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How do I know if my period is normal?

Every month, during your menstrual cycle, you release unfertilized eggs. To protect these eggs in case they become fertilized, your estrogen and progesterone hormone levels rise, thickening the lining of your uterus. If none of your eggs are fertilized, your body sheds this excess lining in the form of a period.

Normal periods can vary from one woman to the next.

In a typical period:

• 4-12 tablespoons of blood are lost
• Bleeding occurs about every 24-31 days
• Bleeding lasts 4-7 days

In a heavy period:

• Bleeding lasts a long time 
• Double protection (a tampon and a pad) may be needed
• Bleeding affects your daily activities
• Your tampon or pad needs to be changed frequently

According to the National Women’s Health Resource Center, over 56% of women have to make adjustments to their daily lives because of heavy periods.

Among women with heavy periods¹:

• 85% feel tired and nauseated
• 50% have had to miss a party or an event because of their period
• 80% have avoided sexual activities because of their period
• 1 in 12 has missed more than a week of work because of a heavy period
• 77% feel depressed or moody
• 76% experience bad cramps
• 69% have headaches

Having heavy periods is a common medical condition that is often ignored.

Take our diagnostic quiz to find out if your heavy periods are a medical condition that should be discussed with your doctor.

¹ National Women's Health Resource Center