Menstruation is bleeding that normally occurs in women once a month, as a result of the desquamation of the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium. Generally, the first menstruation occurs between 9 and 15 years of age, with the average age being 12 years, and only stops occurring during menopause, close to 50 years of age.
The female reproductive system works every month to produce and eliminate an egg, that is, it prepares to become pregnant. If the woman does not have contact with a sperm, there will be no fertilization and, around 14 days after the egg is released, menstruation appears. From then on, every month, a new cycle begins, so that the uterus prepares again for a new ovulation and that is why menstruation comes every month.
If a woman has more than one bleed per month, it may be a sign of hormonal changes that can affect the menstrual cycle or the development of changes in the uterus or ovaries, such as fibroids and cysts, for example. Therefore, it is important that the gynecologist is consulted if there is menstrual bleeding more than once a month so that tests can be carried out and the most appropriate treatment can be started.
Main questions about menstruation
The main questions about menstruating more than once a month are:
1. How long does menstruation last?
Each menstruation lasts approximately 4 to 7 days, but the interval between one menstruation and another lasts an average of 28 days, and can vary from 25 to 45 days, being influenced by factors such as stress, hormonal changes, illnesses or simply the existence of a irregular menstruation.
Menstruation that lasts 8 days or more is considered prolonged, but it cannot be considered a period that comes in just 1 day, in which case it is likely to be breakthrough bleeding. Calculate your menstrual cycle by entering your data below:
2. Is it normal to menstruate twice a month?
It may be normal for menstruation to come twice a month with shorter cycles, especially in the first few months, as the young woman’s body is still organizing itself at a hormonal level. It can also happen that menstruation becomes very irregular and comes more than once a month after giving birth, in the first menstrual cycles. In more mature women, this change can be caused by:
- Uterine myoma;
- Excessive stress;
- Cancer;
- Polycystic ovary;
- Ovarian cyst;
- Use of some medicines;
- Hormonal and emotional changes;
- Ovarian surgeries and tubal ligations.
Therefore, if this change happens very frequently, it is important to inform the gynecologist of the specific days on which menstruation came and all associated symptoms, so that they can identify the cause of the imbalance in menstruation.
3. Can menstruation occur twice in the same month be a sign of pregnancy?
At the beginning of pregnancy, it is common to identify a small pink or brown bleed that can be confused with menstruation, however it is a consequence of the fertilization of the egg.
However, experiencing vaginal bleeding more than once a month does not necessarily indicate pregnancy, as some hormonal situations, kidney or liver disease, endometriosis or ovarian cysts, for example, can cause a menstrual cycle of less than 21 days, resulting in more than one menstrual bleed per month. Therefore, it is important that the gynecologist is consulted.
4. What could late menstruation be?
Delayed menstruation in sexually active women is usually immediately associated with pregnancy, but this is not always true. Factors such as ovarian cysts, uterine diseases, anemia, psychological changes such as depression and anxiety, changes in routine, bad eating habits, unbalanced diets or even the stress of thinking it could be a pregnancy, may be responsible for the delay. in menstruation.
If this happens regularly, over many months, you should see a gynecologist to better assess the possible cause of the delay.
Better understand the main causes that can cause missed or delayed menstruation.
5. What can cause irregular menstruation?
Irregular menstruation can occur in the first two years after the first period, as the body is still learning to deal with hormones, which generally regularize after the age of 15. In these cases, some home remedies can be used to help regulate menstruation.
However, if there is a marked and constant irregularity in menstrual flow, it must be analyzed, as it may interfere with the ovulation process. Among the most common causes are the presence of tumors, cysts, imbalance in hormone production and stress.
Treatment is based on the daily use of tablets to regulate menstrual flow, helping to balance any failure in hormone production, but each case must be evaluated by a gynecologist.
6. Is it possible to have a period during pregnancy?
Menstruation at the beginning of pregnancy is very common and can happen in the first three months. It is also called breakthrough bleeding, as female hormones are used to working for menstruation to occur, and even when pregnant, bleeding sometimes occurs, meaning that the woman only discovers the pregnancy later.
Other causes that can cause bleeding during pregnancy are:
- Adhesion of the fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus;
- More intense sexual relations;
- Performing transvaginal ultrasound or touch examination;
- In cases of assisted reproduction;
- Use of anticoagulant medications, such as heparin or aspirin;
- Presence of fibroids or polyps;
- Infection in the vagina or cervix;
- Start of labor if the pregnancy is more than 37 weeks.
If the bleeding occurs due to one of these causes, the doctor may recommend rest for a few days and that the woman avoid having sexual intercourse until the bleeding stops.
In some women, especially when the blood volume is very large or accompanied by cramping, it may be a miscarriage and should be treated urgently. Learn how to identify when bleeding during pregnancy is severe.
7. What is menstruation like postpartum?
Postpartum menstruation will depend on whether or not the woman is breastfeeding. After the birth of the baby, the woman experiences bleeding that can last up to 30 days, varying according to each organism and the circumstances to which the woman is subjected.
Mothers who breastfeed exclusively can go up to 1 year without menstruating, but if they do not breastfeed, they can have regular menstrual cycles in the following month after giving birth. The most common thing is that the return of menstruation is irregular, and may come early and more than once a month, but within 3 to 6 months it should become more regulated, as it was before becoming pregnant.
8. What can be a dark period?
Black, brown or “coffee grounds” menstruation can occur for a variety of reasons, including:
- Changing contraceptive pills;
- Hormonal changes due to medications;
- Stress and psychological factors;
- Sexually transmitted diseases;
- Diseases such as myomatosis and endometriosis;
- Possible pregnancy.
However, it is also common for some women to have periods that are darker in the last 2 days, without this needing to be a sign of a problem. Learn more about the main causes of dark periods.
9. Is menstruation with clots normal?
Menstruation with clots can happen on days when the flow is very intense, causing the blood to clot before leaving the woman’s body. It is a very common situation, but if very large or large numbers of blood clots appear, it is important to consult a gynecologist.
Understand better in which situations menstruation can come with lumps.
10. What does light or very dark menstruation mean?
Very weak menstruation, like water, and very heavy menstruation, like coffee grounds, indicate hormonal changes that should be evaluated by a gynecologist.
11. Is menstruation good for your health?
Menstruation is an event that occurs every month in women of childbearing age, it is not harmful to health and is physiological and expected. It occurs due to the female menstrual cycle, which goes through different moments throughout the month.
Under normal conditions, menstruation is not harmful to health, but it can be said that heavy menstruation in anemic women can cause more complications, and in this case, it may be advisable to use the continuous pill to avoid menstruation.
