Do you actually know when your period is coming?

[MovingTooFast121]

My periods have always been irregular. Trying to book a smear test at the moment and it’s a bloody nightmare trying to work out when would work and then fit it in with that the surgery actually have available. The period tracker on my phone has just given me the notification ‘your period could come any time in the next two weeks’… bloody helpful that, thanks. I’m often fortunate that ovulation is fairly obvious so I can predict a window of about a week based on that, but if I miss the signs, I’m screwed.

Now wondering how common it actually is to have proper, regular periods within a day or two of predictability?

YABU - My cycle is like clockwork, or thereabouts.
YANBU - My cycles are a guessing game.

Bang on 28 days. Also had bloating, breast soreness and PMT about a week before. Am now post meno and old, but I had no menopausal symptoms either, just lighter periods until they stopped. I appreciate I have been extremely lucky in this respect, I don’t know how I would’ve coped with some of the horrors other women endure.

Mine are regular to within 3 days. I also get horrendous PMT so when I feel it lift my period is a few hours away. Also get pre-period twinges for a day or two, then start to feel ill immediately before the first blood comes.
Also have endometriosis, in case anyone's making a spreadsheet 😆

These days they're pretty regular, but shuffling slightly shorter than a few years ago. I can tell when they're coming by symptoms and would be able to pick the mid-cycle phase a month in advance.

Until I had DCs they'd be roughly 4-6 weeks, maybe up to 12, whatevs. I wouldn't know they were coming until I was floored by pain. Booking smear tests around work and a non-existant cycle was a pita.

Oh yes! I often feel like I'm coming down with something - like low grade fever feeling - but don't have a fever and don't get ill.

Weirdly I also felt like that in early pregnancy, with slightly shivery/crawling skin.

Oft I don’t blame you then, not wanting to book even incase of a period. Is there any chance you could book the day of your period for the next week? Or is the there a long wait for you.

Oh gosh what a nightmare, that sounds like something that would happen to me also right before a smear 🤣

Irregular til I had kids then pretty regular afterwards. I got lots of PMS symptoms so I know when it will be a bit late

Very much irregular. I have lost track of counting days but I’m pretty sure I had a 6 week gap between the last two periods. The clues I’m due are extremely greasy face / itchy scalp plus retaining water, insatiable hunger and insomnia. Plus a chin spot and irritability. I get real rage around ovulation - that’s been a new one in last few years.

Mine used to be bang on 28 days every month but since having my daughter almost three years ago they have gotten a bit longer so vary to about every 32 days now

I'm waiting to get booked in for a frozen embryo transfer which will go off my period starting. Because of the timings of it and my clinic being booked this month then next months being into Xmas day time for transfer it looks like be January before we can. The one time I'm begging my period to come early (on day 30 now though, was hoping for a 28 day one)

My cycle has always varied from 28 to 35 days. Usually being 29-31.

Nope, not in a way that allows me to plan in advance, it ranges from 3 weeks to 6 weeks in general. But I do know when it’s imminent based on the surge in anxiety I get in the week before! That a handy predictor…

I just know because I get headaches nonstop for a week before, then full blown aura migraine day before.

I have endometriosis & PCOS, but despite this, my periods are regular. Painfully regular.

Clockwork for me.

I also get a bad flare-up of eczema around my eyes the day before both my period and ovulation, from the hormone surge.

Plus a big bout of crying and/or arguing with DH

I had a hysteroscopy and biopsy which found nothing concerning. From that day on, my irregular periods switched to every 27 days. I can only assume they hit the reset button. I also get sore/massive boobs the day before.

Up until a few months ago, I was regular as clockwork. You could set a clock to me

I'm now a bit out of sync, but I do have signs - sore boobs and a strange tingly forehead headache, then bam there it is!

Oh yes, I also lose my shit with dH and dc. Usually they are being useless but I’d generally communicate that in a more helpful style.

i know when mine are going to appear because a few hours before it’ll
randomly pop in to my head! I don’t have any physical or emotional symptoms nowadays and I don’t track them.

Yes, regular despite endo
The day before I get cross, then cry, then wonder why I'm crying...

Random in my teens,20s and 30s. 30 to about 46 days. Since hitting my 40s it is exactly as my app predicts. Much lighter though now.

I used to have PCOS, and they were all over the place, could go several months sometimes. Now the cysts have gone and my cycle is like clockwork—I miss the old days though, feels like it comes round far too quickly. The Health app on my phone alerts me, and every time I think FFS not again!

My cycle is regular, and the pain I feel before makes me know it's definitely coming.

Every 26-28 days. However, as I've gotten older I've had some irregularity - had a rogue one where I didn't have a period for 40days, then the next was 21 days, then it settled back down again. But I am at that age now. Once I got past 35yrs, I started getting ovulation spotting too.

But even after my first DC - 4 weeks later bloody period then back to every 26 days like clockwork. Everyone else seemed to get months of a break. I was breastfeeding too!

Now I'm perimenopausal my periods aren't predicable. However, I can always tell when it's on the horizon as I get back/stomach pains, a feeling of tension and feel completely run down and exhausted.

26-28 days always. About 4 days before I get a massive urge for chocolate, 2 days before I want to kill everyone in sight and then about a day before I feel a bit bloated but mood is back to normal and I know it is coming. Has always been like this.

Mine have never been regular. Usually once a month but could be a week or more either way. They also can last up to 7 to 10 days in length. I'm permanently anemic at the moment. Can't use hormones ect to help as I bleed continually on them. I also bleed off and on while pregnant with both DDs.