Periods – What’s “Normal” Anyway?
While I’m not particularly a big fan of the word “normal” in medicine, it does seem to be a word thrown around a lot as a level to attain. However, even being in the “normal” range in your blood work doesn’t mean you are in the clear. That’s why I prefer using the word “optimal” – optimal levels, optimal symptoms, optimal health, and so forth. While a “normal” period doesn’t actually exist (our bodies are incredibly complex and beautiful), there is optimal measures for your menses (short form for menstruation aka your period).
Now, I want you to keep in mind that just because your menses doesn’t follow all of these criteria, it doesn’t mean there’s reason for concern. As always, the definition of health and optimal is individual to you. It is advised to speak to a naturopathic doctor before jumping to any conclusions and to discuss your healthcare concerns.
What does an optimal period look like?
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Cycle length (from day 1 of bleeding to the next day 1 of your next period) : 28-30 days PLUS OR MINUS*
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*Note: this is an approximation! This means that a couple of days +/- the standard “30 day cycle” is completely fine, you would just need to work with your naturopathic doctor to see the complete picture of your menses
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Regularity: once every month
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Days of bleeding: 3-5
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Days of spotting (meaning any blood outside of your regular bleeding time): NONE
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Clots present: none to minimal
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Flow amount: dependent on the hygiene product used e.g. pad, tampon, menstrual cup and the day of bleeding (variable throughout) – generally, you want to change the product around 2-4 times a day and have it moderately saturated
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Flow colour: light to dark red (variable throughout the days of bleeding)
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Pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS): none to minimal
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Leading up to your first day of bleeding, this includes but is not limited to: mood swings, increased sensitivity, irritability, depression/anxiety, breast tenderness, constipation/diarrhea, bloating, increased food cravings, increased fatigue, etc
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Abdominal cramps: none to minimal
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Pain with intercourse: none
I love talking about menstrual health with women because it’s something that is trackable and is a great tool to provide insight to their overall health (just like talking about poops – but that’s another topic for another day). Hormone imbalance is becoming incredibly common as the root cause of many health concerns of women today, and menstrual health is a very key player in this picture. This includes all different sexual identities who are born with female reproductive organs and are actively menstruating.
One of the main messages I want you to get from this article is that PMS symptoms are NOT normal. Often, we can confuse prevalence with normal (e.g. if everyone experience it, it must be normal), but that is certainly not the case. More often than not, the women I meet all experience PMS symptoms in one form or another. They have learned to accept this as their reality, but I am here to say that you don’t have to live like this – naturopathic medicine has many tools to help you become friends with your period!
Sometimes PMS symptoms (especially intense cramping and heavy flow) can be a sign of another condition, such as uterine polyps or endometriosis. This is why it is important to open up the conversation about periods to all you badass people out there, so you can be more informed about your health.
While it’s not the prettiest topic to discuss, it’s definitely an important one. If this is something uncomfortable for you to talk about, start off with talking to a family member or close friend. Know that my doors are always open should you choose to seek medical advice, and would like to make sense of what’s going on with your body.
