What is deemed a "regular" period?

[Rainbowsandunicorns88]

Textbook 28 days every single month? Or anywhere between, say, 21-28 days? If you don't have the exact same cycle each month are you officially "irregular"?

[treaclesoda]

I think regular means that it comes at more or less the same interval all the time, be that 14 days or 40 days.

[Rainbowsandunicorns88]

But what is the window of "more or less" each month I mean. Within 7 days?

[JaxingJump]

I would say a regular period is within a day of expected usual timeframe, as long as expected timeframe is between about 24 and 32 days every cycle.

[Rainbowsandunicorns88]

So what do you make of this pattern: 27,27,23,26,28,29,22,24 - Regular or irregular?

[SlB09]

Anything between 24-35 days is considered 'normal'. Yours don't look too bad at all to me. Anything less than 8-10 periods a year is considered irregular. What are your main concerns?x

[Rainbowsandunicorns88]

I hate the not knowing! I've had to come off hormonal contraception and miss the bang on regularity. Is there another way to regulate it to a fixed cycle each month? (Idealistically closer to 35 days so I don't have to have that many! )

[SlB09]

The longer you go without the contraception the longer your periods might get, plus they tend to space out the older you get too. As to getting longer cycles Im afraid I have no advice on that one!!

[PollyPerky]

An average cycle is 28 days. Normal is counted as anywhere from 21-35. Varying by 6 days as you are is normal. Evidently most women have this variation. And no, there is nothing anyone can do to alter the length of their cycle.

[PollyPerky]

The longer you go without the contraception the longer your periods might get, plus they tend to space out the older you get too

Eh? Do you mean the bleeding lasts longer or the cycles become longer? Not true anyway. And neither is spacing out more as you get older. Some women's get closer, some more far apart, but most women have a complete mixture of both in the run up to menopause.

[SlB09]

I did say 'might'!

[PollyPerky]

I don't understand what you mean by 'the longer you go without contraception the longer your periods might get.'

How does contraception (or not) affect the length (duration? ) of a period? Did you mean the length of a cycle or the number of days bleeding?

[GlitteryFluff]

Interesting.
My periods are usually regular, at 43/44/45 days each! Then last month it was exactly 28days. I haven't been on any kind of contraception for about 4 years. But only been logging periods for the last 6 months. 5 were the 44ish range, then one odd one at 28days.
Is 44 days long very unusual?

[SlB09]

I meant cycle length. @GlitteryFluff I had cycles that long, occassionally up to 50, had hormones tested etc and have PCOS. Not saying you do but if your worried maybe worth seeing GP x

[Rainbowsandunicorns88]

I think "normal" is 21-35 days glitter so may be worth going to get checked out if it concerns you

[Adelie0404]

i always had a 17-21 day cycle until about age 45. My DD seems to be the same, though at only 13, I live in hope her cycle will lengthen.
I wondered if I ovulated but I had no problems getting pregnant so I guess I did! Think I ran out of eggs though - started age 14 and finished 47!
I think of myself as "normal." Just got used to it.