Your menstrual cycle, its pattern and features is something many women don’t think about until it is affecting their health, or they begin trying to conceive!
In fact, UK consumers spent a total value of £27.2 billion on beauty products and services in 2018. Reports also show that the average British woman invests more money on her beauty than her health.
I have partnered with Yoppie , a female-founded company that is on a mission to empower women to take control of their menstrual health routines. If we can spend so much time and energy on our beauty routines, why can’t we do the same for our menstrual health? To help you create a routine, Yoppie provides organic period product subscription boxes, delivered straight to your letterbox.
Having a subscription box like theirs, and creating a routine around your cycle can be so helpful when it comes to recognising and managing irregular periods!
An important starting point to creating your menstrual routine is to think about what is normal for our periods, and when our cycles are telling us that it’s time to seek help!
I have previously posted about heavy periods, and painful periods. So this post covers everything you need to know about the length of your cycle and what you should expect!
Is my cycle normal?
The best way to know what is normal for you is to set up a ‘period routine’. Track the days of your cycle, collecting information including how your mood, discharge and skin changes, by using an app such as Clue, my personal favourite! This allows you to get to know what is normal for your body, and seek help at the appropriate time.
Once you have set up your ‘period routine’ you can make it work for you. Pre-order or subscribe to recieve some of your preferred products from Yoppie, adjust your plans so you don’t add any stress or worries when you are likely to be extra tired or experiencing mood swings.
When should I see a doctor?
Irregular periods are when the length of your menstrual cycle (the gap between the start of one period to the start of the next) keeps changing.
Your periods may come early or late.
The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, although it’s normal for it to vary by a few days each month.
You don’t need to get medical advice if you have always had slightly irregular periods or you’re still going through puberty.
It is a good time to seek advice if:
- Periods suddenly become irregular and you’re under 45
- Your cycle lies outside of the range 21-35 days
- Periods last longer than 7 days
- there’s a big difference (at least 20 days) between your shortest and longest menstrual cycle
- you have irregular periods and you’re struggling to get pregnant for more than 6 months
There might not be anything wrong, but it’s a good idea to get checked out to see what the cause might be.
Reasons for irregular periods
There are many possible causes of irregular periods. Sometimes they may just be normal for you.
Common causes include:
- Puberty – it is normal to have irregular periods for the first few years after periods begin
- The peri-menopause – your periods may become irregular, either more frequent or more spaced out, as the menopause approaches
- Early pregnancy – If your period is unusually late take a pregnancy test
- Forms of hormonal contraception – contraception that contains progesterone, such as the combined pill or the mirena IUD coil, cause the lining of the womb to stay thin, and may cause your periods to stop or become very light and infrequent.
- Extreme weight loss or weight gain, excessive exercise or stress – these can affect your brain’s production of the hormones involved in the menstrual cycles
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis – these conditions can cause cysts to form on your ovaries which affect the natural cycle of ovulation
- Thyroid problems
Ideally women should have 6 periods per year if they are not on any hormonal medication. If your periods are more irregular than this, your doctor may be able to prescribe medication to stimulate your periods.
Being aware of your cycles is the first step to taking control of your cycles!
This blog post was sponsored by Yoppie:
With help from a service like Yoppie you can take control of your routine by having products that suit your own individual flow delivered to your letterbox on your terms – so can choose your delivery frequency to ensure that you’re never without. More importantly, you don’t have to worry about those pesky corner store runs to buy a brand you don’t actually like or trust!
Subscribing to Yoppie also allows you to take control of the ingredients in your period products and their environmental footprint. You don’t have to compromise on using the products your mum uses or the mainstream products on the grocery shelf – which are usually made with harmful toxins, irritating fragrances and non eco-friendly materials. Your values when it comes to sustainability and health can matter when it comes to your period and the products you can use.
Kinder to you
Kinder to the planet
Made easy
Use code THEOBGYNMUM for 30% off your first subscription order at www.yoppie.com!