I’ve never known anyone track their periods

[Forestgreenblue]

I had thyroid cancer 6 years ago. Had half of it removed. Then I had the Covid jab and had a severe hemorrhagic bleed as a side effect. I ended up in hospital and on tablets to stol the bleeding afterwards.

I have ended up in early peri menopause as a combined effort from both. It’s bloody awful but mid month, I get severe ovulation pain and I know it’s that mainly from tracking my symptoms on my Garmin watch, I know my pain is from my body attempting ovulation, and end of the month I get a vague 12-24 hour period. I barely bleed anymore. I mainly use pantyliners now as there is no need for anything else

DP said it’s ‘weird’ that I am tracking my symptoms with my body and Garmin calendar. Does anyone else do this or am I indeed a bit weird?

Never tracked my periods ever! I didn't realise this was a thing (I'm a 50 year old women)

So you dont keep any kind of track of when your period is due? It just comes as a surprise?

I've tracked mine since the first one in the mid '80s - I think that was on a free calendar from the Tampax lady who came to school when we were 10/11. Still tracking them. Most recent was 2 months ago (after a 9 month break - I had been hopeful.)

I have had friends who didn't, at least in our 20s. I was still bemused at them not having any protection. I always had some available, just in case (luckily for them.) And at least one didn't realise she was pregnant until a bit later, because she didn't track, so hadn't yet realised she was late.

Had a boyfriend who suggested he might track my period. I pointed out he did not need to do that. Fine to know I track them. Not fine to track them himself.

Those who keep no record, internally or externally, how do you answer if the doctor asks you "when was your last period"? "I haven't a clue "?

I've tracked my periods for donkeys years, even before I had a phone or app to do so, it was marked in a dairy or on an old school calandar. It's as much about knowing when I am going to have the inconvenience of having my period and being prepared for it starting, mine have always been very regular but also very heavy the first couple of days so not great when they clash with an event. Now as I enter perimenopause I have the delight of flooding usually on day 3 so I try to wfh the first few days of my period and not go anywhere. Most women I know have always done the same. Your partner is the weird one to think that women don't track their periods.

I seriously dont understand the (few) women on here who are being scathing about people keeping a track of when their period is likely to start. Are you really being honest?

I used to track my cycle when I was ttc. Since then I don’t so much but generally have a vague idea of when my period is due.

I'm in my sixties now, but yes, l used to keep a note of mine in my diary.

It would be weird if a man did it but totally fine for you OP.

it's the everyone has and always has been.

Of course not everyone tracks their periods.

It's just as normal to track or not track.

reminds me of Joey from Friends who knew exactly when the girls had their periods😂

Sounds like your DP has a startling lack of empathy. Yes, it is normal to want to keep a track of your periods and symptoms especially if you're in pero menopause and things are changing.

Same. 54 and just always had a rough idea. They were never always regular anyway.

My mum used to mark it on the calendar for all of us long before apps existed. He's got the luxury of never having to worry about supplies or question if he's pregnant, so never needed to think about it.

I wish Garmin had the option to integrate show cycle data against sporting data and other health metrics such as the HRV.
Day 19... your HRV is low... no shit Garmin, this happens every month 🙄

I've tracked in some way for over 30 years from paper year planners to apps. At first it was just dates to see if there was some kind of pattern and to work out which week/ month I might be due. Slacked off in my hormone enhanced 20s when I kept the unreliable, painful bastards under close control. Then picked up for fertility, and by the time they returned post-children, we were in the era of apps. These days I'm fairly regular although the luteal phase can drag out the finale, but the symptoms do give a good guide as to my body's intentions.

Women's general health variations were flattly ignored by the medical profession until recently, so linking cycle data to general health and things like sports performance are comparatively very recent. It's only just over 40 years since women were allowed to run the marathon at the Olympics, and in 1967 Katherine Switzer was manhandled by the race director of the Boston Marathon for having the audacity to run it having entered using her initials. For much of the 20th century it was believed that women would damage their reproductive organs by participating in high impact endurance sport 🙄

your DP knows nothing

Your DP is talking out his arse, women track for all sorts of reasons:

• just to know when it’s due to prevent staining clothes/understand change in mood
• to try to avoid pregnancy
• to try to achieve pregnancy
• for fertility treatment
• athletes regularly track to tailor training schedules

Did you quote the wrong person?

Ovulation pain that doubled me over was one of my peri symptoms - HRT has definitely helped if you are allowed it due to your other health issues?

edit - sorry just seen your further posts about hormone treatments 😕

If DH said he didn’t know any other women who tracked their periods I think my response would be “well yeah……. because how many women are you talking to about their periods?”

THAT is what would be weird!!!

What does he mean by weird?

I either count back from the pill I am on (and might have done that before if I knew the question was coming) but I know the last few times I've been asked I've simply answered, "I don't know, many months" because I've either run packs of pills together, been breastfeeding or pregnant. The doctor has always found that an unremarkable response.

I don't think I've been scathing btw but I do think it's interesting how adamant some people are about everyone tracking. I'm fortunate that my periods are such a non-event I just do not worry about them in any way.

I've always tracked mine...just a x on a a calander...its handy for planning stuff (e.g. I wouldn't choose to go to a water park then if I could avoid it), and remembering to buy more pads/tampons.
Then I used the natural cycles app for contraception for a couple of years.
I also tried tracking to see if my migraines were related to my cycle (they weren't really).

Ditto. It started with a little free booklet from the Tampax lady who came to school in year 7!

@BogRollBOGOF I believe it does, or at least it is possible to use the lifestyle factor section to do this to some extent. It’s not perfect. You can also add notes in the cycle tracker, so you could add in that your HRV is low. I agree it would be useful to be able to “layer” the graphs though, so you can see your cycle and directly map it to sleep quality or hrv or exercise performance.