What is normal flow?

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05 July 2011 @ 07:25 pm

Hi all,

This is my first post to the community (or on live journal at all). I've been using a diva cup for about 4 cycles now and this community has been really helpful. I switched to cups mainly because I have a very heavy flow and tampons and pads just weren't cutting it anymore. At a recent annual check up my doctor suggested that I may have abnormally heavy bleeding which can result in some health concerns. It turns out my iron is pretty low, but not enough that its making me anemic, but the whole thing got me wondering what a normal flow is. How much blood should we expect to loose each period, and at what point should someone go to the doctor if their flow seems too heavy?

Everything I found on-line referenced back to a study done in the 60s that said that anything above 80 mL is abnormal, but I couldn't figure out how they came up with that number. It seems like a lot of people who post here fill their cups several times a day at least. Is there any way we could poll the community about how much they bleed every cycle? I think it would be really valuable information to have out there and if anyone can accurately measure it would be cup users.

Thanks!

Tags: health benefits, health risks, heavy blood flow

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13 comments —

( 13 comments — Leave a comment )

melonaise on July 6th, 2011 02:39 am (UTC)

I think part of the difficulty with measuring menstrual flow, even with a cup, is that a lot of what comes out is mucus and tissue-- it's not pure liquid blood. So even if my cup is full (29 mL for FleurCup), only a fraction of that is blood-- and what fraction is blood varies per person, per day, per cycle.

Also, I have a hard time removing my cup without spillage. I have to squish it up a bit to get it out, so some always spills out (when it's full, which it usually is on heavy days).

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kuradi8 on July 6th, 2011 02:53 am (UTC)

According to what I've read, "normal" is different for everybody. There are several here on this list who have shockingly high bloodloss each month -- but it's "normal" for them.

Yes, cups are excellent tools for getting quantitative information -- not just guessing at how much a pad or tampon contains. And that's good information to give your doctor if you're concerned. We are all our best judges of the difference between "something's off" and "there's something REALLY wrong" so trust your instincts about what's "normal" for you and don't be afraid to seek medical attention if you think you need it.

If heavy periods are "normal" for you, Google for what to eat and do to keep your body chemistry on the right track.

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frolicnaked on July 6th, 2011 02:59 am (UTC)

According to what I've read, "normal" is different for everybody. There are several here on this list who have shockingly high bloodloss each month -- but it's "normal" for them.

It's also worth pointing out that there's a difference between "normal" and "healthy." There are folks for whom heavy blood loss is "normal" (as in, they experience it cycle after cycle) but who experience health issues because of or made worse by said menstrual fluid loss.

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elgatofeliz327 on July 6th, 2011 03:04 am (UTC)

I guess what I meant by "normal" is a healthy range.

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kuradi8 on July 6th, 2011 03:08 am (UTC)

Ah, good point!

If "your" (easiest pronoun) health is suffering even through "normal" heavy bleeding, then by all means seek medical attention.

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hairballsplat on July 6th, 2011 01:06 pm (UTC)

i agree with what's already been posted, but i also find this interesting:

Mansfield-Voda-Jorgensen Menstrual Bleeding Scale

1.Spotting. A drop or two of blood, not even requiring sanitary protection, though you may prefer to use some.

2.Very Light Bleeding. Needing to change a low-absorbency tampon or pad one or two times per day, though you may prefer to change them more frequently.

3.Light Bleeding. Needing to change a low- or regular-absorbency tampon or pad two or three times per day, though you may prefer to change more frequently.

4.Moderate Bleeding. Needing to change a regular-absorbency tampon or pad every three to four hours, though you may prefer to change more frequently.

5.Heavy Bleeding. Needing to change a high-absorbency tampon or pad every three to four hours, though you may prefer to change more frequently.

6.Very Heavy Bleeding or Gushing. Protection hardly works at all; you would need to change the highest absorbency tampon or pad every hour or two.

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frolicnaked on July 7th, 2011 01:14 am (UTC)

I always look at that and wonder where the rest of the numbers are. ;)

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hairballsplat on July 7th, 2011 01:32 am (UTC)

i bet you do! i knew i had heavy flow, but i was surprised that i was at #6.

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tjstjstjs on May 7th, 2013 04:03 am (UTC)

LJ does have a poll option. i know you posted this years ago, but i'd still be keen to see a poll done

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elgatofeliz327 on July 6th, 2011 07:44 pm (UTC)

I definitely take iron supplements (and eat a lot of red meat) when I'm on my period. I've actually read that even though many doctors prescribe birth control for heavy bleeding its not the best remedy, and you're taking hormones, which is something I like to avoid.

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serpent_849 on July 7th, 2011 12:58 pm (UTC)

they used to weigh used tampons and pads for this. very inaccurate. it's been quoted in this comm that now the guideline is more like "if a woman says her periods are heavy, there's no need to measure it".
it will definitely only be a good thing if you tell your doctor how much exactly you bleed, show them your cup so they knew it's accurate.
i'm relieved to be off hbc. you have every right to ask for tests if you think you bleed too much.

there was actually a poll like this. http://menstrual-cups.livejournal.com/2282011.html?nc=30 but there's still the normal vs healthy thing.

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elgatofeliz327 on July 7th, 2011 07:10 pm (UTC)

Thanks! That was exactly what I was looking for. I imagine that the population in this community is probably skewed to the higher end of blood flow, but its probably pretty accurate since the results fall into a nice bell curve. Since I've been using the cup I've been trying to find any research out there about menstrual cycles and its really sadly sparse even for something as simple as how much we menstruate. There's so much we don't know about how hormonal cycles affect our bodies.

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serpent_849 on July 7th, 2011 09:00 pm (UTC)

well not necessarily, cups are also very convenient for those whose light flow means they don't soak tampons by the time they need to be removed.

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