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.

My whole life I have been very regular, even after it came back from breast feeding. I've always been very in tune with my cycles and ovulation.

However now in the throes of peri it's all over the place. Have completely skipped again this month and no ovulation symptoms.
I do enjoy skipping them though

Mine have never been regular. I have PCOS, so they’re currently anywhere from 38-80 days apart. I also used to get sore nipples about two weeks before each one - the only real ‘warning’ I would ever get. Since I had children, though, this hasn’t been as reliable.

I think I am due on soon, broke out in massive acne spots on my chin this week 😬

Every 26 days like clockwork for the last 3 years I've been off the pill. Very occasionally ill have a 27 day cycle.

Slightly more regular now after two children but for most of my life they were every 40-80 days. No real pattern although longer every other month.
The only sign is cramping a few hours before.

Every 28-32 days. Never been on the pill. Can tell from how the body changes which part of the cycle I'm on.

Have had the occasional 50+ days but only in times of stress or upheaval.

Back before peri meno, it was every 28 days without fail. It was always the same time of day as well. In 30 ish years I’ve only been late once and that was when I was pregnant. I bought a test during my lunch break on that day, because I was so sure.

since peri, I’m all over the place. The first time I missed a month, I freaked out.

Mine turn up when they feel like it. Often 36+ days when I was younger. They have been more regular (31 or 32 days) after having babies, although this month- 46 days. They didn't return properly for about 18months when breastfeeding.

It blows my mind when people say always 28 days!

I had to cancel a smear after coming on my period that morning 🫤

My partner does 🤣 but yeah mine are like clockwork

Although I'm irregular and track on an app, I know I'll be due on in a few days as my boobs get sore and I get over tired and the very day before I get the worst stomach cramps and will be on the loo a few times (sorry tmi)

I could almost time them to the hour until I had a hysterectomy in my 30's. They may have possibly gone haywire as I got older though.

My periods were more regular when I was younger. Now they vary a fair bit.

I can tell when they are coming fairly reliably though based on how I feel, I get bloated, crampy, bad skin, sore boobs, all a fairly predictable number of days ahead.

Before I started Cerazette they’ve been like clock-work, every 28 days. Now I’ve not had periods (two or three episodes of spotting) in 16 years, thank goodness. PMDD + Endo = 21 of 28 days misery a month. Hoping not to find out ever again if they’re still regular or not as intending to take the pill for as long as possible.

Mine are almost like clockwork, give or take 2/3 days. If I had irregular periods I'd want to know why.

Mine used to be a 24 day cycle and lasted 7 days. After my first covid jab I went over 3 months without a period and then had the mother of all periods which was horrendous.after that for the next 2 years they were anywhere from 11 days to 20 days apart and ridiculously heavy.
I was always outrageously hungry the day before to give me a clue!
Got the mirena coil about a year ago and barely have periods any more, although some days with light bleeding (1 or 2 days)

Yep, I get the rage with everyone. Everything gets on my nerves. I spend a lot of time apologising. Usually in absolute agony too, on very strong painkillers.

I have endo, periods have always come when they wanted since the start. Try getting a medical professional to belive you that this happens is a nightmare.

I have PMDD so the week before, I know for sure it's coming. Without a doubt, its debilitating

I'm peri menopausal and before taking HRT, they were all over the place. 21 days, 28 days, 56 days... take your pick. As long as my HRT dose is correct, then it's 26-30 days, so pretty regular. If my estrogen dose drops for whatever reason, then I can end up completely skipping a month.

Can usually tell it's on its way by the ravenous hunger and ability to demolish a 200g bar of Dairy Milk in half an hour.

Easily a week or more variation when I was younger. Once completely missed one for no reason. Then suppresed them with the pill for years. I don't really bother to track these days, but when they arrive it generally seems roughly right. The sign is always a bit of unexplained back pain.

No never have.

Couldn't take any more, had the worst periods going. Went on the pill 36 years ago. Never coming off it.

People saying like clockwork, then saying e.g within 2 days or whatever - to me that is not ‘like clockwork’. My cycle has always been variable. I’ve had loads of fertility treatments in recent years and a nice regular cycle would have been a bonus for planning! My sister knew she was pregnant because her period usually starts at 11am on the day it’s coming and it still hadn’t arrived by the time she has lunch (she was right, it was an unplanned pregnancy so not one where you’re hoping and monitoring for any differences).

I do have a baby now, despite exclusively breastfeeding my period returned soon after birth and cycle has been as regular as before (maybe 26 - 34 days).

See to me, within a day or two IS like clockwork!

However both pregnancies I’ve just ‘known’ I was pregnant just shy of 4 weeks despite never actually knowing that my period was due.

I'm pretty regular but my boobs usually hurt before hand. Just book one and you can always cancel. Or go on the pill (one with a break) so you can control when your periods are if it's bothering you.