How long and heavy are your periods? Sorry TMI!

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Personal question I know, but I'm anaemic and Dr thinks it could be because of heavy periods. However, I realised I don't know whether my periods would be considered heavy because I don't know what other ladies normally go through.

My periods generally last 7+ days and I have to wear night-time pads for at least the first 3 days and have to change them quite often. How "normal" is this?

The average amount of blood lost during a period is 30-40ml (millilitres), with nine out of 10 women losing less than 80ml. Therefore, heavy menstrual bleeding is considered to be 60-80ml or more in each cycle.

However, it is rarely necessary to measure blood loss. Most women have a good idea about how much bleeding is normal for them during their period and can tell when this amount increases or decreases.

A good indication that your blood loss is excessive is if:

?you feel you are using an unusually high number of tampons or pads
?you experience flooding (heavy bleeding) through to your clothes or bedding
?you need to use tampons and towels together

You need to determine the cause of the heavy bleeding, not just treat the symptoms.

In your case I would ask, nay insist, that your GP refers you to a gynae for further evaluation. Fibroids can cause heavy bleeding to arise and fibroids are very common.

(What a scientific reply)
That sounds very very heavy to me, Classified.
Mine are exceptionally light, 4 days max, only the first day might be what you describe as heavy. Rest is quite bitty. 6-8 regular size tampons for the whole thing.

Op yours sound heavy to me, mine were like that and I ended up aneamic. I tried the mirena coil which made them lighter but I wasn't happy with it and as I didn't want anymore dc I had womb ablation and now just spot for 3-4 days per cycle - tis heaven!

Thank you, these replies are interesting. I wonder why I never thought my periods were heavy before! They have been heavier since dc2 came along, my Dr hasn't mentioned fibroids, but has prescribed tablets to make the bleeding lighter.

Dr also recommended the coil, but I am really only looking at that as a last resort. Can I ask what womb ablation is? I have never heard of it. I definitely don't want any more babies, 2 hideous pregnancies is quite enough for me (gorgeous dc though they are).

For me day 1 is regular, changing pads every couple of hours, day 2 & 3 are hell with flooding and clots, luck to go 1 hour between pads (and they have to be nightime ones) then another 3 days of bleeding gradually decreasing. I get very run down and tired at this time.
This is diagnosed as heavy periods especially the clots and flooding, as soon as I told my GP I was referred for an ultrasound.
I now know that I have fibroids.
Your periods are not normal, go back to your GP.

Sounds like me. I find that if I take spatone regularly they're actually lighter so not sure if being anaemic makes it worse. Same when I had ds - was anaemic in pregnancy. Lost loads of blood when he was born. With dd I made sure I took spatone (iron tablets made me sick) and was much better. Might be a coincidence, not sure.

Mine are very light.

Started yesterday, am now hardly bleeding. I have short cycles too, so something like every 22 days - maybe that's why?

Sounds very heavy.

I've started using a mooncup and found a piece like a bit of liver in it. I read it's a blood clot but really did look like liver. I flooded that day as it had filled the mooncup.

I sound very similar to you PowderMum. I wonder if I have fibroids too?

Or should I say your periods sound like mine?

I too am anemic from heavy peroids mine usually last for 7 days and I have to wear a tampon and heavy duty pad which I still flood through.

I was prescribed mefenamic acid and awaiting my coil.

Mine are 10-12 days with days 2 and 3 being very heavy and the rest being fine-change mooncup 3 or 4 times ish. I don't think mine are particularly bad but God they are loooong.

(3 or 4 times per day. Just to be clear!)

I thought the coil was supposed to make periods heavier?

Mine are fucking awful. About 3 days empty mooncup every couple of hours. Least three night towels too to try to avoid leakage. Colourful clothes just in case. Big clots.

Next 3-4 days dwindling

It is a big struggle to go anywhere at start.

Was offerd ablation, but they wouldn't tell me who'd do it or how, so just waiting for menopause

Mine are like Marion's but a day or so shorter. I am in my late forties.
Lots of ginormous clots

It's horrid, isn't it?

Mine are 5 days, first two days normal Bodyform changed every 3-4 hours, Super Bodyform required at night.

Next three days lighter so don't need to change pads so often.

Heavy periods are very horrid indeed.

I try not to go out on the first day or so. I can but it can be a bit of a nuisance. I started using a Mooncup about 8 months ago and have found it much better than tampons. I still wear pads for the first three (ish) days.
I am always a bit anaemic but am active and sporty so usually feel healthy.

I get flooding and loads of clots. Luckily the flooding doesn't get through to clothing, underwear bears the brunt (eww sorry).

I am currently on day 6, normal towels and bleeding is light, but still getting loads of clots. Come to think of it I generally have a huge amount of clots throughout my period. Should I tell my Dr this? I never discussed my periods until this latest anaemia bout.

I've just had a 29 day period! Heavy flooding and copious big clots for the last two weeks of it, and I'm pretty sure it left me low in iron.

Nothing for the preceding 8 months, though....I am mid-menopause (age 46) and have now been referred for an ultrasound to check for fibroids.

That sounds heavy enough to me classified... It's about as heavy and long as mine, and I've had tests/scans to see if there was any other cause for my persistent anaemia and nothing was found, so that's been blamed as the cause in my case. I have to take iron daily just to maintain my levels...as soon as I stop taking it, I'm very anaemic again in a short time!

I know (from using a Mooncup for a while and seeing how rapidly it filled to the brim, several times per day!) that I lose way more than the 60-80ml that Attila refers to, above. I'd lose that in one day!

I was also checked for fibroids and none found.

For the first day I can get away with normal absorbancy towels, but on the second, third and fourth (and occasionally even the 5th!) I have to use super plus tampons and a night-time towel and change both at least every couple of hours.

Then it reduces and I've usually stopped bleeding by day 8...

It's totally draining...literally, I suppose, lol!

Doesn't help that my average cycle length is only from 23-25 days, too. :(

I'm supposed to be taking iron tablets, but they are really irritating my stomach, so not taking that many...really must get some spinach in!

Unfortunately spinach will do feck all to get your iron stores up if you've been anaemic for any length of time or to any real degree and are still having heavy monthly blood loss. Do you remember your hemoglobin and ferritin levels? Also, what tablets are you on? I can't personally compare as I was put straight onto Ferrous fumarate, which doesn't upset my stomach at all, but I've heard that Ferrous sulphate is often the first one people are put on and that it's less tolerated than fumarate...?

Mine were heavy and painful, especially in the first 3 days. I went on the contraceptive pill in my 20s - they were stronger in those days- and all that disappeared. Also the raging PMT was gone.

Before I had to wear a super tampon and thick ST.

I have just come across this as was just going to post a period related question myself.

Ove the last year my periods have got shorted but heavier. I'm a moon up user and have to empty it hourly on the first day and then the second 2 days are fairly light and I only have to maybe empty it once in a 12 hr period.

I recon I'm losing a least 200ml of blood over 3 days (mostly over 24hrs) A moon cup holds 20ml ish and I regularly flood onhe first day so use always nights as well.

I've been prompted to post here today as I've been passing some whopping clots.. Seriously huge, bigger than my moon cup and the size of the palm of my hand. My periods don't normally bother me, it seemed fortuitous to have it over and done with in the one day but these clots are something else! I have some mild cramping but nothing debilitating. I've always been mildly anaemic but nothing worth treating - just enough that I can't be a load donor.

Is that normal?

I was fully screened for clotting issues 18 months ago due to miscarriages and nothing was found but my consultant did say the fact that they didn't find anything didn't mean I didn't have a a cloting problem as they don't know much about them.

Is to worth going back do you think?