# How long does your period last?



## Funny Face (Dec 7, 2006)

8 days for me. I feel like I have the longest period in the world. It's beyond annoying. And I always hope it will be shorter. It usually stops once during that time and then starts again 8 hours later. Ugh.

So, how long is your period (when you are having them)?


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## Redheaded_Momma (Nov 8, 2006)

Usually 5 days for me. I, too, get the 8 hour hiatus around day 3-4. Interesting. 8 days would suck!


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## somegirl99 (Aug 22, 2009)

Currently I have 3 days of real flow followed by 3 days of spotting.

In the past I have had 8 days, combined with short cycles it really sucked. When I had a Paragard it was even worse, I'd bleed for 2 weeks straight.


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## MaerynPearl (Jun 21, 2008)

3 days every month. rarely any spotting.


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## Keria (Sep 27, 2008)

4 light-heavy-medium-light
And usually 3 days of spotting before and one day after


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

7 days long; moderate to heavy flow. I feel your pain!


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## mammal_mama (Aug 27, 2006)

I checked off 3 days. I have 1 1/2 days of fairly heavy flow, then another day of very light spotting. I usually wear a pad on day 4 for any trickle. Sometiems there's even a trace on day 5.

I'm 45 now. It seems to be about the same as it was when I was younger.


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## clicksab (Oct 15, 2006)

I'm horribly jealous of you 3 dayers! I didn't even know that was possible.

I've got 7 days of the stuff, though the last day is usually just spotting. Blech.


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## mammal_mama (Aug 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *clicksab* 
I'm horribly jealous of you 3 dayers! I didn't even know that was possible.

I've got 7 days of the stuff, though the last day is usually just spotting. Blech.

And I used to be jealous of you long and heavy flow-ers, 'cause I thought it was an indication of you being more womanly and fertile.









I wonder if length and heaviness of flow IS any indication that a woman is more fertile? Also if the 5-plus dayers tend to become fertile more early postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding.

My cycle didn't resume until 21 months postpartum with dd1, and 30 months postpartum with dd2.


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## TheDivineMrsM (Oct 5, 2009)

I clicked 4 days, but I tend to lightly spot a few days before, and then have real flow for 3-4 days. When I was on BCP, AF hung around for the same amount of days but was much lighter.


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## BarefootScientist (Jul 24, 2007)

I chose 6 days. Typically it's really heavy for a day or two, then medium to light, spotting on day 6 or sometimes it even lasts 6 days with spotting on day 7.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mammal_mama* 
I wonder if length and heaviness of flow IS any indication that a woman is more fertile? Also if the 5-plus dayers tend to become fertile more early postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding.

I don't know about being more fertile in general, but I didn't get my fertility back until 17 months PP.


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## mammal_mama (Aug 27, 2006)

Well, 17 months is a LOT sooner than 21 or 30 months -- but I supoose we need a larger sample, LOL. Plus I didn't become a mom 'til age 35, so I have no idea if my period would have returned sooner when I was younger.


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## possum (Nov 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mammal_mama* 
And I used to be jealous of you long and heavy flow-ers, 'cause I thought it was an indication of you being more womanly and fertile.









I wonder if length and heaviness of flow IS any indication that a woman is more fertile? Also if the 5-plus dayers tend to become fertile more early postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding.

My cycle didn't resume until 21 months postpartum with dd1, and 30 months postpartum with dd2.

I checked 7 days but it can be 6-8 with two days of brown mucous spotting before red flow.
My period returned at 23 months PP. My son is now 2.5 and still nurses quite a lot.
Melinda


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## MaerynPearl (Jun 21, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mammal_mama* 
And I used to be jealous of you long and heavy flow-ers, 'cause I thought it was an indication of you being more womanly and fertile.









I wonder if length and heaviness of flow IS any indication that a woman is more fertile? Also if the 5-plus dayers tend to become fertile more early postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding.

My cycle didn't resume until 21 months postpartum with dd1, and 30 months postpartum with dd2.

I am a 3 dayer, I have 2 children and 1 pregnancy I lost at thirteen weeks. After each of my kids my period came back 6 weeks pp. And I breastfed exclusively and on demand, but it wasnt enough.

Also, my son was conceived while using condoms, my daughter on birth control (taken correctly but with a thyroid disorder that messed up my cycle and I didnt realize it)

My doctor says its just that my body gets rid of the flow more efficiently.


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## Funny Face (Dec 7, 2006)

Yeah, I'm an 8 dayer and ppaf comes back at 6 weeks and I did everything 'right'. But I imagine it's all over the board.


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## Belle (Feb 6, 2005)

nak
I haven't had a normal period in years. Just had IUD removed. w/ iud it was 9-13 days long. we'll see how they are when they return back to normal.


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## nsmomtobe (Aug 22, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mammal_mama* 
And I used to be jealous of you long and heavy flow-ers, 'cause I thought it was an indication of you being more womanly and fertile.









I wonder if length and heaviness of flow IS any indication that a woman is more fertile? Also if the 5-plus dayers tend to become fertile more early postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding.

My cycle didn't resume until 21 months postpartum with dd1, and 30 months postpartum with dd2.

I was afraid I would not be able to get pregnant because my periods was only 4 days with one day of medium flow and the rest light. I started to go to acupuncture for this issue, and I got pregnant the next cycle, so I don't know if it helped or if it was unnecessary.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X (Nov 18, 2004)

Explaining mine lasts anywhere from 4-8 days now. I am still not back to normal after weaning ds 2 years ago. I have cycles from 24-40 days.


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## ProtoLawyer (Apr 16, 2007)

Very predictably on the Pill, I'd start around noon Wednesday, have a moderate flow until Friday evening, then light Saturday on Sunday, and some spotting until noon Monday.

So, almost exactly 5 days.

Who knows what "natural" will bring.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I am still super wacky since the birth of my son. I have never really had a regular cycle though. Lately I have had a 40ish day cycle and each time I bleed for about 1 light day followed by 2 very heavy days (as in changing my tampon/pad/empty my cup every hour AT LEAST) then one very light day of spotting and that is it. 4 days isn't too bad, but the two super heavy days are really hard. I usually end up light headed frequently on those days and it is not always easy to go out in public knowing I might end up bleeding through everything every hour or so.


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## lafemmedesfemmes (Nov 16, 2003)

the length of my cycles is historically all over the place, anywhere from 30 to 80 days long, but my periods are always 6 days long. always. and i've carried three pregnancies to term, and nursed two kids to two-ish years each. it's kind of refreshing to have some sort of regularity when dealing with my body!









six days: medium, heavy, heavy, medium, light, spotting.

christina


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## anne1140 (Apr 10, 2007)

4-5 days of medium-heavy flow, and 2-3 days of spotting, for a total of 7-8 days (7 the vast majority of the time).

I hate having my period that long. And I get moderately painful cramps for the first 2 or 3 days, as well, with cramps from h*ll thrown in about once every year.

As for being more fertile...nope, not at all. Infertility here, actually.







I think periods that are too long/heavy can be indicative of a problem, as well as spotting for a long time.


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## outlier (Sep 29, 2008)

2 days, followed by one day of very minor spotting, if any. Those two days are usually intense, but it's nice to get it over with so fast.


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