What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting: What a Healthy Period Looks Like

Heavy, painful periods are so common they’re considered normal. 

Many women and people who menstruate experience heavy bleeding, intense cramping, nausea, and even fainting spells during their periods. In fact, over 80% of women experience PMS symptoms so severe that they interfere with their work and life. 

Pop culture tells us that periods are an uncomfortable – sometimes painful – process that must be endured. This is not normal. Any of these symptoms indicate a hormonal imbalance or an untreated underlying condition, like PCOS or endometriosis.  

Our periods are like a monthly report card, detailing our body’s hormonal health and overall functioning. But when period pain is written off as an unpleasant reality, we’re denied the chance to learn about our bodies and optimize our health. 

So what does a healthy period look like? 

We’ll walk you through what you should and should not expect during your periods. School’s back in session, and this time, you’ll want to read your monthly report. 

Flow and Length

A healthy period lasts between 3-7 days and has at least one medium to heavy flow day. 

• Heavy: Using approximately 5 or more regular pads or tampons per day. On a heavy day, you’ll need to change the pad or tampon at night.

• Medium: Using approximately 3-5 regular pads or tampons per day. This is a consistent flow. On medium days, a regular pad becomes soaked in about 4 hours.

• Light: Using approximately 1-2 regular pads or tampons per day. Light bleeding often happens at the beginning or end of menstruation. 

• Spotting: Using only a pantyliner. During spotting, the flow is irregular. This shouldn’t continue for more than 1-2 days before or after your period.

If you’re using a menstrual cup, record the number of times you change it and the volume emptied. Depending on the brand and shape, cups can hold anywhere from 20-35 ml. If there are no measurements on the cup, record the approximate percentage filled (50%, for example) to track the amount of blood loss. 

Cramping and PMS

Your PMS should never be more than a 1-3 on a scale of 1-10. Taking pain medication, using a heating pad, or canceling plans to stay in bed, are all indications that you’re experiencing too much period pain.

It’s also not normal to have horrible headaches, mood swings, depressive episodes, bouts of anxiety, extreme fatigue, or excessive bloating on and around your period.

What can you expect to feel?

You might feel a little tenderness around your uterus – you’re shedding a lining you’ve built up for a whole month, after all! Lifting weights or crushing a HIIT workout might feel out of reach right now; walking and yoga are movements that will feel more manageable. You might feel less social or less inclined to be intimate and instead want more time to yourself. So stock up on self care and prioritize rest and relaxation.

Clotting

A healthy period will result in minimal clotting. It does happen, but clots shouldn’t be larger than the size of your pinky nail. It’s possible to have larger clots, but anything larger than the size of a quarter can be cause for concern. If that’s the case (some people have clots the size of a lemon!) consult your healthcare practitioner. 

Colour

Ideally, most menstrual blood should be a bright or dark cherry red. Some people will notice pink or brown blood at the beginning and/or end of their period. Brown colouration is the result of blood being exposed to oxygen (called oxygenation), while blood will look pink when it mixes with cervical fluid. It’s normal to experience either, or both, in small quantities. 

Some will notice purple, orange, or black blood. This might indicate a hormonal imbalance, infection, or another underlying issue. Always consult your practitioner if your menstrual blood looks like this. 

Why am I not having a “normal” period?

Any of the symptoms above – too much or too little blood, cramping, excessive clotting or discolouration – are all signs that your body needs support. Specifically, abnormal periods tell us that we’re experiencing hormonal imbalances. But remember, imbalances are always a reflection of a deeper, root issue. For many, the digestive process might need healing, our nutrition might need tweaking, stress levels could be too high or our bodies are struggling to detoxify. These issues can all lead to PMS, painful periods and cycle issues. 

Period pain is not normal, even though deep-seated misogyny and medical bias has convinced us that it is. We can (and should!) expect healthy, pain-free periods. 

Want to learn more about how to support your cycle and have PMS-free periods? Learn more about R&R workshops, here.