What’s Considered a “Normal” Menstrual Cycle?

There is a rather large range of “normal” among menstruating women. Unpredictable or long menstrual cycles are fairly normal for teenagers and for women that are in their 40s. For teens, a normal cycle can be as brief as 21 days or as long as 45 days.

If you’re teen, you can expect that your cycles will even out over time. If you are nearing the age of menopause, you can expect that your menstrual cycles will become longer and eventually they will stop altogether.

If you are not a teen and you are not older than 40 and your cycles are shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days, there is a chance that you have a problem that needs to be checked by your doctor. We recommend you call us at 407.857.2502. We are available for appointments 6 days a week in all of our seven offices.
We definitely recommend getting a medical check if you have any change in your menstrual pattern or amount of bleeding that affects your daily life.

This includes menstrual bleeding for three or more menstrual cycles, that:

• Lasts longer than 7 days.
• Is a sudden or noticeably large change from your usual period.
• Is extremely heavy. This means that you are passing large clots or soaking through your usual pads or tampons each hour for 2 or more hours.

Other symptoms you need to have checked include:
• Bleeding between menstrual periods.
• Pelvic pain that is not linked to menstrual bleeding and lasts more than one day.

If you are a teenage girl, see your doctor if you have not started having periods by age 15.
At The Women’s Center of Orlando we enjoy answering questions about women’s health, and we believe that building relationships with our patients makes it possible for us to provide the best healthcare possible for our patients.

Call us for an appointment at one of our seven locations, 6 days a week at 407.857.2502.