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Have a question about periods? Take a look at some commonly asked questions below.
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You can swim on your period. Swimming can be a great activity to reduce period cramps and improve your wellbeing. Unless your flow is very light, you will need to use period products in the water. You can use a menstrual cup, a tampon or period swimwear while swimming to prevent leaks.
Also swimming in the sea during your period does not increase your risk of a shark attack.
Around three to eight tablespoons of pink, red or brown blood will pass during a period. Although you may feel like it’s much more than this!
Generally, a heavy period is if you are changing a regular tampon or pad, every 1-2 hours or bleeding for longer than 7 days.
If you’re not sure how much blood you lose during a period, using a menstrual cup can help you to get a better idea.
If you think you have a heavy period, then it’s probably nothing to worry about but it is worth talking to your GP, especially if it is affecting your ability to carry out normal daily tasks like going to work or school. Your GP will be able to explore if there is an underlying reason for your heavy periods and give you medication or recommend a contraception method that can stop or reduce your flow.
Find out more about heavy periods
Menstrual blood is made up of blood, tissue and nutrients. It can be thick or watery and may contain clots. It’s also normal for the colour and consistency to change during your period.
If lumps or clots are larger than 2.5cm (around the size of a 10p coin) then it is a good idea to speak to your GP to check there’s nothing causing this.
You might notice that in the days leading up to your period or during your period you may poo more or have diarrhoea. This is completely normal! As your body is preparing to shed the lining of your uterus it produces prostaglandins which cause your uterus to contract but also cause your stool to move quicker through your intestines.
Eating enough fibre and avoiding things like coffee can help with these symptoms but if this is affecting your ability to go about your daily life, you should speak to your GP to get extra support.
Some people poo more during their period, but other people experience constipation. Constipation can happen due to an increase in the hormone progesterone which slows down digestion.
Focusing on your diet is a great way to help with these symptoms but if this is affecting your ability to go about your daily life, you should speak to your GP to get extra support.
Yes! You’ll find that you don’t bleed continuously and can often feel when blood is travelling down your vagina.
Some people don’t like this sensation as it can be distracting and cause more worry about leaks, if this is you, then using tampons or menstrual cups might suit you better than pads and period pants where you can often feel the blood leave your vagina.
Some people will experience PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) in the week or so before their period starts. Here are some signs of PMS:
Everyone’s experience of PMS and their cycle is different. Tracking any symptoms you experience and how long your cycle is can help you predict when your period will be and what symptoms you might feel around that time. If you are experiencing PMS that is affecting your daily life, it’s worth seeing a doctor. Some people get an extreme form of PMS called PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder).
You might experience some cramping in your abdomen during or just before your period. This is because the uterus contracts to shed its lining. There are ways you can help ease the pain. If none of these help, your pain stops you going about daily life, or you have pain in places other than your abdomen, it’s important to see a doctor as they can help check whether there might be another cause.
A lot of people experience cramp-like pains in their lower stomach when they have their period. This is caused by the uterus muscles contracting. Some people also get back pain, or pain down their legs, and some can feel sick.
Some people find that putting a hot water bottle on their stomach, having a hot bath, massaging where the pain is, or doing some gentle exercise such as a walk, yoga or swimming can help.
It can be helpful to take a painkiller (such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin) as soon as you start to notice any pain, so that you can get the pain under control before it gets too bad. Ibuprofen is good for period pains as it reduces the number of prostaglandins which cause period pain. If you experience period pain, starting ibuprofen 48 hours before your period starts can help, if you know when your period is going to start, but it’s worth checking with a doctor and be sure to always follow the instructions about how many painkillers you can take within a certain period of time, as it is possible to overdose even if you take one tablet too many.
If you find that you are in a lot of pain before or during your period, and nothing seems to ease it, it is important that you speak to a doctor or nurse, to check that everything is OK, and get advice on how to manage the pain.
It can take a while to figure out your period and which products work best for you. If you have heavy periods, then you might be more prone to leaking. The important thing to remember is that leaking happens to everyone.
Here are some things that can help:
After you get your period for the first time, it can take a while for it to ‘settle down’ into a regular cycle. You might get your first period, then not have another one for the next few months.
There are other reasons why you might have missed a period such as weight loss or gain, stress, illness, exercising a lot, a big change in routine or new medication. These can all make them less regular, and also affect how light or heavy they are.
If you’ve recently had sex that could result in pregnancy, it’s worth taking a pregnancy test for peace of mind.
If your irregular periods are getting you down, you can talk to a doctor or nurse to get their advice. Your overall physical health and mental health affects your cycle, so it might be that irregular periods are a symptom of something else. Don’t be afraid to try and find out what that is, and to get help if you need it.
It is possible to stop or delay your periods using hormonal contraception. Some methods can make periods lighter or stop them altogether. The combined pill, patch and ring can all be used to plan when you’ll have a bleed. With other methods you may not have periods. These include the progestogen-only pill (mini pill), hormonal coil, implant or injection.
If you don’t use hormonal contraception and you’re expected to be on your period during an important event or holiday, you can speak to your GP about getting Norethisterone which contains progestogen which can delay periods.
Hormonal contraception is the best way to control your periods; when you get them and how heavy they are. Some hormonal contraception methods can stop periods entirely. Often people using the combined pill will take the pill continuously in order to avoid getting a period. This might be helpful if you have a holiday or event coming up that you don’t want to be on your period for. If you don’t use hormonal contraception, you can speak to your GP about getting a medication called norethisterone which can delay your period.
If your period is due to start, having penetrative sex can cause bleeding to start sooner. This is because penetrative sex can move your uterus more which can dislodge any blood that is about to be shed. An orgasm does the same thing by causing your uterus to contract which can also cause blood to leave the uterus.
If you’re stressed, your cortisol levels may be higher than usual. This can affect the hormones that control your menstrual cycle and may delay or even stop ovulation (when your ovaries release an egg). As a result, your period may arrive later than expected or be missed altogether.
If your gender is different to the one given you at birth, you may find periods triggering or uncomfortable. Some trans boys and men don’t mind having periods but for others it can be a distressing time of the month.
Here are some suggestions that might make your experience easier:
Some types of contraception can have an impact on your periods – they may become lighter, heavier, irregular, or stop altogether.
Spotting or breakthrough bleeding is common in the first few months of hormonal contraception and usually settles after around three months. If this continues or you’re worried, speak to a nurse or doctor to rule out other causes and get advice.
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