Menstruation. What is it, why does it matter, what does it tell us?
What is a period?
Most likely you’ve heard it most commonly referred to as your period, although there are lots of terms out there for it: aunt flo, that time of the month, etc. Regardless of what you call it, menstruation is when the lining of your uterus, thickened and enriched during your cycle for the possibility of the implantation of an embryo, sheds over the course of usually 3-7 days through the cervix, and out of the vaginal opening.
We think of menstruation as being the shedding of blood (and there’s plenty of blood in the mix) but there’s also tissue, endometrial fluid, even some cervical mucus.
You probably notice some mild cramping or discomfort as your body sloughs off this lining. The uterus is cramping and releasing all that it’s built up over the past month or so. This mild cramping is normal, but anything more than that - even for one day! - can be a helpful symptom for identifying an underlying issue.
Painful periods, although common, are not normal. There’s a cause behind it and, very likely, a treatment.
Some women experience heavier periods, and some experience lighter, but typically bleeding is truly a period when you have at least one day of moderate or heavy bleeding and the overall bleeding lasts at least 3 days. You also often notice the bleeding increasing and then decreasing during that time. Or, if you start out strong, you’ll notice it slowly decrease during your period.
What information can a period reveal?
Your period can tell you a lot of information! In many ways, it’s a bit of a report card for the previous cycle. Here are just a few of the things we can take note of:
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