What does "heavy bleeding" really mean?

[geminigirl]

Many women describe their periods as "heavy" but there really isn't a good understanding of what that means. Science describes a "heavy period" as 1/3 of a cup or more of blood lost during menstruation. Unless you measure what comes out (and while cup users sometimes are able to do that, not everyone uses a cup or wants to use a cup, and not all cup users bother to keep track of the quantity of liquid in it) it's hard to know what really constitutes "heavy" bleeding.

This article was a very interesting discussion of what really is "heavy" and how often it happens. It talks also about how women are in tune with changes in their own cycles.

Be sure to check out the 6 point scale they use for describing the heaviness of menstrual bleeding. I think that was among the most interesting parts of the article for me.

Link via birthcontrol

Comments

[briar-witch.livejournal.com]

I define heavy bleeding pretty much in comparision to my own period. For example, my first day menstruating is always heavy in comparision to the rest of my time bleeding, and I have to wear both a tampon and pad so I don't leak all over the place. It may not be gushing out like a geyser, but it is heavy enough for me to have to change my pad and tampon often, and to take precautions (such as the pad with the tampon, and not wearing any pale clothing that might get stained if I'm not careful). I usually have clumps of stuff coming out along with the blood when I first start bleeding, so the first day and often even the second day always seems a bit messy. Every woman is different though, which is why I can only compare it to my own flow, and how it's been in the past.

Hope this makes sense.

[byrdee.livejournal.com]

Wow. That was a pretty cool and interesting article. Yay for cool articles! : )

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

When I was in junior high, they taught us that a cup of blood was about average. Which just goes to show how difficult it is to measure these things.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_newo/]

Wow. I found out I'm a heavy bleeder the first day, then moderate the next five, and then very light.

Pretty sweet! Thanks so much.

[pupdetofu.livejournal.com]

"But how would any one woman know how much she's losing? No one catches their monthly flow in a measuring cup."

Not true. My divacup has measuring lines.

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I love this article. I've seen it a couple of times, once, I think, on menstrual_cups because cup users can and sometimes do measure their flows, which is something the article doesn't really take into account.

The 6 point scale amuses me greatly because I'm always like, "Where's number 7?" ;)

[princess-kessie.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see what they would have made of my periods. From the age of eight, when I started, to about 16, they were 30 day cycles, and I bled moderately (about a 4 on their scale) for 7-8 days - changing a regular pad about every three to four hours.

Then they got heavy and longer. Ten to fourteen days, every fourteen days, I bled at about a 5-6 on their scale, changing a super pad every three hours or so, even at night. I had yet to use tampons at this stage.

At about 18 they went berserk. Literally months on end of heavy (5-6, with large-ish clots) bleeding, changing a super tampon and a panty liner every couple of hours, even at night when I used maternity super pads. 90 days, 100 days was not uncommon - without a break. It gets pretty stressing when you have to change every 2-3 hours every day for more than three months.

And then they got worse.

By the time I finally got a hysterectomy in 1998 (at 28)I had had a very heavy period for 487 days straight, bleeding on the scale at 6-7, 24 hours a day. I was changing a super pad AND a super tampon on average, every hour or so, right through the day and night. I averaged a pack of each every day. I lost my job because I was in the ladies' room every hour, and too weak and tired to be an effective worker the rest of the time.

At least now, after seeing their definition of "heavy" bleeding, I know that without the hyster, I would probably have continued bleeding to death. And it gives me some comfort that the hyster saved my life, despite robbing me of the ability to ever have kids (dealt with that, better now).

[gilesgirl.livejournal.com]

Hi.

I'm new to this community. A fellow LJ-er told me about it. :) Anyways, I just read the article linked to in this post & found it quite educational. I looked at the 6 point scale & I'm pretty sure that I've had all SIX types of bleeding listed on it.

For the last 2 weeks(maybe 1 or 2 extra days), I've had my period. I didn't get a period last month, just spotting & light bleeding. Sporadically. I've never seen a gynecologist & will hopefully be able to see one soon. (I don't have a job, health insurance, or any money right now.) But this extra long period, has left me: confused, wondering if I should be worried, and grossed out, frustrated, too. *grin*

I've experienced more clotting this time around, too. I've had gushing/clotting in past periods, but this extra long period I'm experiencing right now, has had more clotting than I'm used to.

Any ideas what could've caused me to skip a period last month? Also, any ideas on why this current period is so long & shows no signs of ending anytime soon, if at all?