How many days should a woman's period go. Critical days

Monthly 6 days - the average, which is the norm. Basically, menstruation lasts 3-7 days and is accompanied by moderate bleeding. But there may also be violations of the cycle, in which the indicators of the duration of the discharge are very different from the norm.

Too short and too long periods

Monthly 1-2 days are the result of menstrual dysfunction, as well as prolonged discharge. Sometimes monthly 11 days, especially with moderate or scanty discharge, are normal for a woman and are an individual feature of her body. Long, pathological in nature, it is considered to be monthly 15-16 days. There are even cases when menstruation for 17 days was accepted by a woman as the norm. But such violations of the cycle can lead to infertility and cause serious damage to a woman's health. Moreover, when 18 days last, menstruation can lead the body to anemia and even pose a threat to life.

The presence of scanty or abundant discharge during menstruation may be associated with psychological, hormonal, endocrine disorders. Cycle disorders can be the result of inflammation in the pelvic organs, and even genetic disorders.

Many women are concerned about how to delay menstruation, what days you can have sex without fear of becoming pregnant. Safe days before menstruation can only be determined if the menstrual cycle is regular for six months. Only in this case it is possible to have at least some guarantees. It is believed that 5 days before menstruation are safe, since ovulation has already occurred a long time ago and the body is preparing for a new cycle. But in medical practice, there are many cases when there are 4 days before menstruation, and pregnancy still occurs. The first 5 days after menstruation are also considered to be impossible for conception, since the egg has not yet matured and the process of conception is physically impossible. But then why did so many women who used counting as a protection against pregnancy become mothers? The days after menstruation also do not give any guarantee that pregnancy will not occur, because there are cases of the maturation of several eggs in parallel, each of which had its own ovulation time.

Safe days before and after menstruation exist, but relying only on calendar counting, you can make a mistake, even if the days between periods regularly coincide. Indeed, in addition to the days of the beginning and end of the cycle, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the female body. Moreover, the number of days in the cycle of each woman can be completely different. Thus, calculating the exact time of ovulation using the calendar method is unlikely.

How to delay menstruation for a few days?

Many forums are filled with folk advice on safe ways to artificially delay menstruation. The most popular is eating one or two lemons a day a few days before menstruation. But the effectiveness of this method is highly questionable. Moreover, not every gastrointestinal tract and tooth enamel can withstand such an amount of acid.

A more radical method that allows you to delay your period for a couple of days is the use of hormonal drugs in tablets. To do this, you just need to immediately use the second after finishing taking the tablets of one package, without taking a week break. The use of this method is most effective, but you still should not get carried away with it. Delaying menstruation for a couple of days is one thing, and when there are no periods for 4 days, or even more, an artificial change in hormonal levels can seriously affect a woman’s health.

The question of the duration of menstruation is always relevant in the life of any woman. Menstruation (from Latin mensis - month, menstruus - monthly), menstruation, or regulation - part of the body's menstrual cycle - an evolutionary biological process that regularly occurs in a woman's body, which is an indicator of her ability to conceive and produce offspring. The cycle is expressed in monthly recurring changes in the reproductive and endocrine systems, with an external manifestation in the form of menstruation. But women also have moments when menstruation is not normal: pregnancy, the postpartum period, breastfeeding, before the onset of menarche and during menopause.

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What is menarche?

This is the name of the first menstruation, which most often occurs at the age of 12-13. Its time of appearance to some extent depends on the place of residence, race: in a hot climate it can happen at 11 years old, in a temperate one between 12 and 18 years old, and in a cold one between 13 and 21. In addition, the Negroid race also has menarche arises earlier than among Europeans, and their social and living conditions may be the same. The formation of MC normally occurs within 2 years, all this time menstruation will not be regular. Every year of growing up, it evens out and normalizes the menstrual background. After stabilization and regularity is established, the normal cycle of menstruation is measured in 28 days (plus or minus 1 week, i.e. 21-35 days is also the norm). 28 days is a classic, ideal, it happens, according to some sources, in 15% of women, according to other sources - in 60% of women of childbearing age. The duration of menstruation is on average 3-7 days. Blood is secreted normally only from the vagina.

The soft, elastic layer of skin with a hole that surrounds the entrance to the vagina from the outside is the hymen. For many girls, it is destroyed long before they lose their virginity.

Premenstrual syndrome

Before the onset of menstruation, some women experience the so-called premenstrual syndrome (PMS) - when the emotional background changes, which is closely related to menstruation. Most often it is irritability, tearfulness, depression, aggressiveness, headaches, causeless mood swings. This is not a sign of a bad character, but a pathological syndrome that requires treatment. Its frequency of occurrence ranges from 3% to 30%.



menstrual blood

It would be more correct to call it menstrual fluid, because. in addition to blood, it also contains enzymes, cervical mucus, the secret of the Bartholin glands, part of the rejected endometrium. By the way, the endometrium, which is rejected in the absence of fertilization, comes out with menstrual blood in the amount of 30%, the rest of it is reabsorbed by the body. According to BME, the volume and amount of menstrual blood during menstruation is 50-100 ml, on average 80 ml. Menstrual flow has a darker, closer to brown, color compared to the blood in the vessels, and one more feature: they do not clot. Their dark color is due to a set of enzymes that prevent it from curdling.



Sexual intercourse during menstruation

Some women have increased libido during menstruation. By and large, sexual intercourse at this time is possible, but we must not forget that the cervix remains open during this period, and, therefore, more accessible to all kinds of pathogens. Therefore, it would be wise not to experiment.



Possible disorders

Menstrual disorders can manifest themselves in different ways, and each type of disorder has its own name:

• cessation or absence of menstruation - amenorrhea;
• increased bleeding during menstruation - menorrhagia;
• displaced or rejected bleeding - menstruatio vicaria;
• painful menstruation - algomenorrhea (an outdated name), now it is called dysmenorrhea;
• scarcity of menstruation - oligomenorrhea;
• cycle shortening - polymenorrhea;
• metrorrhagia - intermenstrual bleeding.

Menstruation can stop at conception, with bleeding from another part of the body, mechanical ways to delay menstruation - narrowing of the vagina, cervix. Causes of menorrhagia - with endometritis, cervical erosion, when wide uterine ligaments are saturated with blood, and general diseases.

Oligomenorrhea - one pad can last for more than 6 hours, there is so little discharge. This is a combined syndrome, which most often leads to infertility.



Causes of cycle disorders

The main reasons for the violation of the cycle include:

• inflammation of the genital organs;
• hormonal imbalance;
• pathology of the endocrine system
• metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypothyroidism, pathology of the pituitary gland, disruption of the adrenal glands;
• stress and overwork;
• chronic inflammation;
• disturbed ecology;
• climate change;
• any violation of weight;
• increased physical activity, enhanced training (they must be increased gradually);
• intoxication and work in hazardous production;
• eating disorders;
• reception OK;
• hypovitaminosis;
• abortions;
• premenopausal period;
• TBI and brain bruises - in these cases, the work of the hypothalamus, the main conductor of the endocrine system, is disrupted.

Heavy bleeding lasting more than a week may indicate the presence of diseases: fibroids, endometriosis, decreased platelets, precancerous conditions in the MPS, polyps and uterine cancer, von Willebrand disease. Light bleeding can be a sign of the following problems: infertility, ovarian dysfunction, decreased hormone production, ectopic pregnancy.



Stress of any kind (reinforced study, sessions, increased training, extreme weight loss, smoking, alcohol, drugs) leads to change. The fact is that the hypothalamus is very sensitive to any fluctuations in the level of biologically active substances in the body. In extreme conditions, when a woman, due to her health, cannot bear offspring, the reproductive function is turned off until better times. Therefore, for example, during the war, critical days for women may be absent - “wartime amenorrhea”.

cycle calculus

The menstrual cycle (MC) is not the menstruation itself and not the number of days between periods, but the interval from the first day of one menstruation to the first day of the next, inclusive, i.e. the first day of one menstruation must be taken into account. For this, the formula is used: the date of the current menstruation (T) minus the date of the previous one (P): MC \u003d (T-P) + 1 day \u003d duration of the menstrual cycle.

The ideal cycle is 28 calendar days. In other words, MC is the monthly preparation of the body for conception and pregnancy. The difference in each cycle should not be more than 5-7 days. Such a repetition is considered a regular MC. But, for example, the cycle has always been 35 days, and suddenly it became 21 or 26 days - this is already a pathology. In addition to regularity, a normal regular MC also includes such indicators: frequency, duration, amount of blood.

To control the cycle and its possible deviations, you need to keep your menstrual calendar. To do this, in a regular calendar, you just need to mark the number of days, the date of arrival and end. This is convenient in identifying the causes of any pathologies, calculating the time of onset, etc. An interesting fact is that when several women live in close proximity in a limited space, for example, in the same sports team, hostel, their menstrual cycle adjusts to each other. The reason for this has not been clarified.



What is the norm?

Despite the fact that menstruation is different for different women, there are common standard schemes. The beginning is usually with a brown daub, dirty - but this should not exceed 2 days. From the first day, menstruation is usually voluminous, may be with clots. The most abundant in the first 2 days, in the following days their number decreases. If the period of staining lasts more than 2 days, this is a sign of polyps, cysts, etc.



Pathological manifestations

The maturation of the follicle occurs as usual, but ovulation does not occur. At the same time, estrogen continues to be produced, it still affects the endometrium, no other processes occur - there is no ovulation, corpus luteum and progesterone, which would stop the growth of the endometrium. It continues to grow until the walls of the uterus, due to its thickness, begin to come into contact with each other. Then he gets hurt and starts to fall off. But there is a lot of it, so menstruation comes and can go plentiful. It is distinguished by the absence of mucus, a bright scarlet color, whitish clots (hyperplastic endometrium) will be present in the contents.

With a corpus luteum cyst, the ovary and uterus usually develop before ovulation. But then the corpus luteum does not die and continues to work on. The level of progesterone is released and rises. At the same time, menstruation can be irregular and scanty, in the form of a daub.



Hormonal changes

The main work of the endocrine glands is the hypothalamus: it controls the entire work of the glands. After menstruation, after 2-3 days, he produces a special hormone - gonadoliberin. This hormone penetrates the pituitary gland, provokes the production of FSH. It circulates in the blood and causes the ovaries to produce follicles with an egg.

The follicle grows, the egg matures, the production of estrogen begins. This leads to a reaction of the uterus, which begins to grow and build up its endometrium. Now the production of FSH falls, and the production of LH, the luteinizing hormone for the corpus luteum, begins. Estrogen in the blood decreases, the egg breaks the follicle, goes into the fallopian tube, where it awaits fertilization - this is ovulation.



After a few days, the production of progesterone begins - this is already a new hormone. It strengthens the uterus, preparing it for a possible conception. Now the script depends on conception. If it was not there, then after 13-14 days progesterone and estrogen drop sharply, the endometrium begins to be strongly rejected, menstruation appears. When pregnancy occurs, progesterone grows, it strengthens the walls of the uterus, does not allow it to contract, so that there is no miscarriage of the zygote, in these cases, menstruation cannot occur.

What are the phases of the cycle?

The menstrual cycle is divided into 3 phases: menstruation, or desquamative phase, the first phase (follicular) and the second phase (luteal). The follicular phase begins from the end of menstruation to ovulation, i.e. up to 14 days with MC in 28 days. Several follicles grow in the ovaries, as they grow, they secrete hormones - estrogens into the blood. They stimulate the growth of the endometrium. Shortly before day 14, all follicles stop growing, and one dominates, then bursts - ovulation begins, and so on in a circle. Then comes the luteal phase - described above.



Process flow

Day 1. The menstrual cycle begins with the rejection of unused endometrium and bleeding. In this case, uterine contractions occur, which cause discomfort in the first days. Unpleasant sensations in some women are the norm and do not require medical attention.



Day 2. Heaviness and soreness decrease, partially remaining. At the same time, the formation of a new egg begins in the body. There may be increased greasiness of the skin due to hormonal changes in the body.

Day 3. The endometrium is no longer there, a wound surface remains on the walls of the uterus, on which microorganisms can easily get, so it is better to abstain from sexual activity.

Day 4. The woman feels noticeably better, but there is no need to overwork. The walls of the uterus continue to heal. The volume of blood is much less, some have just a small daub.



Day 5. The healing process of the uterus is completed, the metabolism is accelerated, and cheerfulness appears.

Reasons for delay or acceleration

If in the first phase of the cycle there is no normal growth of the follicle, and in the middle of the cycle there is no rupture with the release of the egg, then the second phase is delayed and does not occur. The corpus luteum without ovulation has nothing to form from. The first phase is delayed so much that the overgrown endometrium, which has successfully developed under the influence of estrogen, begins to be rejected on its own. It looks like a crumbling pyramid that was built too high. Such a first cycle can last several months - that's the delay.



The next cycle may be completely normal - then they say about the irregularity of the cycle. There is another reason for the cycle delay - when the corpus luteum exists for a very long time. Normally, it lives for 10 days, then its work, in the absence of conception, begins to round off. But with violations, the corpus luteum can continue to work, and then menstruation does not occur for a long time. It comes only with regression of the corpus luteum.

If the process is just the opposite, the corpus luteum regresses too early, menstruation comes at a shortened time. Such jumps are normal in the formation of a cycle in adolescents, and are similar to the tuning of an orchestra until a cacophony develops into a symphony. If this is observed in an adult woman, then hormone failure is treated by taking OK.

The OK mechanism in this case is similar to stopping the work of the orchestra for rest and resuming its work under the action of the conductor's baton. The question often arises: why exactly after childbirth does the cycle stabilize and the woman flourishes? Again, it is appropriate to recall the orchestra: while it is rehearsing, overlays are inevitable. And only when he plays his first concert from start to finish does his playing become coherent. So pregnancy is such a concert for the reproductive system. In other words, pregnancy is the only goal for which the existence and work of the entire reproductive system takes place.



It is after childbirth and breastfeeding that the system and the woman fully mature, and all of her previously “unpacked” capabilities begin to manifest themselves in full force. And one reminder: the function of the reproductive system is not to menstruate every month, but to give birth to the fetus. And this system must be used for its intended purpose - this is a mandatory norm. And menstruation is just a reminder of this. And if the working time of the system for 38 years (from 13 years to 51 years on average) is not used for its intended purpose, and it is limited only to menstruation, then a failure in the balance of hormones with the appearance of various pathologies will manifest itself unambiguously. After 40-42 years, the cycle becomes shorter and less regular. Menses are lengthened and more difficult to foresee.

early menopause

It is quite rare, unless it is caused artificially. It occurs with congenital pathologies, after radiation therapy, with systemic diseases, gynecological operations to remove the uterus or ovaries. Symptoms in early menopause are identical to the usual, they are due to a lack of estrogen.



Painful periods and PMS

Severe discomfort and soreness of menstruation is not the standard of the norm: if the pain lasts more than 1-2 days, dysmenorrhea requires treatment. At a young age, this phenomenon can be explained by the immaturity of the reproductive system, but secondary dysmenorrhea is a symptom of various gynecological diseases, but in any case it should be corrected. The same applies to PMS - some women abuse this widely popularized condition in order to attribute some of their inadequate actions to it. The syndrome really has a place to be, but not for everyone, and it is not so sharp as to become inadequate. PMS is not a character trait, but a pathology with certain symptoms that are completely corrected by treatment. The reasons for its appearance are still being studied.



Climax, or how it all ends

Climax (from the Greek "ladder") is an inevitable and physiological period. The reproductive function decreases, the amount of female hormones in the blood decreases, the irregularity of menstruation ends with their complete cessation. If earlier menopause occurred after 55 years, now it has become younger and begins on average after 45 years. But there are women who menstruate up to the age of 70, but this is rare.



When the reproductive system begins to fade, it happens as gradually as its formation. It is precisely because the process does not occur in 1 day that women sometimes experience an unplanned pregnancy during this period. In general, normal menstruation before this becomes irregular: delayed, skipped. When they appear, they can be long-term, then gradually decrease. The ovaries are already less able to obey stimuli and signals from the brain, they cannot grow a full-fledged follicle. And if there is no ovulation, the cycle is delayed. But even if ovulation has come, the corpus luteum works very badly: because of this, menstruation does not normally come: either in a shortened period, or are delayed. As a result, they may not occur for more than 6 months in a row. In these cases, you need to consult a doctor and clarify your condition: an ultrasound will show a picture of the condition of the ovaries.

In general, in its onset, menopause goes through 3 stages: pre-, peri- and postmenopause. In premenopause, FSH and estrogen hormones are elevated, but still normal. The ovaries still work, but defectively, they react little to hormones and commands from the pituitary gland, the follicles do not fully mature. That is why menstruation begins to get confused, lengthen - such vibration can last up to 5 years, but more often 1-2 years. It is during this period that there may be such a paradox: the chance to give birth normally drops sharply, and the chance of conception is increased.

Then another 1 year lasts for the period of perimenopause - follicles are not produced, estrogens are reduced, and although FSH is still present, menstruation is even more confused. In premenopause, there are those famous hot flashes that women have heard so much about: unexpected bouts of heat in the face and chest, flushing of the face, irregularity and change in the duration of menstruation, chills, increased sweating, and sweat changes in smell, becoming unpleasant, often insomnia, headaches , jumps in blood pressure and tachycardia, fatigue. Hot flashes can make women insensitive to cold, they try to dress lightly even in winter, they are unbearably hot.

Of the emotions during this period, anxiety, irritability, absent-mindedness, drowsiness, and a decrease in libido predominate. In peri- and postmenopause, dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, and urine leakage during exercise may be noted. These symptoms may, although not as intense, be in the first 2 years of postmenopause. Menstruation does not occur for more than 1 year - this is already a full-fledged postmenopause. The body quickly begins to age, gain new diseases and problems, because the protective background of estrogen is no longer there. There are no eggs at all. Wrinkles multiply, dry skin, brittle nails and hair loss. And after 5-10 years of postmenopause - osteoporosis and weight gain, atherosclerotic plaques.



The same picture can be in young people, but in them this phenomenon can be temporary and reversible. Sometimes everything is restored even after a simple good rest.

Amenorrhea other forms of disorders

They talk about anemorrhea when menstruation does not occur for 6 months or more. It is of 4 types: physiological, pathological, medicinal and false. Physiological - it always happens during a woman's life, but at certain periods - pregnancy, breastfeeding, age before menarche, menopause. Pathological - with endocrine pathologies, PCOS, a sharp weight loss, Asherman's syndrome (the appearance of adhesions in the uterine cavity - synechia), against the background of psychogeny, stopping menarche after 16 years.



Drug amenorrhea is associated with the use of antiestrogens for some indications. False amenorrhea - pseudoamenorrhea - appears with violations of the anatomy of the reproductive tract: infection of the cervical canal, anomalies of the genitals.

Polymenorrhea (hypermenorrhea) - this condition can occur with various pathologies, it is always fraught with bleeding. The volume of blood lost in this case is more than 60-80 ml, menstruation lasts more often than 7 days. The reasons may be: fibroids, endometriosis, uterine cancer, polyps, hypothyroidism, hormonal disorders after childbirth, menarche, on the background of menopause, while taking OK.

Oligomenorrhea is the exact opposite condition, when the regulation is reduced to 3 days or less. At the same time, the volume of blood is also reduced so much that one pad is enough for more than 6-8 hours. Lost menstrual fluid - less than 50 ml. Causes: ovarian dysfunction, disorders of the pituitary gland, inflammatory diseases of the genital area, tumors, severe weight loss, climate change, stress.

Algodysmenorrhea - the appearance of pain during regulation. At the same time, the frequency and duration of menstruation do not change. The frequency of pain in women varies widely from 8 to 80%. It is more typical for thin girls, with a fragile and sensitive nervous system and impressionable by nature. In mature women, algia occurs only after anatomical disorders due to abortion, childbirth and inflammation.

PMS - in some women, 2-3 days before menstruation during the luteal phase, certain signs of its approach appear: increased emotionality, aggressiveness, irritability, weight gain, breast engorgement, constipation, heaviness in the abdomen, acne on the face, increased skin greasiness . There may be cramps in the legs, pain in the lower abdomen and back. The level of vital energy is reduced. Such symptoms with a sharp severity may well and should be corrected.



Recovery after childbirth

After childbirth, even if a woman does not breastfeed her baby, her MC is restored only after 2-3 months. If there is breastfeeding, even once a day, the cycle will be irregular or may be absent for some time. The quality and quantity of milk, contrary to myths, does not suffer. Amenorrhea during this period is due to the production of the hormone prolactin, which prevents new eggs from appearing. After lactation, its amount disappears, and the body is again ready for a new pregnancy.

No one will tell you the exact dates, the body of each mother is individual, it all depends on the ongoing childbirth, the general hormonal status of the body. Caesarean section in this regard is no exception - menstruation comes, as after normal childbirth. If the operation was complicated, and the uterus was sutured, it will involute, and menstruation will not occur. With infectious complications, there will be the same pattern of delay. After the completion of lactation or with artificial feeding of the baby, the regulation is restored 3 months after birth.



In the case of an abortion, menstruation usually comes after 1 cycle, but may be absent for 3 months until the body restores its hormonal background. When a woman takes gestagens (Excluston, Charosetta) for any indication or the presence of the Mirena IUD, menstruation may be absent for several months. After the abolition of these limiting factors, the regulation is restored after 2-3 months. When using COCs, MC is usually not disturbed, PMS goes away, but in the first 3 months of taking there may be spotting. But if they last longer, the drug needs to be changed.

The onset of menstruation is an important stage in a girl's life, because the appearance of bloody discharge from the vagina indicates the successful course of the puberty process, which means it is a sure sign of an early entry into adulthood. However, it is impossible to establish the duration of menstruation, focusing on the very first menstruation, because the process of puberty is often accompanied by disturbances in the hormonal background and malfunctions of the reproductive system of the body. It is possible to determine the average only one year after the arrival of the first menstruation.

The length of a woman's period depends on many factors. The most common are heredity, structural features of the uterus, the state of the central nervous system and blood clotting.

Moderate bleeding is considered normal, the duration of which is from 3 to 7 days. It is worth noting that, normally, menstruation should not give a woman discomfort and pain, prevent her from leading her usual lifestyle and doing everyday activities. If the duration of menstruation exceeds seven days or is less than two days, and bleeding from the vagina is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, severe pain in the lower abdomen and other unpleasant symptoms, a woman should sound the alarm and urgently go to the gynecologist. Such phenomena, unusual for the normal course of menstruation, may indicate a violation of the menstrual cycle, hormonal disruptions, or even a serious disease of the genital system.

A reduction or, conversely, an increase in the duration of menstruation may also be the result of a strict diet, the use of certain oral contraceptives, or the result of insomnia, stress, and prolonged depression. In these cases, in addition to contacting a doctor, a woman should exclude from her life all factors that negatively affect menstruation - start eating well, consult a gynecologist about changing contraceptives, try to distract yourself from problems and think about your health.

Some women worry about prolonged periods that begin immediately after childbirth. In fact, this is not at all, and lochia is postpartum spotting that has nothing to do with menstruation. The fact is that after the birth of a child, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe uterus to which the placenta was attached bleeds. The discharge, taken by women for menstruation, does not stop until the wound is completely healed, and this process can last from 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the individual characteristics of the woman in labor.

Has nothing to do with menstruation and bleeding that opens after an abortion, because it is also caused by damage to the inner surface of the uterus.

If you notice a significant reduction or increase in the duration of menstruation, be sure to contact a specialist to identify the causes of the changes. An untimely visit to a doctor can cause the development of irreversible consequences in the body and even the inability to conceive and bear a child normally.

2012-12-22 , 22890

Help from a specialist

Feel free to ask your questions and our full-time specialist will help you figure it out!

Every woman is obliged to know everything about menstruation, and such information will allow not only to delve into the functioning of the reproductive system, but also to identify deviations and even determine the days most suitable for conception.

Menstruation or menstruation is called spotting that occurs in a woman. They begin the menstrual cycle, which normally should last about 21-36 days. Menstruation is periodic and cyclical, and their regularity indicates that the woman's reproductive system is functioning smoothly and correctly.

The first menstruation occurs in adolescence, which is the peak of puberty. But the time frame is quite wide, and the period of the onset of menstruation depends on several factors, such as genetic predisposition, lifestyle and nutritional habits, weight, past or existing chronic diseases, and even place of residence and climatic conditions. Usually, menstruation begins at about 11-15 years old, but as a result of acceleration in each subsequent generation, this stage of development occurs earlier. Although the onset of menstruation before the age of 10 signals early puberty. It is worth sounding the alarm even if there are no periods at the age of 17-18.

Menstruation. What is important to know about it.

Menstruation occurs in the first follicular phase of the menstrual cycle under the influence of certain hormones. The adenohypophysis is stimulated by the hypothalamus, as a result of which the latter begins to synthesize small amounts of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones. They start the process of maturation of follicles, one of which should become dominant, burst and release an egg that has matured in it. But in the follicular phase of the cycle, the endometrium, which, under the influence of progesterone and estrogens, developed, thickened and prepared for possible fertilization and attachment of the fetal egg, becomes unnecessary and is rejected during contractions of the uterine muscles and comes out in the form of menstrual flow.

Normally, menstruation occurs every month, and it is this feature that determines the generally accepted popular name for these days. But they stop during pregnancy, since the endometrium at this important stage cannot be rejected and creates favorable conditions for bearing a child. Also, menstruation may be absent during lactation, which is due to the action of the hormone prolactin, which suppresses ovulation.

The composition of normal menstrual flow, in addition to the blood itself, also includes the tissue lining the uterus of the endometrium and the secretory fluid secreted by the glands of the vagina and cervix. Normally, the blood practically does not smell or has a mild characteristic odor. The color of the discharge is dark, close to burgundy. A characteristic feature is that menstrual blood does not clot, as it contains special substances that prevent clotting and ensure timely separation due to its liquid consistency.

The duration and frequency of menstruation

Normally, periods can last from three to seven days. Usually, the first 2 days of discharge are more abundant, then they begin to fade away and become moderate, and then scarce. If the duration has increased, then you should consult a doctor.

The duration of the menstrual cycle.

The first day of menstruation is considered the beginning of the menstrual cycle, the duration of which can be from 21 to 36 days. Thus, menstruation can occur every 18-33 days. Their frequency depends on the duration of the menses themselves and the cycle as a whole. Normally, the discharge should be regular, although fluctuations within a few days are possible. But during puberty, the cycle is established, and its final formation may take six months or a year. Failures are also observed after childbirth and during lactation.

Every health-conscious and responsible girl or woman should keep her menstrual cycle regular for several reasons. The first is to identify possible deviations and diseases. Frequent failures can signal problems in the reproductive system. The second reason is pregnancy planning. Ovulation, at which a fully mature and ready-to-fertilize egg leaves the bursting follicle, occurs approximately 13-16 days after the start of the cycle, depending on its duration. That is, if menstruation is regular, then with their help you can find out the days that will be most favorable for conception. In addition, the absence of the next menstruation in most cases signals the onset of pregnancy.

So that menstruation is not a surprise, it is worth keeping a calendar, marking the days of menstruation in it.

An interesting fact: there is such a thing as the synchronization of menstrual cycles. Several studies have been conducted, during which it was found that women who live together, menstruation occurs at the same time.

Normal volumes and possible accompanying symptoms

On average, the volume of blood lost per day varies from 20-25 to 50 milliliters. For the entire menstruation, a woman can lose up to 250 ml, that is, a whole glass. But such an amount is quite normal and harmless, as the body quickly replenishes reserves. Scanty periods can talk about hormonal disruptions or gynecological diseases, as well as excessively abundant.

Menstruation can be accompanied by a number of symptoms, and some are observed even before the onset of discharge. The following are considered normal:

• Cramping pains. Their intensity depends on the structure of the uterus, the characteristics of the contraction of its muscles and on the individual pain threshold. For some representatives of the weaker sex, pain causes discomfort, while others hardly notice it. But if the sensations are strong and sharp, you should consult a gynecologist.
• Weakness, dizziness, drowsiness. These symptoms are natural and are due to the loss of blood, albeit within the normal range. If fainting or complete disability is observed, then this may indicate profuse discharge or bleeding.
• The so-called "daub". Pale pink discharge may occur within one or two days before and after your period. It is also normal, but should not be prolonged.
• A small amount of clots should not scare. Their presence indicates that the body does not have time to secrete a sufficient amount of anticoagulants, and part of the secretions coagulates on the way from the uterus to the vagina.
• Separately, it is worth noting premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which begins to appear about a week before the onset of menstruation and includes symptoms such as swelling, depression, mood swings, apathy, tearfulness, irritability, weight gain, soreness and breast engorgement. All these signs are due to the influence of hormones.

Possible deviations

The following signs should be alert:

• Irregularity of menstruation. She talks about hormonal disruptions or diseases of the endocrine or reproductive system.
• Heavy periods are also abnormal and are sometimes a symptom of serious abnormalities.
• Scanty discharge indicates that the endometrium is very thin, and normally by the end of the cycle it should have a significant thickness.
• Excessively thick blood, a large number of clots. This is probably due to increased blood clotting and threatens the formation of blood clots.
• An unpleasant strong smell can be a sign of genital infections.

Sexual life and menstruation

Many women and girls are interested in whether it is possible to have sex during menstruation. This is not worth doing for several reasons. First, both partners may experience discomfort, which will reduce the pleasure of sex. Secondly, an intimate relationship during menstruation can end in pregnancy if ovulation is early. Thirdly, sex during menstruation is dangerous from the point of view of the risk of infection, because the cervix at this stage opens slightly, and pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate through the resulting lumen.

Sexual life and menstruation. Recommendations from a doctor.

If, nevertheless, both partners decided on an intimate relationship, then you should follow the rules of hygiene before sex, as well as take a shower after it. In addition, a man must use a condom: this contraceptive will not only prevent pregnancy, but also minimize the risks of infectious diseases.

Knowing everything about menstruation, any girl and woman will be able not only to identify deviations in time and avoid serious consequences, but also to conceive a child.