A normal period comes every 21 to 35 days, lasts 2 to 7 days, and is heaviest in the first 2 days - with total blood loss of about 1 to 5 tablespoons, less than it looks.
Color shifts (red on heavy days, pink or brown on light ones) are normal, and normal means normal for you: a consistent 33-day cycle is fine; a sudden pattern change is what deserves attention. Get checked for: soaking a pad or tampon hourly for hours, periods beyond 7 days, cycles suddenly erratic, bleeding between periods or after sex, pain painkillers do not touch, or 3 missed months with a negative pregnancy test. A few days of month-to-month variation is completely ordinary. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you compare your pattern to the ranges.
What to do
Common questions
How do you know if your period is normal?
The NHS ranges for a normal period: it comes every 21 to 35 days (28 is the average, not the rule), lasts 2 to 7 days (5 is typical), and the bleeding is heaviest in the first 2 days. Blood color shifts are normal - red on heavy days, pink or brown on lighter ones. Typical blood loss is 20 to 90 ml, roughly 1 to 5 tablespoons - it looks like far more than it is. Normal also means normal FOR YOU: a cycle that is consistently 33 days is fine; a cycle that suddenly changes pattern is the thing to notice. Signs worth checking with a doctor: bleeding so heavy you soak a pad or tampon hourly for hours, periods lasting beyond 7 days, cycles suddenly erratic or shorter than 21 days, bleeding between periods or after sex, severe pain that painkillers do not touch, or periods stopping for 3 months with a negative pregnancy test. And the reassuring baseline: month-to-month variation of a few days is completely ordinary, especially in teens and the years before menopause. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you compare your pattern against the normal ranges.