I'd just like to have a word about von willebrand's disease, which is a mild, inherited blood-clotting disorder that causes heavy bleeding from vascular areas of the body (noses, gums, womb etc).
The main symptoms are easy bruising, nosebleeds, heavy periods, and prolonged bleeding after operations, having teeth out (although maybe not all those will be present - I never had nosebleeds for example).
It is quite common - 1 percent of the population suffer from it, but it is not well known and lots of people have it and don't realise. Because we tend not to talk about how heavy our periods are, and most GPs are ignorant of it, it can take many years to be diagnosed, and people suffer the heavy bleeding for many years, often resulting in anaemia, not to mention the emotional distress.
It can also cause problems in childbirth or if you have an operation/dental work, so it's as well to have it investigated if you think you might suffer from it - or that your child might.
I was diagnosed aged 38 after years of heavy periods, heavy bleeding after operations/teeth out, etc. My daughter, in contrast, was diagnosed aged 5 after tests at St Thomas's in London. so she is able to take transexamic acid/DDAVP and avoid heavy bleeding. Her periods are not too bad so far, (she's 15 now) when she had her teeth out she had DDAVP and hardly bled at all.
Often heavy periods are dismissed as one of those things, when they might need further investigations. It's worth going to your GP and insisting. I am happy to provide further information if anyone wants it.