To think that a lifetime of problem free periods is rare.

[utterflapdoodle]

Every woman I have ever spoken to about this subject seems to have had a rougher time of it than me with their period.

My periods started at 13 and have always been short, light and painless lasting one and a half or two days at the most. The only premenstrual symptom I ever get is a bit of water retention and mild breast tenderness.

I'm 51 now so even though there's no sign of it yet menopause must be just round the corner.

I have a friend who has had horrendous symptoms her whole life. Severe, debilitating pain, flooding and nausea almost every month. I'm really sorry for what she's gone through but I feel like a bit of a fraud when we talk about it as I haven't experienced anything remotely like that.

I appreciate I've been very lucky and I have every sympathy for women who have suffered with their period. Is it just me or has anyone else found menstruation to be no more than a minor inconvenience?

Mine have been relatively trouble free too utterflapdoodle. I also had 10 years completely period -free thanks to a Mirena.

Started at 14. Period pains rarely bad enough to need an aspirin.
Regular period. Premenstrual symptoms for a few days (boobs slightly tender). Didn't get on with the pill - tried several including the mini-pill,
I think that exercising regularly and not being overweight is probably what kept the symptoms mild.
Period has been shorter and heavier after 45.
God knows the menopause will be like. If the media is to be believed, I'll be fat, confused and dripping with sweat.

Mine started at 16 and like a pp I wouldn't say they were light but they were regular as clockwork and not painful in the main. They got very light with a few really heavy ones right before they stopped at age 51. Menopause ok so far, just a few hot flashes and of course the dreaded weight gain.

Mine are fine. Always were.

Mine were horrendous before mini pill. Don't have periods anymore. A fair handful of my friends have never had period pain/problems though

I'm your age OP and only ever had mild period pain & never really heavy periods. The couple of friends I have who did, from the start, both had endometriosis.

Until I had DS1 my periods were horrific. I had regular fainting fits and had to wear the biggest size tampon and Pad. When I was pregnant, I was told I'd know I was in labour as it would feel like mild period pain. I was 7 cm dilated and 2 hours away from giving birth before I said 'actually this feels quite bad now because my period pain used to be so awful I didn't notice that much difference!

Well I think that confirms it that, yes, a life of hassle free periods is rare. I know I've been extraordinarily lucky.

I don't know if it makes a difference that I've never been pregnant and never been on hormonal contraception for any length of time so there's been nothing that might change my menstrual pattern.

@YeOldeTrout Yes! I know 1.5 days is abnormally short. I usually have a little minor spotting about four days later which I guess is when a "normal" period would end.

I live alone so it could well be that I'm grumpy before my period but there's nobody around to complain about it!

Thanks all for letting me know your experiences which seem to range from a few good, mostly bad and some truly awful.

I feel quite angry when I see what my friend has had to suffer and how it affected her life. Doctors never did much for her beyond prescribing pain medication. Seriously I think if men had periods they would have found a way to make it painless ages ago.

7-8 days, have a copper coil
Pain in back and thighs usually and stomach but have a tilted uterus which probably explains the thigh pain! Flooding/gushing is normal for me

Oh and javelin arse

As a teen my periods lasted a week and the pain started up to two weeks before, so sometimes 3/4 of every month I was either in pain, on my period or both.

My GP refused to put me on the pill, or do anything other than try out different painkillers. Eventually when I was 19 I was allowed to go on the pill. Unfortunately it caused problems and I had to stop taking it. Tried other pills, mini pills etc until we were ttc but none suited me. They'd make me spotty, or I'd put on weight, or give me migraines, make me depressed, kill my sex drive...

I have the mirena now, but that's for peri-menopause symptoms as that brought on the joys of flooding, and when I bled through to my clothes in work I knew something had to be done..

My period were fine until I was about 35, then they got heavy and painful.
My biggest problem, however, is PMT. My period starting is a blessed relief, even with cramps.

I know one woman who said she is on for an hour!!!! She had trouble conceiving tho.
I have other friends who flood for days.

I’m ok 2/ 3 days. Only a small amount of pain but easily controlled. I consider myself lucky.

I have irregular periods. Sometimes I bleed twice a month when I'm super stressed. Sometimes it lasts for 11 days, Somtimes it's light and breezy but last month had me crying with pain and honestly wishing that I was dead.

I'm hoping this month won't be so bad.

Mine were painful from the very start and got worse and worse until I eventually had a hysterectomy.

Mine are fairly painless ( apart from slightly tender, heavy boobs!!), always predictable, my only complaint as they can be heavy and I struggle with flooding sometimes

I think you're right OP, you're extremely lucky. I'm 40 and in the last year mine have gone from a 28-day cycle with a 4-5 day bleed, to a variable 21-26 day cycle with my period lasting up to 8 days.

Mine started at 11 and were light-ish and trouble free until i turned 17. I now suffer monthly migraines so bad i vommit am in pain and have absenses. They last 7 days. They are monthly but not regular like clockwork. I get cramps and the last 2 months i get backache and pain in my legs. I also become grumpy and tearful and some months i feel utterly suicidal my mood goes so low. I also get awful acne on face and body. One of my friends has light 2 day bleeds and no other symptoms lucky lady haha.

Mine are no drama at all, only about one day of heavy bleeding and then 2-3 days of light period / spotting after that

My 10-days-before-period-arrives black mood is something to behold though!

I am post menopause now, I have had no problem with periods over the years.
4-5 days of light bleeding, very little pain.
Menopause was a breeze too.
Periods simply stopped dead one month, and that was it no other symptoms of menopause.

All been easy.

Never had any problems really. Every three/four years I'll have a random awful heavy period or a period of some spotting but other than that no. From a teen it's always been two days normal flow, third day nothing at all and day 4/5 quite light.
Never had period pains either. I consider myself very lucky.

Mine started at 12 and weren't too bad in general for the first 2 years, until I was 14 or so.
Then I started getting severe cramps that made me feel nauseous, gave me diarrhoea and made me feel faint.
Now at 19 I get severe ovulation pain and pelvic pain between periods, have severely painful cramps that couldn't even be eased with menfenamic acid and frequent rushes of clotty blood.

My mum was like you, OP. Never had any real pain or mood issues or any symptoms to speak of with her periods. She would often be surprised when her period arrived, as she could never feel when it was coming.

Her menopause was pretty much symptomless, too, at 50. No sweats or brain fog or hair loss or anything nasty. Although in retrospect she says she thinks she wasn’t quite herself for a couple of years, possibly mildly depressed.

My sister and I both suffer horrendously with PMDD, though . I take antidepressants for my symptoms, which ease it a bit, but I still feel a bit shit for the second half of my cycle.

DD has just started her periods and I really hope she is more like my mum than me....

I've never had any issues at all, never 'knew' when I was ovulating, never had particularly heavy periods. Never had any mood swings and unless I kept a specific diary I would never know when my period was due (probably why I was 10 weeks pregnant before I was aware of the fact - aged 42 and just assumed it was the start of the menopause ).

I also sailed through the menopause with no symptoms (apart from lack of periods) or issues.

My mother was the same, perhaps we are just very lucky.

I had pretty standard periods of 3-4 days, heavier on the first 2 but not flooding and a little pain but nothing 1-2 paracetomol tablets could not fix. They were regular, about once every 24 days.

My pregnancies were also symptom-less save for growing belly and baby kicks. Breastfeeding, which I did over an extended period, was also easy.

My menopause was also symptom-less, save for lighter and lighter periods which eventually disappeared.

Not sure why I am so fortunate. I know some women suffer terribly.