Menstruation is a monthly bloody discharge from a woman’s genital tract that recurs approximately every 28 days. Their duration depends on individual characteristics, health status and many other factors. How much should menstruation be normal? About it below.
When the first menstruation begins
The first menstruation is a signal from the body that puberty is complete, which means that it becomes possible to become pregnant. Most often, the first menstruation occurs in the period from 11 to 14 years, for some they come later, which is also the norm. Menstruation is the second stage after the development of the mammary glands, which occurs from 7 to 13 years. The beginning of the first menstruation is associated with certain factors. These include heredity, psychological state, past illnesses in childhood, nutritional quality, origin, physical development. If the girl is physically strong, then menstruation comes earlier, if fragile and thin - later.
What is the first period
A question that interests, first of all, the girl’s mother. The first menstruation is short, weak. How many days should menstruation go for the first time? Most often, it is two to three days, but it all depends on the state of health, individual characteristics. Then begins the period when menstruation ceases. They may not be from two months to a year. In general, this is considered an acceptable norm. By 14-15 years, the cycle is finally established, it becomes regular. If the girl does not have menstruation for more than a year, you should contact a pediatric gynecologist and endocrinologist.
Monthly normal
So. How much do menstruation usually go? As a rule, the duration of the discharge is from three to five days. The normal menstrual cycle is 28 days (the time from the onset of one bleeding to the onset of another). However, this is only an assumed norm. Each woman has an individual cycle. It can be short - 21 days, and long - no more than 35 days. If the cycle is shorter or longer, then this is an occasion to consult a specialist. More often, such cycles indicate malfunctioning of the ovaries. It is important that menstruation is regular, without delay.
Normally, for a period of menstruation, a woman loses up to 60 ml of blood per day, that is, two tablespoons. It may seem that there are more of them, but it is only about blood, and menstrual flow consists not only of it, but also of the endometrial tissue, mucus. For menstruation, 250 ml of discharge goes, it's more than a glass. At the beginning and end of the discharge is less than in the middle.
Lean discharge
How much do menstruation go if they are scarce? Such menstrual bleeding, as a rule, lasts from 3 days. The amount of discharge depends on many factors: the physique of a woman, weight, diseases of the genital organs, and so on.
Poor discharge is characteristic of girls who only have a cycle. In girls and women, scanty menstruation is considered a normal option, but if this worries, you should check the level of estrogen in the blood. Its deficiency leads to a small amount of discharge. Reasons for poor menses:
- endocrine disorders;
- exhaustion, excess weight;
- ovarian dysfunction;
- endometrial diseases;
- taking contraceptives;
- individual characteristics.
The onset of menopause is another factor in why there is little discharge per cycle.
Heavy discharge
What is the normal monthly period? Some women say that they go five days, and end on the sixth. Heavy menstruation is a large amount of discharge, accompanied by poor health. Critical days often become torment, they take a lot of energy, go longer than usual (7-10 days). Abundant discharge can be recognized by the following signs:
- maxi gasket is filled in two hours completely;
- up to 30 gaskets or more are used per cycle;
- the skin is painfully pale;
- nausea, severe weakness;
- decrease in blood pressure;
- the development of anemia (heavy discharge in each cycle).
If the blood loss is more than 250 ml for the entire menstruation, then the body will not be able to make up for it. As a result, reduced hemoglobin, poor health. The causes of heavy menstruation are an imbalance of hormones, uterine fibroids, cervical polyps, endometriosis, endometritis, malignant tumors, an established intrauterine device.
Discharge after an abortion
What is the period after an abortion? If a woman has had to survive it or will have to for various reasons, she is worried about natural questions: what kind of discharge will be and how long it will last. The nature of menstrual bleeding depends on how long the abortion or miscarriage occurred, and also how it was performed (medication, using a vacuum, curettage). If the periods after the abortion have come on time, they are the same in duration and nature of the discharge, as before, then the hormonal background recovered quickly, there were no complications after the procedure.
What is the period after abortion? In fact, these secretions are not menstruation. The longer the gestation period, the more abundant and longer they will be, the higher the likelihood of complications. If the gestational age is 8 weeks, the discharge can last about a month. If they last longer, periodically disappear and reappear, there is an unpleasant smell, then go to the doctor. Similar symptoms indicate inflammation. In this case, cleaning is carried out. The duration of menstruation after an abortion is affected by its type, gestational age, woman's age, state of health, and the professionalism of the doctor.
- Medical abortion. With the help of medications (taking pills under the supervision of a doctor), bleeding is caused that mimics the period. A fetal egg leaves the uterus along with blood, that is, a miscarriage occurs. This type of abortion is carried out only in the early stages, it does not bring special physical discomfort. It differs from regular menstruation in copious discharge and duration (approximately 10 days). The first day of taking the drug is considered the first day of the cycle. The next menstruation begins on its own, a slight delay is allowed.
- Vacuum. A mini-abortion that has more negative consequences than the first. Using a vacuum suction, the doctor removes the fetal egg, acting on the uterus mechanically. If the operation was successful, then for several days there will still be spotting that remains in the uterus. The next menstruation begins in a month, sometimes delays occur.
- Scraping. This instrumental method is one of the most traumatic. The uterus is opened with a surgical instrument. Among the complications are endometritis, parametritis, often leading to infertility. After cleaning, spotting appears that lasts up to five days. If there are no complications, the next menstruation occurs in 1-2 months. If the cleaning is carried out after a frozen pregnancy, the cycle is restored after seven weeks.
If, after any type of abortion, menstruation on their own did not begin within 35 days, an ultrasound scan should be done and a gynecologist should be visited.
Menstruation after the birth of a baby
What is the period after delivery? This is bleeding caused by detachment of the placenta during labor. After a woman gives birth, the discharge is very plentiful. I have to use special pads and diapers. Allocations after childbirth all last differently. Some 2-3 weeks, others 1-2 months. But already on day 5, the discharge decreases markedly. They should not have a smell. After a week, a woman should not experience sharp and sharp pains in the lower abdomen. If a woman in labor is thin, how many days do menstruation go? They can be smaller in volume, and the duration can be short. The cycle is restored within six months, as well as after the termination of breastfeeding.
After cesarean section
What is the period after cesarean? Caesarean section does not affect the duration of menstruation. She is the same as after the usual birth. Again, it all depends on a number of factors: the course of pregnancy, lifestyle, woman's age, physiological condition. The menstrual cycle after cesarean is established during the year. It is important to remember that while lactation continues, menstruation may not begin.
What to do if menstruation has disappeared
Many are interested in not only the question of how much the periods go, but also what to do if they do not start. There can be many reasons for this phenomenon:
- pregnancy;
- severe depletion of the body, extreme weight loss;
- hormonal disbalance;
- psychological reasons (stress);
- cycle setting in teenage girls;
- the onset of menopause in women of mature age;
- breast-feeding;
- high physical activity, professional sports;
- taking anabolic drugs;
- contraceptives (tablets);
- thyroid problems;
- gynecological diseases, inflammation;
- prolonged use of drugs;
- protracted illness.
Monthly periods may be absent from month to year, but in any case, this situation requires treatment and consultation with a specialist. If menstruation is absent for more than 6 months, it is amenorrhea. This is a symptom that indicates a health problem. Perhaps they do not lie in the reproductive sphere.
Painful menstruation
We found out how much the periods go, but are painful sensations the norm? Perhaps every girl and woman experienced pain during menstruation. Most often they occur on the first day of a new cycle and are considered the strongest. Unpleasant sensations arise due to contractions of the uterus, rejecting the endometrium. It exits the genital tract in the form of spotting. Normally, painful sensations are either absent altogether or moderate, but they do not last long in time.
A healthy woman is uncomfortable in most cases on the first day of menstruation, and the subsequent ones are painless. But the body is different for everyone, so you should consider the factors that provoke pain. Alcohol intake, fatty and sweet foods, physical activity - all this worsens well-being. If a woman during the period of menstruation can not do without painkillers, do the usual work and daily activities, then she should consult a gynecologist.
Perhaps there are problems in the reproductive system, there was a hormonal failure, there is a lack of vitamins and minerals. As a rule, in the first days of the cycle, a woman may experience discomfort, which is accompanied by cramping pains in the lower abdomen, dizziness, weakness, lowering body temperature, pallor of the skin, chills. All these symptoms pass quickly and do not require treatment. Already on the second day, health is improving.
Hygiene products
If a woman knows how many days her period should go, then you can choose the best option for hygiene products. The most common and commonly used are gaskets. They differ in size, thickness, coating, can be with or without wings, flavored and not. Gaskets are selected taking into account the volume of emissions, the length of the cycle. In a standard package - 10 pieces. A feature of the pads is that they are changed every four hours as they become dirty, otherwise an unpleasant odor and the growth of bacteria are ensured. If inflammatory processes in the uterus and vagina are observed, doctors advise using only pads as a means of hygiene during menstruation.
Tampons are superior in some respects to pads. They are inconspicuous, comfortable, not felt. A tampon is inserted into the vagina, its task is to absorb the discharge. You need to change it as often as possible. It is not advised to use it at night, with diseases of the reproductive sphere. If you are not sure that you can use tampons correctly, are afraid of something, stop your choice on gaskets.
The menstrual cup is a novelty among hygiene products. This is a reservoir that is inserted into the vagina and collects secretions. Make a bowl of latex, plastic, silicone. Wash it every two to four hours a day, given the amount of discharge. This hygiene product is economical, but not suitable for virgins, it is forbidden for genital infections.