How many days does the first menstruation last? How many days does menstruation last?

The duration of menstruation is an important indicator of the well-being of women's health in general and the reproductive system in particular. Find out from this article how long your period should last in order not to miss the onset of a serious illness.

Critical days- a not entirely pleasant, but physiological state of a woman, the timeliness of which indicates that the reproductive system and the entire body as a whole functions smoothly like a clock.

But if menstruation comes more or less than expected or occurs with certain delays, then such a signal should not be neglected - this a symptom of an obvious “problem”, which needs to be eliminated.

How many days should menstruation last normally?

Every woman's body has its own individual characteristics, therefore, the duration of menstruation is also individual for each of us. On this influenced by a number of factors:

• heredity
• structural features of the reproductive system
• Lifestyle
• hormonal background

Menstruation is considered normal when lasts from 3 to 5 days. If your periods take longer, this may indicate bleeding caused by various diseases, hormonal imbalance, inflammatory processes.

Scanty menstruation which lasts less than 3 days should also be a cause for concern. Experts talk about the presence of such a disease as oligomenorrhea, if the discharge during menstruation lasts from several hours to two days. This is a dangerous disease can lead to infertility, if it is not diagnosed in time.

In any case, if menstrual flow are not in accordance with normal deadlines necessary contact a gynecologist, which will determine the cause of the malfunction in the body.

How long does a girl's first period last?

The beginning of the first menstruation an important event for every girl, which most expect with a certain amount of fear and even shame. There is no need to be ashamed of a natural phenomenon, because this is a new stage of life, which indicates the beginning of a girl’s formation as a woman.

Typically begins at age from 11 to 14 years, but modern gynecology knows cases when critical days began and at an earlier age, and much older.

The duration of the first menstruation is also individual - as a rule, the amount of discharge is scanty, which is observed within 3-4 days. But this does not mean that the first menstruation cannot last longer - ongoing discharge is considered normal. no more than 5 days.

Video: All about the first period

How long does your period last after termination of pregnancy?

Abortion causes enormous damage not only the moral state of the woman, but also the physical: in particular, it can negatively affect the reproductive system and the ability to have children in the future.

Therefore, the onset of menstruation is extremely important after termination of pregnancy, because their appearance indicates that the body has recovered and female organs are operating normally.

How soon your period comes after an abortion is affected by type of termination of pregnancy that was performed:

• medical abortion - considered less traumatic than other types of interruption and menstruation should begin within 28-38 days
• vacuum abortion - also refers to a type of abortion that is more gentle on women’s health; menstruation resumes a month later
• surgical abortion - the most dangerous and traumatic type of abortion, because during its implementation various complications can arise. Typically, menstruation begins in 30-40 days after this type of abortion

Regardless of how the abortion was performed discharge appearing earlier than a month later, may be bleeding that occurs as a complication after the procedure.

Complications will also be indicated by increased temperature, pain in the lower abdomen and general deterioration of condition.

Not to be confused with menstruation scanty discharge that appeared immediately after the abortion procedure. They are a consequence of intervention and, as a rule, lasts no more than 5 days. If such discharge continues for more than a week, then you need to consult a doctor.

Advent one month after termination of pregnancy menstruation does not differ in abundance and duration from the menstruation that the woman had previously. If the intensity and duration of menstrual flow changes, then you need to consult a specialist, because this may be a sign of hormonal changes after abortion surgery.

How long does your period last after a caesarean section?

Regardless of the type of delivery - natural or by caesarean section- menstruation occurs when the dominant hormone in a woman’s body becomes not prolactin, which produces milk, but estrogen. Thus, the main role in the resumption of menstruation is played by whether a woman breastfeeds her baby or formula-feeds her baby.

If breastfeeding doesn’t work out, then your period won’t keep you waiting - within 2-3 months the first postpartum menstruation will occur. Even if you are breastfeeding, you should not think that menstruation will not occur until you stop breastfeeding. As soon as the number of feedings or their volume will be reduced, which means the level of prolactin will drop, and critical days may begin, the duration of which can normally be from 3 to 7 days.

Many women consider menstruation and discharge after cesarean section. In fact, such discharge is not menstruation - it is so-called lochia. After childbirth, regardless of whether it was natural or by caesarean section, the uterus begins to cleanse, as a result of which throughout 4-7 weeks a woman observes bloody discharge - lochia- changing color and intensity over time.

How long does your period last after childbirth?

After childbirth menstrual cycle does not resume immediately. This requires several months, during which the organs of the reproductive system are restored, and the uterus goes away. involution process. In addition, when breastfeeding, menstruation may not occur for quite a long period while prolactin levels are high.

May be short-lived and irregular (again, do not confuse them with lochia). When the cycle is restored, menstruation will begin from 3 to 7 days, and the painful sensations that were observed before childbirth may disappear. This is explained by the fact that the uterus takes on a more physiological shape.

How long does your period last after a miscarriage?

What is characteristic of a miscarriage is that during and after it bleeding starts, which is explained by the rejection of the fertilized egg, and then the endometrium. Duration of bleeding after curettage should not exceed 5-7 days and not be distinguished by significant abundance.

In 28-30 days After a miscarriage, as a rule, the first menstruation occurs. Do not be alarmed if the duration of your critical days and the abundance of discharge differ slightly from your usual menstruation - it still happened in your body. serious hormonal imbalance, and the reproductive system has not yet been fully restored.

In any case, the duration of menstruation should not exceed a week.

How long does your period last after a frozen pregnancy?

After cleaning a frozen pregnancy, several days will be observed bloody issues, which are not menstrual periods. This is physiological bleeding caused by an unpleasant operation. Menstruation must come in 28-32 days after the procedure.

Since a frozen pregnancy is accompanied by hormonal imbalance, and after the procedure the woman begins taking a range of medications, including hormonal drugs and antibiotics, then menstruation may occur with a slight delay. If the delay lasts more than a week you need to visit an antenatal clinic.

How long does your period last after the IUD?

Intrauterine device- a fairly effective method of contraception, but it can negatively affect the nature and duration of menstruation. As a rule, after installation of the IUD, menstruation begins according to the cycle or with a slight delay.

Abundance of discharge during critical days can be significantly higher than it was before installing the spiral. Also, many women complain that if earlier the duration of menstruation was 3-4 days, then after the installation of intrauterine contraception, the discharge continues much longer - up to 5-7 days. These unpleasant consequences often disappear after a couple of months and the cycle resumes.

After the spiral is removed from the uterine cavity There may also be changes in the pattern of menstrual discharge. If, after installing the IUD, menstruation is accompanied severe pain, continues for more than a week or the volume of discharge is too significant, then you must definitely discuss this issue with your doctor.

Duration of menstruation- an important indicator that indicates whether everything in a woman’s body is happening physiologically. At the slightest malfunction in its work, the reproductive system will definitely let you know by changing the number of “red” days and this signal cannot be ignored, because your health is at stake.

Video: How long do periods last?

To determine how many days your period comes, you need to know what its frequency is. Also quite a lot important has the woman’s age and her state of health. Even after childbirth, restoration of the monthly cycle is an individual process.

Concept of menstruation

When not fertilized by sperm, it is destroyed within a few days. The renewal of the entire childbirth system begins. Menstruation (periods) begins. They represent a period of the monthly cycle when blood discharge comes out of the vagina. Along with the blood, old endometrial cells of the uterus and corpus luteum come out.

During menstruation, the surface layer of the uterus is renewed, a new layer of endometrium is lined. They look like small gelatinous clots that come out along with the blood. First comes a bright red discharge. They are quite plentiful. But from the middle of menstruation, the discharge gradually darkens, becoming brown at the end. The intensity of the blood coming out decreases every day.

In general, during this period, approximately 40-60 milliliters of blood are released per day. But its quantity can vary from more to less, and depends on the characteristics of each woman’s body. The duration of the period when menstruation occurs is about 5-7 days. The day of the onset of menstruation in gynecology is considered the day of the beginning of a new monthly cycle.

Menstrual cycle and menstrual irregularities

The monthly cycle and menstruation are different concepts. The monthly cycle is the period during which the egg matures, develops, and exits into the fallopian tube for fertilization. On average it can last 21-35 days. Menstruation is part of this cycle and lasts about 5-7 days. For girls who have just started menstruating, “these days” may be longer.

In this case, the menstrual cycle has not yet been established. It is necessary that at least 2 years have passed so that it coincides with the average terms. The menstrual cycle may fluctuate in women after 45. This may indicate the onset of menopause.

The reasons for “jumps” in the menstrual cycle in women are:

• diseases of the genitourinary system;
• taking certain medications;
• changes in hormonal levels;
• ovulation disorder;
• premenopausal period.

In some cases, the course of menstruation may be atypical. Violations may be:

1. Amenorrhea. Menstruation is absent for a long time, then it comes and is absent again. If pregnancy and menopause are excluded, this may indicate serious health problems.
2. Mecorrapia. Menstruation lasts more than 7 days or is too heavy. In the second case, the woman has to change the pad repeatedly within an hour. May indicate a serious illness.
3. Dysmenorrhea. Before the onset of menstruation, a woman experiences severe pain in the back, abdomen, and chest.
4. Irregular periods, when the moment of their onset “jumps”. The menstrual cycle ranges from 21 to 30 days. Usually they are harbingers of the onset of menopause, when the balance of hormones is disrupted.
5. Dystrophic disorder. Before menstruation, a psycho-emotional disorder occurs. A woman may be especially irritable, or withdraw into herself, and a state of depression sets in.
6. Bleeding between periods. Bloody discharge indicates serious disorders in the body.
7. Early menstruation. The time period between them is shorter than 21 days. Usually the cause is a violation of egg ovulation due to insufficient levels of the hormone progesterone.

In girls, the body begins to rebuild from the age of eight. The process of becoming a woman is individual for each girl. Usually it depends on heredity. “These days” begin to pass at the same age as mother’s.

They occur at about 11-14 years of age, but they can also start early. For example, they started at the age of 8. And also later - at 16 years old. The reason is hormonal imbalance.

The following symptoms indicate that the girl has:

• breast enlarges;
• hair begins to grow on the body;
• The first vaginal discharge appears.

Resumption of menstruation after childbirth

The vast majority of women stop having periods when they become pregnant.

If a woman breastfeeds after childbirth, they usually do not resume during this entire period.

The reason is the production of the hormone prolactin by the body of a nursing mother. It suppresses the increase in hormones that are responsible for the onset and progression of menstruation. The more the baby suckles, the more prolactin there is. When a child is on mixed or artificial feeding, the level of the hormone drops sharply. The monthly cycle resumes.

In women whose babies are on mixed feeding, menstruation should begin, but pregnancy does not occur during the entire feeding period.

Artificial cycle change

A change in the monthly cycle leads to a shift in the onset of menstruation. In some cases, women need to bring forward or delay the onset of menstruation. If not often, then this can be done using folk remedies or medications. For example, if you drink an infusion of nettle or burnet during the week before the likely start of “these days,” the monthly cycle shifts. Your period will resume no earlier than after 3 weeks.

You can reduce the level of the tarragon hormone in the body and thereby delay the onset of “special” days using pharmaceutical oral contraceptives or gestagens.

To do this, you need to drink medicinal herbs. But there must be moderation in everything. Abuse of such drugs can lead to serious disorders in the body.

In women of reproductive age, the menstrual cycle should be stable. Its duration is influenced by many factors, therefore, in order to prevent the development of pathology, you need to know how long periods last and what their duration depends on. After all, if there are health problems, failures often occur.

The duration of menstruation varies among women. ranges from 27 to 32 days (its average duration). Typically, your period begins within 5–7 days after ovulation completes. This is the norm for a healthy woman.

It is impossible to determine exactly how many days menstruation lasts, since it depends on many factors, for example, weather conditions or psychological state. For mature women, menstruation lasts approximately 7 days. But they may end earlier than expected.

4–7 days is the duration of critical days, which is the norm. A woman should have bleeding every month, the presence of which indicates her reproductive health.

Under the influence of certain factors, a malfunction may occur in the monthly cycle, as a result of which critical days may begin earlier or later than expected. If , then there is no reason to panic, since such a deviation is acceptable. When delay occurs regularly, you need to undergo a medical examination. A shift in the monthly cycle by more than 5 days indicates the development of gynecological pathology.

During normal menstruation, the bloody discharge should not contain any clots or mucus. Also, they should not be abundant. The presence of pathological processes in the body is indicated by the duration of which is less than 3 days. During this short period, the uterine endometrium will not have time to completely separate and renew itself. As a result, the body will not cleanse itself and prepare for the possible fertilization of the egg.

Bloody discharge during menstruation should not smell unpleasant. If on the third day their smell and quantity makes you anxious, then it is recommended to visit a gynecologist.

How many days does your period last?

If you know how many days your period should last, you can notice the deviation in a timely manner. In a healthy woman, the duration of menstruation is from 4 to 7 days. Their “normality” can be judged by the nature of the discharge. If it is dark red or burgundy, this means that there are no problems with the separation of the uterine endometrium.

Light menstrual blood with clots of mucus is a reason to sound the alarm. There is probably a pathological process occurring in the body.

On average, the discharge ends on the 6th day after the start. That is, normal periods last approximately 5–6 days. But since each organism is unique, deviations are possible. There is no clearly established time regulating the duration of critical days.

Regardless of the duration, menstruation is accompanied by an uncomfortable sensation that occurs in the lower abdomen, nausea and other unpleasant symptoms. Severe pain during menstruation is called dysmenorrhea. If the discomfort these days is unbearable, it makes sense to take pain medication.

What determines the duration of menstruation?

We found out that the average duration of menstruation is 4–7 days. Usually healthy girls rarely encounter any deviations from the norm. But under the influence of certain factors, failures are possible. So, the duration of menstruation in women depends on:

• from heredity. If women in a particular family are characterized by a 10-day duration of critical days, then this is not a pathology;
• functioning of the ovaries. Some diseases of the genital organs provoke their dysfunction. This negatively affects the duration of the cycle. If, due to impaired functioning of the ovaries, the mucous membrane of the genital organs has been damaged, menstruation will be long and painful;
• the presence of infectious diseases and inflammatory processes. Inflammation of the genital organs provokes heavy bleeding and an increase in the duration of menstruation;
• functioning of the endocrine system. If there is a deviation in the functioning of the pancreas or thyroid gland, then a hormonal imbalance will occur in the body. This will entail a shift in the monthly cycle and, as a result, a delay in menstruation.

Reasons for short periods

Scanty periods are an indicator of a disrupted cycle. If menstruation begins several days before the expected due date, this is an alarming symptom. You should also be wary of such a problem as short periods, the duration of which is 1–2 days. This deviation does not appear without a reason. It is provoked by the following factors:

1. Ovarian dysfunction.
2. Impaired functioning of the thyroid gland.
3. Diseases of the reproductive organs.
4. Hormonal disorders.
5. Infection of the genital tract.

In gynecology, scanty periods are called hypomenorrhea. Blood loss during short menstruation is low, not exceeding 50 ml per day. This indicates a violation of reproductive function.

Causes of long periods

Normal critical days last from 3 to 7 days. The duration of menstruation increases if pathological processes occur in the female body.

Factors that provoke an increase in the duration of menstruation:

1. Diseases of the genital tract or uterus. For example, prolonged periods provoke some forms of endometriosis.
2. Hormonal changes in the body.
3. Ovarian dysfunction.
4. Diseases of the endocrine system.
5. Long term use of antibiotics and hormonal drugs.

Prolonged discharge, when the monthly cycle fails, is accompanied by severe pain in the lower abdomen, as well as nausea and dizziness.

What to take if bleeding continues

If menstrual flow lasts longer than 7 days, you should consult a gynecologist who will prescribe medication.

You can also help yourself at home. For example, to reduce the amount of menstrual flow, you can use a nettle decoction. Its recipe:

1. The leaves are washed and poured with hot water (boiling water is possible).
2. Leave for 1 hour.
3. The broth is filtered.

You need to drink the medicine from nettle on an empty stomach during menstruation.

If heavy menstrual flow bothers you systematically, it is recommended to drink a nettle decoction 1–2 days before the start of your menstrual period.

Also, to solve this problem you need to take hemostatic drugs. A woman who systematically faces the problem of prolonged menstrual bleeding will be prescribed Etamzilat, Dicynon or Tranexam. The action of these medications is aimed at normalizing the movement of blood through the vessels. Within an hour after taking one of these drugs, the desired effect occurs - a decrease in the amount of discharge.

What are the dangers of heavy menstruation?

Any changes in the nature of menstruation should be alarming. Normal periods for girls last no more than 6–7 days. If their duration and amount of blood increase, this is a dangerous symptom.

Heavy and frequent discharge can cause dizziness. This phenomenon is associated with large blood loss from the body. So, when menstruation lasts more than 7 days, the following risks arise:

1. Development of anemia. Together with the blood, the body loses useful microelements that it needs for normal functioning. Since during menstruation there is insufficient amount of potassium and magnesium in the blood, the body weakens.
2. Dehydration. During menstrual bleeding, a large amount of fluid is lost. This negatively affects the functioning of the liver, kidneys, heart and other organs. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of fluids.
3. Failure of the hormonal system. Often hormonal changes are provoked by infections that settle on the mucous membrane of the genital organs.

To prevent the development of dangerous gynecological pathology, a woman must monitor her cycle and the nature of her menstrual flow.

Menstruation for women has become a familiar and routine occurrence, which receives too little attention. To maintain your health and well-being, you should know how your periods go, what your discharge should be and its quantity. Both teenage girls and older women should be able to recognize deviations from the normal course of the cycle.

It can be characterized by the degree of pain, regularity and amount of discharge. This process is individual and each woman goes through it differently.

Unfortunately, during menstruation, most women experience significant discomfort associated with pain. Spasms are provoked by a group of lipid biologically active substances that stimulate contraction of the muscles of the uterus to remove blood from the body. Some women claim that period pain decreases significantly after giving birth.

Painkillers such as tempalgin, tamipul, solpadeine, and no-shpa help women cope with pain. Antispasmodics should be taken strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. It is not recommended to exceed the dose, so as not to provoke side effects. You should also not take aspirin or apply a heating pad to your stomach, as this will increase bleeding.

Although most doctors advise against exercising during menstrual periods, moderate physical activity helps reduce the intensity of uterine spasms. Therefore, if she feels well, a woman can go for a walk or bike ride. This will only benefit the body.

When a woman notices that her periods (menstruation) after 35 years are accompanied by more severe cramps and pain, she should be examined by a gynecologist for the development of endometriosis or the presence of polyps.

Women should be especially sensitive to their health and regularly undergo preventive examinations with a gynecologist. This will help avoid the development of many pathologies of the genitourinary system.

Normal does not pose a threat to the body. Moderate blood loss is quickly replenished and is imperceptible to the woman. The normal discharge rate during menstruation ranges from 20 to 50 grams per day. The duration and intensity of discharge varies from person to person; these numbers may vary slightly in each specific case. The total blood loss does not exceed 250 grams.

Sometimes women complain of heavy discharge that literally “floods” them in the first days. They have to change tampons or pads every two hours, and the blood may come out in clots of different sizes. For mature women in the premenopausal period and for younger women, such periods signal a hormonal imbalance in the body.

To correct the situation, you should contact a gynecologist, undergo an examination and, on the doctor’s recommendation, take additional tests. A visit to a specialist if blood loss is higher than normal is mandatory, since heavy menstruation indicates the presence of inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system.

Such a popular method of contraception as the IUD sometimes causes heavy bleeding during menstruation. This situation can be corrected; you just need to draw the attention of your gynecologist to this issue.

A very effective remedy for heavy periods is sorrel, which is added to food, fresh or boiled. They are also used on the basis of yarrow, chamomile, horsetail, shepherd's purse, lungwort and horse chestnut (bark, leaves or flowers), peppermint. Effective ways to reduce bleeding are a decoction of cherry stalks and leaves, and an infusion of oak acorns. For severe bleeding, soak flax seeds in the evening. The next day, only flax is allowed as food.

A meager amount of menstruation for just two or three days may be due to the following reasons:

• taking contraceptives;
• premenopausal period;
• hormonal imbalance due to a sudden change in body weight.

If scanty discharge appears after an abortion or a procedure to clean the uterus after childbirth, you should check the possibility of sticking of the walls of the uterus. To eliminate this problem, surgery is sometimes used. Light bleeding sometimes occurs during pregnancy.

Menstrual discharge is characterized by a bright red color and a specific smell. Often women notice traces of blood clots on the pads. Their size can range from small grains to large clots. This phenomenon is considered absolutely normal. Enzymes intended for processing secretions do not have time to correctly perform their functions. Therefore, the blood that remains unprocessed accumulates in the vagina, transforming into clots.

As mentioned above, intrauterine devices promote copious discharge of blood, which also transforms into clots. If there is a spiral, clots can be explained by the fact that the fertilized eggs were unable to attach to the walls of the uterus and left the body along with menstrual blood.

We found out how normal periods should go in the middle of the cycle. At the very beginning and end of menstruation, instead of bright scarlet blood, faint bleeding may appear. A small amount of discharge has a brownish tint and lasts about two days. A longer discharge of such blood indicates gynecological problems, the nature of which should be determined by the doctor during examination.

The discharge is spontaneous and irregular. The formation of the cycle can take about a year. As a result, when asked how often menstruation occurs, we can answer that the duration of a normal cycle is 28 days with possible deviations of 1-2 days. Some people have a cycle length of only 25 days (short cycle). The longest cycle, which is not considered a deviation from the norm, lasts 32 days.

The most favorable are regular periods, that is, when the beginning and end of menstruation occur on approximately the same days of the month. In this case, we can talk about the coordinated functioning of the body’s genitourinary system. When the cycle is constantly changing, lengthening or, conversely, becoming shorter, we are talking about irregular periods. Normal menstruation and a regular cycle are two parameters that indicate a healthy state of the reproductive system.

Irregular periods are not a consequence of pathologies if we are talking about young girls with an unformed cycle or a premenopausal period in a woman’s life. Sometimes a cycle is disrupted due to its absence or failure. For couples planning children, the ability to calculate the days of ovulation is extremely important, so it makes sense for a woman to make an appointment with a gynecologist.

If a woman has a long absence of menstruation, this cannot be called the norm. If the possibility of pregnancy has been excluded, you should be examined for early menopause, for the presence of hormonal or psychological causes of cycle failure.

Hygiene procedures and intimate life during menstruation

Attitudes towards intimacy during menstruation among women and men often do not coincide. Men strive for unprotected sex and the opportunity to experience pleasure, while women are somewhat wary of such experiments. And for good reason. The health of the fair half of humanity on such days is especially susceptible to various diseases due to the slightly open cervix. Therefore, if you cannot do without sex, you must follow the basic rules of hygiene, as well as use a condom to protect against infections entering the female body.

Don’t forget what a normal period should be and how to keep your body clean so as not to get an infection. The basic rules of feminine hygiene are:

1. Visit the bathroom twice a day.
2. The use of pads and tampons selected in accordance with the characteristics of the female body.
3. Regular replacement of hygiene items.
4. Use night pads at night to protect clothes and bedding from blood.
5. The gaskets are changed as they become dirty, but no less than every 3-4 hours.

Both pads and tampons are convenient and practical devices. They protect laundry from dirt and leaks. For a woman’s convenience, you can try combining these hygiene products.

Every girl and woman should know which periods are normal and which indicate the need to visit a doctor. The reasons for deviation from the norm may be: hormonal imbalance, weight gain or loss, stress, as well as infectious diseases of the genitourinary system. In order not to be at a loss about the state of your health, you should regularly undergo examination by a gynecologist.

Medicines and folk remedies

Medications:

• tempalgin;
• tamipul;
• solpadeine;
• no-shpa.

Folk remedies:

• sorrel decoction;
• yarrow;
• chamomile;
• horsetail;
• shepherd's purse;
• lungworts;
• horse chestnut;
• flax seeds.

How long a period lasts normally is a topic that is important for every woman. This is a natural physiological process that the fair sex faces. And if everything is in order with the cycle, menstruation comes on time, it is believed that the development of the female body is normal, and the woman is capable of conceiving and bearing a baby.

One of the problems in the functioning of the reproductive system is. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Of course, if you have problems with menstruation, you should visit a doctor. But before that, it’s worth finding out what is normal and what is pathology.

If a woman knows about the norms of the menstrual cycle, then she will be able to understand in a timely manner that problems have arisen in the functioning of her body. The factor of individuality should also be taken into account, because how many days menstruation lasts depends on the individual organism.

It is believed that menstruation should last at least 3 days and no more than 7. This period is characterized by the following symptoms, in addition to bleeding:

• general weakness and increased fatigue;
• pulling character;
• decreased performance.

If critical days fit this description, then everything is normal.

Menstrual days also happen differently for everyone. But the following options can be distinguished:

1. from the first day, the discharge contains blood clots. Gradually, every day the volume of menstruation decreases and by about the 5th or 7th day the discharge stops.
2. The beginning of menstruation is a dark-colored daub, rather scanty in volume. Further, the discharge becomes more intense, the peak occurs in the middle of the critical days.
3. The discharge varies throughout the entire period. They can be present at the beginning, and then increase in volume, or, conversely, the abundance is replaced by daubs and back.

First

How long does the first period last? Here, too, everything is individual. Menarche, or the first menstruation, is an indicator that a girl is going through puberty. It begins on average between the ages of 9 and 15 years.

The duration of the first menstruation in a young girl differs significantly from the characteristics of the body of an adult woman. The reason is physiology and an unstable cycle.

The first menstruation in adolescents lasts about 5 days on average. The discharge is often scanty and may be accompanied by unpleasant aching abdominal pain and dizziness.

After childbirth

Another question that worries women is how long periods last after childbirth. In the first days after the birth of a child, lochia is released from the genital tract. The composition of this discharge is different from normal menstruation.

After a normal birth, lochia can last for 5-6 days. The discharge is characterized by abundance and the content of blood clots; in color they are more similar not to menstruation, but to simple blood.

About a week after birth, the lochia becomes darker, and then the color changes from brown to yellowish. The average duration of lochia secretion is up to 40 days.

A woman should be especially attentive to her body during this difficult period and be sure to consult a doctor if she observes the following symptoms:

• lochia contains a lot of blood clots;
• excessive discharge;
• discharge is accompanied by severe abdominal pain;
• an unpleasant odor appears;
• there is too much mucus or pus in the lochia;
• the temperature rises, which is not easy to reduce;
• sudden cessation of vaginal discharge.

How to calculate?

If you are interested in how long women's periods last, you can count the days of your cycle and compare them with the norm. To do this, you can use a regular calendar, where you should note the duration of your periods and the interval between them.

The norm is menstruation for 5-7 days and a cycle from 21 to 35 days. If there is a difference in the number of days between cycles, then it should not be more than 7 days. If the menstrual cycle falls within the specified framework, then it is called regular.

The following situations can influence how long the menstrual cycle lasts:

• diets;
• weight changes both down and up;
• climate change;
• overwork and stress;
• acute and chronic diseases.

In view of this, the work of the organs of the reproductive system cannot be constant and unchanged, and sometimes deviations from the norm occur.

Long menstruation

If menstruation continues for a couple of days, and the woman is not worried about her health, then there is no need to worry. However, if long periods are characterized by profuseness and intensity (more than one pad within three hours), are accompanied by severe pain, or contain diarrhea, you need to go to the gynecologist.

Menstruation that lasts more than two weeks may occur due to the following reasons:

• hormonal disbalance;
• inflammatory processes of the genital organs;
• side effect of the IUD (intrauterine device);
• adenomyosis;
• endometrial polyps;
• malignant neoplasms of the genital organs;
• problems with the thyroid gland.

Short menstruation

Considering how many days girls' periods last, it is worth remembering the possibility of periods that are too short.

It’s worth thinking about if during menstruation the discharge is too scanty, or it’s just spotting. There may be several reasons for too short periods:

• failure of the ovaries;
• use of hormonal contraception;
• past inflammation;
• curettage of the uterus;
• injuries of the genitourinary system;
• dysfunction of the endocrine system;
• emotional instability;
• stressful situations;
• excessive physical activity.

What to do?

If a woman experiences problems with the menstrual cycle, it is necessary to find out their causes. In the case of stress or a flight to a different climate, it makes sense to wait until the next period. But this is if there are no other symptoms in the form of severe pain or large clots.

If deviations from the norm are observed in the next month, you must consult a doctor for examination and treatment. It makes no sense to wait for the cycle to recover on its own; such an expectation can cause even more harm to the body.

The only thing a woman can do to help herself, if there are no serious problems with the functioning of the reproductive system, is to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. The following is recommended:

• eating as many fruits and vegetables as possible;
• give up alcohol and smoking;
• walk more and play sports, cycling, rollerblading, etc. are suitable;
• try to avoid emotional turmoil and stress.

Video about cycle duration