Is your period heavier than normal?

Some women are often surprised when I tell them their period is too heavy. Your period is your period right? So unless it has changed significantly perhaps after babies or during perimenopause… your normal is your normal. You know what you know.

How to tell if its too heavy

You should only lose a max of 80ml TOTAL per period. Sometimes a number like that doesn’t mean much, so I’ve put together this visual guide to show you what 80ml is like.

I am a big advocate for tracking your menstrual cycle and I really encourage you to track your next 3 periods comprehensively to get an idea of what your period really looks like.

The recommended usage is based on the TOM Organic and Hey Zomi discs. If you are using a different brand; compare the capacity of your menstrual products to the ml I have given. This can make a significant difference in your assessment.

How to track your next period

• If using a different brand, check the capacity of your products OR buy Tom Organic to use for your next period

• Keep a tally of how many items (eg tampons) you use over your period IE how many days bleeding vs how many full tampons

• Do this for three cycles to get some decent data on how heavy your period is.

Symptoms of a heavy period…

If your period is too heavy, you are likely experiencing one or more of the below:

• Fatigue and low energy

• Iron deficiency and associated symptoms eg shortness of breath, dizziness and heart palpitations

• Irritability

• Brain fog, poor memory and concentration

• It can worsen symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

• Significant period pain may occur alongside heavy bleeding

Causes of a heavy period….

There are lots causes of a heavy period; here are the common ones I see in clinic:

• Hormone imbalances - not only high oestrogen, low progesterone and androgen issues can cause heavy bleeding

• Postpartum depletion

• Gut issues - leaky gut, overgrowths of specific bacteria, constipation, low stomach and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from your diet (leading to low iron)

• Low iron - your body gets stuck in a loop where your period is heavy because your iron is low and your iron is low because your period is heavy

• Genetic SNPS - your genes may mean your are not good at detoxifying oestrogen levels causing a heavy period. You can support this with ongoing management

• Endometrosis

• Adenomyosis

• Perimenopause can change your period because due to the fluctuating levels of oestrogen and progesterone

What can you do about it?

The key to solving your heavy period is finding the root cause; sometimes there is more than one cause.. but addressing these is what will give you relief.

Once we know WHY your period is heavy, Ill know what to do to reduce your blood loss. This can include functional testing such as a microbiome (gut) stool test, hormone testing, checking for nutrient deficiencies and then a tailored treatment plan which may include a prescription of nutrients, herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle changes.

If you would like some support making this happen, i’d love to help! You can work with me online or in-person (Newcastle, NSW).

With love,
xo Ell