I often write about what a period should look like, but some people ask me, what are the warning signs that something isn’t right about your period (I don’t like categorising these into good and bad periods). I thought this was a brilliant question so here are some signs that your period needs a bit of TLC.
1. Length of Your Period
Your period should be 3-7 days of flow. Not including spotting, although we will get into that later on. Period too short? You may not be producing adequate hormones. Too long, it may be your body is unable to detoxify hormones.
2. Colour of Your Period
Your period should be a beautiful vibrant red colour. Anywhere from scarlet to raspberry is a good range of period colours. Orange or pink: this is likely to be a very light period. This again likely that you aren’t building up enough sex hormones throughout your cycle.
Dark purple, blue or brown. This is a sign of too much or stagnant hormones and your body is struggling to detox oestrogen.
Dark black or greenish brown. I have seen this in very ill people whose bodies are trying to detoxify wherever it can.
3. Texture of the Period
This should be pretty much a liquid flow, with any clots being small (less than 1cm). Lots of clots or big clots, are a sign of a hormonal imbalance.
4. Heaviness/Flow Rate
You period should be a flow, not just light spotting. If you are changing your protection more than once an hour (with heavy flow protection), then your period is too heavy.
5. Sludgy Stuff
You should never have the sludgy stuff but if you do, especially at the beginning, the end or at both ends of you bleed, this is a sign that your womb is in a less than optimal position.
6. Spotting Before Your Period
You shouldn’t have any spotting before your period, although some people have a very light few hours before a full flow is established. Any spotting before your period is a sign of low progesterone.
7. Smell
Your period should be relatively smell free. Yes it may smell of iron as does all blood. But any fowl smell can either be due to using perfumed period products, douching or an infection. Either way it is best to get it checkout out.
What can you do about these? There are a number of options which I discuss in this blog post: The Real Reasons For Your Period Problems.
