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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

73 replies

utterflapdoodle · 18/01/2019 13:15

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?

OP posts:

ClanoftheCaveBear · 18/01/2019 17:59

Endometriosis. Had fun and games getting DS and intend to stay on the pill until menopause, I have a busy life and job and periods mean 3 days a month in bed.

TheDowagerCuntess · 18/01/2019 18:00

Mine started at 14 and in the early years, the cramps were debilitating.

30 years on, and I get manageable cramps the day of, and breast tenderness for 1-2 weeks leading up to.

I consider myself to have gotten off very lightly, but can't wait for the damn things to be behind me.

MarshaBradyo · 18/01/2019 18:01

Trouble free here

Canshopwillshop · 18/01/2019 18:06

Yes I’ve had no real problems. Always lasted about 4/5 days. A few cramps on day 1 but not particularly heavy. Started at 13 and still going strong and regular as clockwork at 54! I hope my DD is the same. So many of my friends have had problems.

EngagedAgain · 18/01/2019 18:07

I think most women have a problem of some kind at some point so yes you've been very lucky. Mine were until peri menopause regular to the day and I could plan say a holiday months in advance. Not that I went on many! However I in late 30's got heavier but not every time and occasionally flooded. Usually when out typically. This went on until early 50's. Then got lighter and shorter. Also had bad pmt and the ovulation pain which was sometimes really bad for up to 12 hours. So all in all by the time I had the period, the ovulation pain and pmt there weren't alot of decent time left! Probably 1 good week a month

Vitalogy · 18/01/2019 18:14

Mine have been pretty much as regular as clockwork, longer than yours though OP. I don't know where I am with them now I'm in perimenopause. No real other symptoms luckily, apart from not knowing when they'll be starting/finishing. I'll be glad when they are done with now.

Ohgoon · 18/01/2019 18:40

Is this your first post on MN?

tor8181 · 18/01/2019 18:53

99% of the time ive very grateful i dont get them the 1% was when i was TTC with baby no 2 and want to try again this year

i dont get periods and never have done

im 38 and have severe PCOS, i saw a very light first period at 12 and never seen since

i was diagnosed with PCOS at 17 and it turned out my ovaries were dormant and never matured and probably never will(they didnt)

i was on so much medication in my teens and early 20s to try and make me come on but nothing ever worked so i left it

i do have 2 kids though 1st pregnancy in 03 i caught naturally(no idea how),2nd was 4 years of fertility tablets, even though i still never saw on them it was just take them and see how it goes,the only draw back was i had to take fortnightly pregnancy tests

i found out with no 2 when i was 2 and half weeks in 09 on a pound land test(they were 3 for a pound at the time)

i do love not having them as my sister suffered with them very very badly

MarshaBradyo · 18/01/2019 18:56

Trouble free here

bridgetjonesmassivepants · 18/01/2019 19:07

Depovera injections every three months - best thing ever. Haven't had a period since 2006. I intend to take it for as long as possible.

I don't get why any woman would have periods, unless obviously trying to conceive.

fleshmarketclose · 18/01/2019 19:24

Mine started at twelve regular as clockwork from day one no real pain other than that the occasional paracetamol sorted. Started again at six weeks post partum each time and straight back to the normal cycle. Had hot flushes for three months, periods remained regular then stopped, no periods or menopausal symptoms since now three years. I was very lucky I think. My dd's seem to be following a similar pattern as well.

AnotherPidgey · 18/01/2019 20:13

Since having DCs, my periods astound me. I can predict when they are due to within a couple of days and although irritating (bloating, more tender breasts, fatigue) my pre-menstrual symptoms and a bit of light spotting give me a good idea of when it will turn up. Day 1, I'm not quite full power and may need a little ibuprofen, but I'm pretty funtional. Flows are light to moderate and it's done by about 5 days.

I spent most of my 20s on hormonal contraception to make periods tolerable. I didn't know what week or month I'd be due (their infrequency being their only saving grace). They were fairly heavy (although not the hourly floods that some people report) but it was the cramps that were awful. By the time it was clear the wretched things had turned up, the pain rapidly kicked in and it was too late for the prescription painkillers to head it off. Several times I got sent home from school/ work because I reached curl up in a ball on the floor stage. The pain was through my thighs like a giant spanx of squeezing pain making any exertion totally exhausting. It actually went in waves like labour. In fact I'd take DS2's 10 hour, back to back labour over the period of Aug '99 or Christmas '06 because it was shorter, I got G&A and I didn't have to make any effort at trying to get on with normal life!

I'm just glad I had them this way round. At least I can appreciate how disruptive and unpleasant periods can be, and I can appreciate that I only feel mildly off these days

twoheaped · 18/01/2019 20:18

Like you op, mine are short, 2-3 days and always have been.
I have never used hormonal contraceptive and I sailed through both pregnancies.
Sadly my dd hasn't followed after me and has just been prescribed something for her painful peeiods.

Mummyshark2018 · 18/01/2019 20:21

Never had much problem with mine. Pretty regular and perhaps once every 6 months I may get a painful one where I use a hot water bottle, take painkillers. However I am also infertile and needed ivf to have dc (blocked tubes) so in some ways I may have got off lightly. I can only imagine what monthly painful/debilitating periods (e.g endo) plus infertility would be like.

Original poster

utterflapdoodle · 19/01/2019 11:20

@Ohgoon Yes it is my first post. I've lurked on MN for a long time but I finally registered as I've wanted to ask this particular question for ages.

How can you tell it's my first post? Did I make an MN etiquette blunder of some sort?

OP posts:

Arkos · 19/01/2019 11:24

Mine have never been an issue... one day of fair flow and one day really light. No cramps. No obvious pms. Nothing.
I'm dreading the day my luck runs out. 40 next year...

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 19/01/2019 11:25

Mine aren’t bad at all, now that I’ve come off contraception before they were awful (passing out, pain killers double san pro etc...

I had a bad one the other week, but dh hot hand massaging pressure on the lower of my back for a few hours made ok, and no pain killers required

BayandBlonde · 19/01/2019 11:30

Absolutely not a boast. I started the Depo contraceptive when I was 18, 40 now and my period stopped almost immediately and haven't had one since, 22 years.

It wasn't my intention to stop my periods completely but when I realised what a relief It was I don't think I could go back to having them again

Anyone who is going to comment, I know the 'risks' and cons of having the injection for this long, but it suits me so I will continue with it.

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 19/01/2019 11:46

I’ve had a few problems with mine over the years (eg I used mefenamic acid in my teens for the pain) so not as easy as OP, but nothing like some women either. The hardest thing now is they’re pretty irregular (can be anywhere from 4-8 weeks apart) so harder to plan for. Despite not suffering too badly, I still find the whole thing ruddy inconvenient and will be very glad when they stop for good.

Santaclarita · 19/01/2019 12:02

3 words for you.

I hate you.

Original poster

utterflapdoodle · 19/01/2019 12:21

@Vitalogy and ColdTatty. I'm also getting some irregularity now. Last year it was anything from 19 to 46 days apart so it's getting increasingly hard to predict.

@Arkos Your luck may never run out. Mine hasn't so far. Mind you I still have the menopause to get through and who knows what that will be like. I'm fervently hoping that a trouble free period is going to mean a trouble free menopause but maybe that's asking too much. I'll find out soon enough!

OP posts:

Megan2018 · 19/01/2019 12:24

Very easy here-short, light and painless.
Usually need tampons for 2 days then just a liner for a day or 2.
I know this makes me lucky! Am 40, so still time to get worse I guess.

londonmummy1966 · 19/01/2019 12:40

Started at 13 - always irregular about 8-9 days in length, 3 days of heavy flow and clotting - usually had to run to the loo at the end of each lesson and wore 3 pads on top of each other at night. Bad cramps and bad ache. After I had DC they got a bit lighter - still 3 heavy days but then 4 lighter days and a more regular 35 day cycle until I was in my mid 40s. After that they were horrific - I'd shove in 2 of the largest size tampons (the Lillets in the orange box that you can't buy everywhere) and would be flooding through those and a pad in half an hour sometimes. Haven't had one for 9 months now so hoping the buggers are going to leave me alone in future....

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