Your Period Changed by 3 Days and Your Doctor Said 'It's Fine' - Is It?
Let me guess. You walked into your doctor's office with your period tracking app pulled up, ready to talk about how your usually reliable 28-day cycle has shifted to 25 days. You've been paying attention. You know something's different. And what did you hear? "That's still within normal range" or "you're still getting your period, so it can't be perimenopause." I’m sorry what? Your menstrual cycle is a vital sign…
Can You Still Have Regular Periods and Be Perimenopausal? Let’s Talk About It.
A few weekends ago, while visiting my parents (and apologies to all my Atlanta friends—this was a very quick trip!), my mom asked me point blank: "Are you menopausal yet?" She didn’t go through menopause until she was 54 years old. Turns out, her mother also went through it later. At the time of this writing, I have just turned 48. My cycles are still regular—but I’m absolutely feeling the perimenopausal symptoms creeping in. I’m sharing this because it’s a question I hear a lot—including recently on…
Heavy Periods Making You Tired?
Heavy periods aren’t just inconvenient or messy—they can be absolutely exhausting. While it might feel like you’re losing gallons, the typical amount of blood loss during a period is actually much smaller than most people think. On average, most women lose 20 to 80 milliliters of blood per cycle—that’s about 1 to 5 tablespoons total for the entire period. Let me repeat that: total. Not per day. The National Institutes of Health actually compares it to one and a half shot glasses. (Yes, that’s the official visual. Cheers?) What causes heavy periods?
What Hormones Are In What Part Of Your Cycle?
Have you ever wondered if or which of your many hormones shine throughout your cycle? For example, how does your period differ from ovulation? How does that differ from the week before your period that might cause PMS symptoms? And does this change in perimenopause?
The menstrual cycle is normally divided into 2 phases - the follicular phase and the luteal phase.
The day you start your period is counted as day 1 and is the start of the follicular phase.