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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask your cycle length?

79 replies

Pusheenicorn · 17/09/2018 20:27

No reason, just curious.

I'm 28 and never tracked it before until I came off all hormonal contraception (just using condoms now) so downloaded an app and I seem to be on a bang on 26 day cycle and now I'm finding the whole thing quite interesting!

OP posts:
Penisbeakerismyfavethread · 17/09/2018 21:08

22 ish always with a 7 day period

treegone · 17/09/2018 21:31

Around 33-35 days. I get pain when ovulating and without fail, 14 days after the little twinge of pain I get my period. It's the days before ovulation that vary slightly.

dungandbother · 17/09/2018 21:35

21-23. Rubbish. Every now and then a 25. More expensive for me and they are heavy. 4.5 days period.

Try my hardest to kill them with hormonal contraceptives with varying success.

Camomila · 17/09/2018 21:35

29-32 days. Also using natural cycles, not sure whether to trust it though as DS co-sleeps and keeps me extra warm.

Smiler88 · 17/09/2018 21:39

I've had fertility issues and the Dr told me the longer between periods the better - ideally 30ish days (not like 60 which indicates other issues.)

MaisyPops · 17/09/2018 21:42

27 days almost all the time (except for odd cycles when it messes up because we're TTC and I'm sure there's a god that says 'aha! I shall fuck with your sanity by giving you a 31 day cycle and 3 days of negative pregnancy tests')

Stuckforthefourthtime · 17/09/2018 21:44

21 days Sad. This will be my last baby and I'm so sad at the thought of going back to bleeding for a week, recovering for a week, feeling sick for a week...

EmilyRosiEl · 17/09/2018 21:50

Was 28 days until about a year or two ago. Now it's crazily erratic and anywhere from 26 days to 40 days- bit worrying really! (I'm 30 and hoping I'm not experiencing premature menopause or PCOS).

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 17/09/2018 22:07

I also had a 28 day cycle and my period only ever last 4 days since coming off the pill my periods now last for 5-6 days and can be arrive up to 4 days later than I expected. Everything has gone haywire since I come off the mini pill in February.

bananafish81 · 17/09/2018 22:16

Last year I've had
A couple ~35 days
A couple ~50 odd days
A couple ~70 odd days

In the past I've gone over 6 months, even as much as 10 months, between periods

I have PCOS

I assumed for most cycles they have been anovulatory, but as the last 2 months have been ~35 days, I wonder if that might not have been the case recently. Temping would show one way or the other, but since we reached the end of the road with fertility treatment I threw out my BBT when I took a load of sharps bins etc to the chemist, so I'd rather just leave the question unanswered than get back into charting my cycles (when there's no point now)

Kemer2018 · 17/09/2018 22:19

About 16 days between period stopping and period starting.
I'm 45 so the cycle has shortened. Confused

gamerchick · 17/09/2018 22:24

Depends, I don't seem to ovulate every month but when I do it's 27 days. If I don't ovulate it can be 30. I'm assuming I'm on the slippery slope to menopause. Our bodies are a law unto themselves imo. Stupid hormones.

Beautifulblue · 17/09/2018 22:29

App says average cycle is 34 days. But it varies 28-40. PCOS 🙄

Beautifulblue · 17/09/2018 22:31

I've read a lot about periods being more frequent as you reach menopause. I find it really interesting why is that? Like your bodies way of knowing you might not be fertile for much longer so giving you additional chances? Or something totally different?

PickAChew · 17/09/2018 22:34

At your age, 32 days.. Mid 30s, 28 days. Mid 49s, anything from 25 to 35 days.

Heading to the end of my 40s, now, and currently on day 80. Had the threat of a period at the end of August, but nothing came of it, save insomnia and a bit of spotting.

JeezYouLoon · 17/09/2018 22:35

Anywhere between 28 and 60 days but I have the coil so it's really nothing much anyway and I'm not sure why I still track it.

I honestly believe if men had to put up with it something would have been done by now. I have my children, definitely no more planned so really it's all pointless and surplus to requirement.

Why did I have to put up with the week of constipation before my period, craving carbs, turning into an angry loon, cramping and then diarrhoea, random poker up the arse pain, spots, bloating plus the VAT as sanitary products are a luxury item. I got off lightly I think as some women have it far worse.

Oh yes, if men had this it would've been all done away with.

Sorry I think I've gone on a rant there Blush

bananafish81 · 17/09/2018 22:39

I've read a lot about periods being more frequent as you reach menopause. I find it really interesting why is that? Like your bodies way of knowing you might not be fertile for much longer so giving you additional chances? Or something totally different?

Beautifulblue as I understand it, as ovarian reserve drops as you age, levels of the FSH required to stimulate ovulation climb higher and higher - often at the end of the previous cycle. The earlier the FSH levels start to rise, the earlier a follicle will recruit, and the earlier in the cycle the ovulation, thus the shorter the cycle

Higher FSH levels in older women mean that it's more common to ovulate 2 eggs in a given cycle. Which is why although the likelihood of conception goes down as egg quality declines with age, the likelihood of twins can go up in older women if they do conceive in a natural cycle

There's also a question as to whether a poor quality egg can lead to lower progesterone levels post ovulation, which could also shorten the luteal phase - which could also account for shorter cycles (in addition to a shorter follicular phase)

bananafish81 · 17/09/2018 22:41

Equally the closer a woman gets to peri menopause as well as shorter ovulatory cycles, there may also be more anovulatory cycles, hence some cycles may also be longer (and more unpredictable)

TTC73 · 17/09/2018 22:41

Between 28-31 day's currently on Clomid so think it might be early this month as its the first month

MommytoA · 17/09/2018 22:44

28 days bang on every month. Like clock work.

Triskaidekaphilia · 17/09/2018 22:45

35-45, unsurprisingly we are struggling to concieve Sad but awaiting tests very soon.

JustBecauseYouAreUniqueDoesNot · 17/09/2018 22:47

29 days on the dot every month. Using Flo.

bananafish81 · 17/09/2018 22:49

@TTC73 are you being monitored with ultrasound to assess your response to the clomid? It's really important to know if the dose is working, as well as identify any over response where it may be too risky to TTC that month. The person doing the scan should be able to indicate when you're likely to ovulate based on the size of the follicle

Lemoncurd · 17/09/2018 23:01

23-25 days, but think they have always been quite short. Period is only usually 3 days so not too bad.

HidingFromMyKids · 17/09/2018 23:09

No idea. I've always had irregular periods so was put on contraception at 13 after starting at 12.

Not many natural cycles but sometimes I've only had two a year and that's without contraception forcing a period.

Pregnant at the moment but will track when I'm not. If I only have a period every 150 days surely that can't be my cycle length can it?

I'm honestly amazed I get pregnant at all I've never understood how mine works when I know so many are like clockwork.