luck with your physicians but imo this is something that needs checking & monitoring. 

 

 

 

I had a few ultrasounds (my mother had OV CA so a few docs have just thrown that in for good measure).  They never see anything.  It's just been this way for a long time. 

[Laura Corin]

Five days or less for me, on a cycle that varied from 28 to 40 days.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I have an appointment tomorrow.  That should be pointless...I mean fun.

 

Yay...I get to go spend more money to be poked and prodded and told nothing useful!!  Super!!

 

:glare:

[rebcoola]

I would say I have 1 day of bleeding and 2-4 of spotting.

[hornblower]

oh you know uteruses can be drama queens https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d4/40/ed/d440ede4f60a2dabc852c57ee1af0e47.jpg

[SKL]

Not only was mine exactly 5 days, but they were also exactly 28 days apart for years.  :p

 

Then the timing started to vary from 21 to 30 days apart, and they started to be 7 days (but after 2.5 days it would stop and then start again, lightly).

 

Now, forget it.  (Perimenopause.)  I've had one that was like 1.5 months long.  When I have a "normal" period it's still about 7 days.

 

ETA and I never took any birth control pills or any other regular medication.

Edited November 14, 2016 by SKL

[AmandaVT]

Mine comes for 4-5 days then goes away for a full day or more, then comes back for one day just to taunt me.  It's loads of fun.

 

That's exactly what mine used to do! It was like a mean joke to leave and then come back for an encore. 

 

I'm on the pill now, so they're much shorter - maybe 3 days and so much lighter than ever before. I wonder if pill users are considered in the survey and might be skewing the average length down.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I just want to be super extra clear...I do not believe that BCP will always shorten periods or make them less stressful or anything.  I think a woman's body is too complicated for that.  I just think that in general it CAN have an effect, so that in general, it can also have an effect on the stats as far has what is normal. 

 

They always shortened mine.  And the shot stopped them completely.  So if that is being factored in, then yeah it will skew things for sure.

[candicane]

Mine has always been 5 days or thereabouts. It's just the time between the finish of one and the start of another that never ever seems to be consistent.

[teachermom2834]

Mine has always been 4-5 days. At 42 it has started changing to a few days of spotting before to 2-3 days very heavy, 1-2 light and then a couple days of spotting.

 

I just this month had my first episode of it arriving out of the blue 2 weeks early and lasting a day. So fun trying to figure out what is going on.

[Guest]

Throughout my teens, 20's, and 30's, mine were 5-8 days long.

 

Now I'm in my 40's and they are shortening to about 4-7 days, but coming in shorter cycles and heavier bleeding.

[hellen]

Mine are 3 or 4 days. I'm feeling super lucky right now.

[bookbard]

5 days, exactly 28 days apart until post last baby. I'm 42. Before having kids, period pain was bad, now I don't get any period pain but ovulation pain is terrible, terrible.

[UCF612]

Mine are about 4-5 days. Days 1 and 2 are heaviest then it peters out for another 2-3 days.

Edited November 15, 2016 by UCF612

[Tree Frog]

Mine are 3 or 4 days. I'm feeling super lucky right now.

 

Mine were 3 days. Light flow during the day, really heavy at night and the next day, and tapering off the 3rd. I'm feeling really lucky, too! I don't think I've had one since September, though; some spotting, but nothing a pantyliner couldn't handle. Hoping I'm done!

[SparklyUnicorn]

You 3/4 day people suck.

 

:laugh:

 

No no...good for you.  Glad not everyone suffers with this craziness!

 

 

[6packofun]

Ugh, I know.  always had 5-6 day periods, very easy.  Now, I'm looking at usually 10 days, most of those thankfully light BUT there is a 48 hour window of Psycho bloodbath where I pretty much don't feel confident to leave the house.  :(  It totally sucks.  (I'm 45.)  This month I went through 4 pairs of pants and underwear in those 2 days no matter how I tried to stay on top of switching pads.  Who would have thought that the most exciting thing to anticipate in life right now is finding THE perfect pad or fricking adult underwear just to get through my stupid period.  Yay.  :P

 

Anyway, I'm sorry.

[SemiSweet]

Mine are pretty easy at 3-4 days with one that is on the heavier side. So it's definitely a thing but both my mom and sister suffered from horrible peri menopausal periods, so I figure it's coming. I'm a few years away still and don't take any hormones or BC.

[hjffkj]

Mine have always been 3 days long but they are 3 days of extreme heaviness. To the point that on day 2 I do not leave the house if I can avoid it because the thickest tampon and thickest pad still need to be changed once an hour at most. I switched to a diva cup and even that gets filled hourly and will leak if not emptied every hour.

 

I'd take 5 days or more if the flow adjused.

[The Girls' Mom]

I used to hate my sister in law.  3 days or so and it was pretty light.  

 

I, on the other hand, spotted for about 12 hours, bled like a stuck pig for 4 days, then light for 2 or 3, then spotting for another day or two.  Ugh.  Now my cycles are getting shorter, so I don't even have a full month in between.  Thankfully, they do seem to be getting a bit less heavy most months.  (except on the my body is going to bleed out months that happen randomly).  Hormones suck.  

Edited November 15, 2016 by The Girls' Mom

[6packofun]

Mine have always been 3 days long but they are 3 days of extreme heaviness. To the point that on day 2 I do not leave the house if I can avoid it because the thickest tampon and thickest pad still need to be changed once an hour at most. I switched to a diva cup and even that gets filled hourly and will leak if not emptied every hour.

 

I'd take 5 days or more if the flow adjused.

 

Even so with the Diva cup, do you still prefer it over pads?  I'm contemplating a cup, but if I can't even wear tampons comfortably anymore (not since baby #4, it just doesn't feel great) should I not bother?

[Ali in OR]

Mine were always 7-8 days and spaced very irregularly, never closer than 5 weeks apart. On BCP since the last kid, they've been 4-5 days and of course very regular! And light. I think my doc will take me off BCP this year and we'll see what happens. Maybe instant menopause.

[heartlikealion]

Don't worry, I hear you. We got the short end of the stick, though I'm not sure at what point we say it's over. I'd say it's over after everything, spotting and all, is gone. When I was a teenager a friend was shocked when she found out mine were like 7 days long on average and that's when I felt robbed lol. Nowadays mine are sometimes shorter (I'm in my 30s). But they can still be avg. 5-6 days.

 

For what it's worth, I meet periodically with a Natural Family Planning teacher to look at my fertility chart. She has been a teacher for 20+ years. She has never been like, "wow, that many red stickers?" LOL

[hjffkj]

Even so with the Diva cup, do you still prefer it over pads? I'm contemplating a cup, but if I can't even wear tampons comfortably anymore (not since baby #4, it just doesn't feel great) should I not bother?

Yes, I prefer it over pads. I absolutely hate the feeling of pads and will only wear one as backup if I have to leave the house on my heaviest day.

[Arctic Bunny]

I have yet another reason to feel lucky. 3 days of using my cup, fourth day is really just to make sure (light spotting). The heaviest is the first day, when I have to empty it around 5 hours or so. After that first 5-6 hours, I can easily go 12. *ducks and runs*

 

When I was in labour with 2nd DS and the doctor was busy in the other room, the nurse was trying to distract me (ha!) by filling out forms. I was standing, leaning over the side of the bed,and she asked me how long my period lasted, and all I could do was put three fingers out and sort of tap the bed (that boy wasn't waiting for a doctor!), and the nurse was looking at DH, "Three? Really, three?" And he's like, "Yeah, I guess so, where's the doctor?!"

Edited November 15, 2016 by arctic_bunny

[AK_Mom4]

During the five years I was on NO Birth control (between kids #3 & #4), my periods were 2-3 days. Day three was usually pretty light.

 

Before I had kids, it was 3 days with an occasional 4th day. Always 29/30 days apart.

 

Neither of my girls inherited this, though.......bummer.

[gardenmom5]

that would have been short for me.

 

when I still had regular cycles during perimenopause - my cycles did only last about threeish days.  my bleeding was VERY heavy during that time.  I even had time I just wouldn't go anywhere because I was changing a super-mega-absorbant OB tampon every two hours.  

I love not having a cycle . . .

 

eta:

when I had long bleeding phase - I also had very irregular cycles.

when I had short bleeding phase - I was regular as clockwork.

I didn't use hormonal bc, so that was me.

 

one other difference was I started thyroid rx, which impacts hormones and cycles.

Edited November 15, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Guest]

I was always, always 7 days. I always heard about those 5-day people, but I never had periods that short, even on BCPs. It was lighter on BCP, but for days when I could expect some blood to show up, always 7 days.

 

Now that I am 45 and everything is far less predictable, some months are more like 2 days of faucet flow, then 3-4 days of spotting.

[Guest]

There's a no birth control way to avoid long periods! Just keep having babies. I've only had a few of any type (long or short) since dh and I started our big family 14 years ago! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

This method could be said to have other drawbacks, however. ;)

[Scarlett]

Yeah I can only assume I might be heading there because holy hell I kid you not they are sometimes lasting 10 days. No not 10 days of heavy heavy, but 10 days where at any moment some blood might show up. The heavy heavy is about 5 days.

 

TMI...but, again, no women in my life to ask.

Mine was always 7-8. About 4 heavy days in the middle.

[Katy]

4-5 days typically, with a bit of spotting for a day before and afterwards.  But the second day is hell.  There will be blood heavy bleeding hell.

[athomeontheprairie]

3-5...who in hell has 3 days?! I'm jealous.

 

 

mine are 3 days. Occasionally 4.

[Excelsior! Academy]

I don't know if childbirth can "reset" your body or period symptoms, but my births have appeared to impact my cycles.  As a teen I had long, heavy periods.  When I had my first child at barely 21 my cycles shortened.  I got pregnant fairly quickly and had two miscarriages before dd#2, 3, & 4, who all came within a short period of time, then it was back to the heavy periods, this time with added cramping.  It was several years before dd#5 was born. Now I rarely get cramps.  A couple of months after to switching to a menstrual cup the length and heaviness of my flow is significantly less.  Maybe it is all coincidence, but it feels like there is a correlation.

[BooksandBoys]

Mine are 5 days, 2.5 of which are crazy heavy (fill a cup in an hour) and 1 is very light.

 

When I was younger, mine averaged 7 days, but I didn't have the crazy heavy bleeding that I have now, so I think actual volume is similar.