[Fran]

Hi everyone, todays power hour is all about understanding your menstrual cycle and knowing what’s normal for you. Join us at 12pm today, where I will be on hand to answer your questions. Its very simple to join in and submit your questions – just type your questions in this thread and I will answer them throughout the hour.

See you all soon!
Fran

[Fran]

Hi everyone, we are now live for todays power hour. Please submit your questions in this thread and we will answer as many as we can throughout the next hour.

[Fran]

We have our first submitted question:

How much blood should I be passing when i am on my period – how do i know if its too much?

[Fran]

Really good question and something we get asked quite a lot.
On average, total blood loss during a period is about 30–80 ml (2–6 tablespoons) over the whole cycle. If you are passing a lot more than that every month then it might be worth seeing your GP as it may be a sign of a condition that may need further investigations.

[Fran]

Another submitted question – How do i know if my period is normal?

[Fran]

There are a few ways that you can check to see if your period is normal. These include:

Bleeding lasting around 3–7 days
You change your pads/tampons every 3–4 hours
You don’t usually leak through products
Passing small clots (less than a 10p coin)
You can go about daily activities without major disruption

These are all usually signs of a normal cycle.

[Fran]

The following might be signs of when the cycle may not be normal and when you should seek further advice.

– Soaking through a pad or tampon every 1–2 hours
– Needing to use double protection (e.g., tampon + pad)
– Passing large clots (bigger than a 10p coin)
– Bleeding lasting longer than 7–8 days
– Waking at night to change protection
– Bleeding that restricts daily life (work, social activities)
– Feeling symptoms of anaemia (e.g., tiredness, dizziness, shortness of breath)

If you are experiencing any of the above, then it would be a good idea to see you GP as you may have a condition such as endometriosis.

[Fran]

When thinking about what type of pain would be considered normal – the following may help.

– Crampy pain that comes and goes
– Starts just before or at the beginning of your period
– Improves with simple pain relief (like ibuprofen)
– Doesn’t stop you from normal daily activities

This is what a normal period should look like in terms of pain.

[Fran]

The following are signs of when pain is not normal in your menstrual cycle.
Red flags include:

– Pain that stops you going to work, school, or social events
– Pain not relieved by over-the-counter medication
– Pain starting several days before bleeding or lasting beyond it
– Pain during sex or when going to the toilet
– Associated heavy bleeding or irregular cycles

If you are experiencing any of the above then it may be time to check in with your GP for advice and investigations.

[Fran]

That’s all we have time for today – thank you for all of the submitted questions. Look out for our April power hour event – further information will be released soon.

[Author]

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