Table of contents:
- How can menstruation occur?
- What is a normal menstrual cycle like?
- 1. The color of the blood
- 2. The length of time menstruation
- 3. Whitish
- 5. Menstrual symptoms that occur
Every woman who has puberty generally menstruates. However, not all women get their period every month. Some always arrive on time, others are unpredictable. This is because each woman's menstrual cycle can be different. So, what is a normal menstrual cycle like?
How can menstruation occur?
Menstruation is characterized by the shedding of the lining of the uterus so that bleeding occurs from the vagina. But until this happens, there is a process that you have to go through first.
Initially, the ovaries (ovaries) release an egg to attach to the uterine wall - waiting to be fertilized by sperm. While waiting for the arrival of sperm, the uterine wall tissue will continue to thicken in order to prepare for pregnancy. If there are sperm cells that enter, the egg can be fertilized and then develop into a fetus.
Conversely, if the egg does not fertilize, gradually the uterine wall tissue will begin to fall out and shed, which is excreted through the vagina. This process will start over and over again after your period is over.
The process of menstruation from beginning to end is called the menstrual cycle. Not all women have the same menstrual cycle: some are normal and regular, some are the opposite. So that you understand what a normal menstrual cycle looks like, consider the following reviews.
What is a normal menstrual cycle like?
In general, a normal menstrual cycle occurs on average every 28 days. Others have the menstrual cycle is about 25 to 35 days. This is still relatively normal. You are considered to have a regular period if your period comes every 23 days or every 35 days, or anywhere in between these time ranges. Normal menstruation lasts between three to seven days.
The time of ovulation (when the ovaries release their eggs) in a normal menstrual cycle will always come on day 14, right in the middle of the cycle. The ovulation period is also often referred to as the fertile period, when the egg is ready to be fertilized by sperm. Otherwise, the first day of menstruation would arrive fourteen days later.
For example: The first day of your period falls every 5th, which means your period ends around the 12th. Thus, your previous ovulation period falls around the 20th to 21st in the last month. Meanwhile, your next ovulation period will come within fourteen days after the last day of your period (12th), which is on 26-27th, still in the same month.
Women who have a normal menstrual cycle will have their period once a month, with a total of 11-13 menstrual periods in one calendar year. This menstrual cycle will continue to repeat itself until you enter menopause, when your body no longer produces eggs so you will not menstruate.
Apart from being seen from the pattern of the cycle, normal menstruation can also be seen from:
1. The color of the blood
Normal menstrual blood generally bright red like ripe cherries.However, how red it will vary from woman to woman - depending on the viscosity level or blood volume.
The bright red color is usually most visible on the first and second menstrual period, because the blood that comes out at the beginning is usually still fresh and the flow is quite heavy. In the last days of menstruation, the blood that comes out will turn brown because of old age. It is also possible that this blood is left over from the menstrual cycle last month that has not been completely shed.
2. The length of time menstruation
Normally, women menstruation for 3 to 7 days. However, there are some people who experience menstruation for only 2 days. Variations in the length of time of menstruation also depend on how much or not blood is removed. If this happens for 2 days, usually more blood is removed.
Menstruation that never ends can be caused by many things, from using birth control pills, adenomyosis, PCOS, thyroid disease, to being overweight.
3. Whitish
You will usually experience vaginal discharge a few days before menstruation. Leucorrhoea is produced by the cervix and occurs during the fertile period. Whitish discharge that comes out before menstruation normally clear white / clear, thick and sticky texture (more liquid near the fertile period), and odorless.
5. Menstrual symptoms that occur
Symptoms of a normal period include:
- Bloated
- Cramps in the lower abdomen and back
- Difficulty sleeping
- Sensitive breasts
- Pimples appear
- Food cravings
- Mood changes
PMS symptoms usually appear a few days before menstruation and stop in the first days of menstruation. The above set of symptoms is still normal, but if they are more severe and tend to inhibit daily activities (or even a tendency to depression) it may indicate you have PMDD.
If you experience vaginal bleeding outside the menstrual cycle, changes in the color of menstrual blood, abnormal vaginal discharge, extreme pain, and irregular menstrual cycles outside the use of birth control, see a doctor immediately. It is possible that these cycle changes are influenced by certain medical conditions.
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