How much variation in menstrual cycle is normal

Some specific causes for a short cycle include:. The later into their cycle a person ovulates, the later their period will be. A long cycle may mean that a person ovulated very late, or did not ovulate at all. According to the OWH , specific causes for a long menstrual cycle include:. A person with these symptoms should speak to their doctor. If a person has not had their period, they should also consider whether they might be pregnant.

Period tracking can help a person predict their next period. It can also help a person determine whether their cycle is regular or irregular. There are a few ways a person can track their period, including mobile applications or in a diary or calendar. Some people also use period tracking to monitor when they might ovulate. However, according to an article in npj Digital Medicine , period tracking alone is not reliable, since the day of ovulation can change month to month.

Additionally, a typical cycle length does not necessarily mean a person ovulated. According to an article in Bioengineering and Translational Medicine , if a person wants to find out when they ovulate, they should also monitor:. Because an irregular period sometimes means a person is not ovulating, very long or short cycles could be a sign of a hormonal imbalance that may make it difficult to conceive. Life stages and pregnancy.

Are vaginal fluids really all that different? In this article, we explain how to identify vaginal discharge, arousal fluid, and cervical fluid. Science is evolving each day on how coronavirus affects pregnancy, lactation, and postpartum. When you subscribe to Clue Plus, you don't only get new features: you also fund important research, support data privacy, Clue Birth Control. Close main menu Homepage Encyclopedia.

Menstrual Cycle. Birth Control. About Clue. App Store Play Store. No one is perfectly "regular" A period that comes every cycle at exactly the same time is not the norm.

Slight changes in your cycle length, period length, and period volume are also normal over time 1 Why does variation happen? Noticing bigger changes in your cycle Variations that are more significant also occur. Know your cycle Learning what your average cycle looks like will help you identify when variations - of any type - occur. You might also like to read. Actually, the average menstrual cycle length changes with age; at age 20, the average cycle length is typically around Before age 20, the hormonal changes associated with puberty result in far greater irregularity resulting in an average cycle length of around 35 days and similarly, as people approach the menopause, the average cycle length abruptly extends to over 44 days.

Such regular menstrual cycle length can even be a sign that a research participant is perhaps not keeping accurate records [8]! Graph showing typical patterns of cycle length variation [5].

However, it is less useful when it comes to communicating accurate information about menstrual cycle length;. Another major contributing factor also related to human laziness! A lot of people rely on their memory to jot down the first day of their previous period- so mistakes are quite likely, especially if more than a few days have passed….

It does not refer to natural variation in cycle length within the normal day range. As previously discussed, the menstrual taboo the ancient idea that the menstrual cycle is somehow shameful rather than a sign of reproductive health results in the silencing of open discussion of this topic, even within the healthcare setting.

If something doesn't feel right to you, contact your provider to determine the right course of action. Seeing your provider for an annual physical is a great opportunity for you to talk about any changes to your menstrual cycle and body.

Articles for your health. CARE Is this normal? Your period in your 20s, 30s and 40s Healthy Set Go team. A typical period cycle is 28 days. Menstruation typically lasts two to seven days. Your menstrual cycle in your 20s and early- to mids Your period should have become regular and predictable by this time. Be sure to watch for the following: heavy flow need to change a pad or tampon pad every one to two hours or abnormal bleeding that last more than seven days menstrual cycles less than 21 days or longer than 38 days spotting or bleeding between cycles or after intercourse missed periods, as this could be an early sign of pregnancy or may be caused by polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , especially if missed periods are accompanied by excess hair growth, weight gain and high cholesterol.