When I give my Cycle Prep course, I tell girls that anything between 5-80 mL of period flow can be considered within normal range. That's not always optimal, but it's technically considered normal variation. Anything more or less than that can be indicative of a hormonal or reproductive issue.

Most of us aren't able to measure our flow unless we're using a graduated menstrual cup, so in order to estimate blood loss, you can try to look up the absorption rate of your specific products OR just know that flow is probably too heavy if:

• you need to change your product every 2-4 hours
• you experience blood clots larger than a quarter
• your period lasts longer than 7 days

Now, why am I spending so much time on this?

Because if you DO experience menorrhagia, it's important to get help!

Some reproductive issues like polyps, endometriosis, and even PCOS can be the culprits of heavy bleeding- and of course we'd want to get those diagnosed! Early stages of the perimenopause transition can also be marked by heavy bleeding, so being aware of changing bleeding patterns can give us a heads' up about early hormonal changes as well.

But... it's also important because heavy bleeding can also cause other issues to pop up, like iron-defiency anemia. This is something I like to point out as especially important for teens, because they can be even MORE prone to anemia due to the combination of heavy periods + growth spurts.

So for your FREE resource this week, I've scoured the internet for info and put together a Flow Volume Estimator. Note that these values are approximate, and shouldn't be used for diagnostics. But if you're looking for a place to start that can give you a general idea, I hope this helps!