Ideally, your period should come effortlessly and without trouble!
I can just picture your face…say what!?!?
You mean…
I shouldn’t experience sharp period cramps? Not really, you should experience slim to none
I shouldn’t go through crazy mood swings? Nope…not really…
My boobs shouldn’t be sore? Although common, it can be avoided!
I shouldn’t bloat and look 4 months pregnant? A little bloating is common, but it shouldn’t be that much!!
I shouldn’t need to take ibuprofen to ease the pain on my heavy days? Nope…
I shouldn’t experience acne breakouts? Although common, it can be avoided!
I’m here to tell you that all the things you experience are COMMON but NOT NORMAL!
That’s why I’ve mentioned that your period is like a report card – it’s giving you a report on what’s going on inside your body.
Keep in mind that cycles are highly individualized and there is a gradient of “normal.” We want to fall on the spectrum… we just don’t want to be the outliers!
What classifies a period as a “healthy and normal period”?
- It should arrive without harsh premenstrual symptoms. It should almost sneak up on you! It should not derail your life! Ie; Skip school, miss out on sporting activities etc.
- Your period (the days of bleeding) should last between 3-8 days (with two days of light spotting as it finishes up)
- The average time between your periods can range from 21-35 days. (It’s measured from the first day of the one period to the first day of the next)
- It should come regularly (if under high stress it can make it come a bit later). I’ve personally experienced this before!
- Your menstrual fluid should be mostly liquid and not contain large blood clots. As your uterine lining is shedding, your body is releasing natural anticoagulants (to thin it) and help it to flow more easily. On heavier days it is normal to see more menstrual clots because the anticoagulants haven’t had time to do their job. In general, menstrual clots should be few and small.
- Your menstrual fluid can range in colour. It can range from red to brown. On heavier days it can be dark red and then on other days it goes to almost brown (because it’s been exposed to air). Usually, its browner when you’re spotting, lightly flowing or if it’s been on your sanity pad for awhile.
- You should ovulate (very important!!!)
As you can see, our periods don’t have to be the most dreaded week of the month. There are many tools we can use to help support our bodies to make this week less dreadful! I will be diving into that in future blog posts to come.
Our next blog is going to dive into ovulation. Just because you have your period doesn’t mean you ovulate. We’ll discuss what ovulation is, why its important, how can you tell if you ovulate and why some women don’t ovulate.
If you need a little refresher on the Phases of the Menstrual Cycle, take a look back at my previous blog.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below or reach out to me directly – kayla@corexcellence.com.
