Many women are unsure about what is considered normal menstrual flow due to lack of education and discussion. The NIH provides information on what is normal, including length, frequency, and amount of bleeding. Variation is common, but abnormal timing or excessive bleeding should be discussed with a doctor. Most women lose 2 to 7 teaspoons of blood during a normal period.
Many women are concerned about the possibility of having abnormal menstrual flow because, typically, women don’t discuss the details of menstruation with each other, get no education about it, and simply don’t know what is or isn’t considered normal. Also, a woman might have atypical periods all her life and never worry about it because, for her, it’s normal since she’s never had anything else to compare it to. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as many other organizations and doctors, provide some information for women about what a normal menstrual flow should be like. This includes how long your period is, how often you menstruate, and how much bleeding you typically experience.
Bleeding for four to seven days is typical, however, numbers outside this range can still be considered normal menstrual flow. Young women who have started menstruating within the last couple of years may experience some irregularity with their period length, such as very light bleeding for a day or two instead of having a full period. This problem tends to resolve itself with age, however, it is important to let a gynecologist know what is going on as this can also be a sign of other conditions.
The average menstrual cycle length, or the time between periods, falls somewhere around a month for most women. Some women have very regular periods every 24 or 25 days, while others get it every 33 or 34 days, and others may have variable lengths between menstrual periods. Again, timing variation for young women who are just starting to menstruate is not uncommon. Women who have abnormal timing of their menstrual periods should speak to an ob-gyn to make sure there are no underlying health issues. A doctor may also be able to fix this problem by prescribing birth control, which contains hormones that regulate your period and promote normal menstrual flow.
One of the most common characteristics of a period that is mistaken for abnormal is the amount of bleeding that occurs. Part of this is because seeing a large amount of blood can be a scary experience and tends to cause concern that something might be wrong. While it’s important to see a doctor if you suspect a problem, the range for what’s considered a normal menstrual flow is quite wide. Studies have shown that, during a normal period, most women lose 2 to 7 teaspoons (10 to 35 mL) of blood. Since it’s hard to estimate, most guidelines recommend that as long as you don’t have to use more than one tampon or tampon every hour for several hours, your flow is probably normal.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
