Irregular Periods Defined?

[silversurealism.livejournal.com]

Cross-posted to vaginapagina. I'll use a cut since it's somewhat long so I don't fill up people's friends pages (including my own).




I checked through the memories and did a bit of Googling, but couldn't find a clear cut definition for irregular periods out of the context of skipping them. I read anything more than a few day deviation each month over a period of time is considered irregular in one source, but other than that, there really wasn't much of a definition.

I'm not sure if my cycle deviations warrant making an appointment regarding them or not. It is annoying that there's a 10 or so day span each month during which my period could come any day. I don't want to spend half my time wearing a pad as a preventative measure either because I can't stand the way they feel (since it probably wouldn't be exactly healthy to just leave in a menstrual cup that much).

Here's a list of my cycles for the past little bit more then a year. They seem to be getting increasingly erratic. My current cycle is 34 days, going on 35, without a period in sight (and absolutely no possibility of pregnancy, nor am I under any more stress than usual, nor have I made any diet changes or any of the other listed lifestyle possibilities I saw for changes in menstrual cycles -- I'm clueless as to why it's being weird).

30 days
25 days
37 days
28 days
32 days
30 days
35 days
29 days
34 days
31 days
29 days
28 days

Back in time beyond that last 28 day cycle I have listed (for as far as I have recorded back, which is a couple of years ago) it was a pretty regular 27-30 days, usually 29. There were only one or two cycles that deviated to 31 or 26, and it always went back to normal immediately after that. I could definitely predict my periods within a day or two at the very most, which is why I find this a bit odd.

Comments

[kwokj.livejournal.com]

In my non-expert opinion, regularity is over-rated, nor would I call you irregular. I think if it were that important and a reason to go to the doctor (but of course, if you're bothered by it, do always feel free to raise it with your doctor,) we'd all have been admonished to keep track. No doctor has ever told me that I should be more watchful when I couldn't answer with certainty when my last period was ("I think about 2 weeks ago...?") or whether or not I was regular. And I was seeing a lot of doctors when my cramps were bad.

As it is, I never kept track until recently, out of curiosity (only 3 cycles counted, so not very interesting.) Except when I was on the pill, once my period was established I think it's pretty much always been roughly 5 or 6 weeks. I'd just think... hm I think it's been about a month since the last one ended, so I'm probably due soon. There were a few years when thickened mucous signalling ovulation was really obvious with me, and I'd take a mental note that my period could be expected in 14 days. That interval was very regular, but I'm quite certain my whole cycle was never that regular.

Of course, I completely understand wanting to anticipate it to avoid staining. I must subconsciously notice some signal from my body, because so often I just happen to catch it when I wipe myself after urinating before it got out to stain my underwear.

[silversurealism.livejournal.com]

Most women I've talked to either know when it's coming subconsciously or have cramps that let them know it's on the way. I get random cramps of varying severities fairly often and can't feel consciously or subconsciously when it will come next, so there isn't a real indicator for me. (I've stained my underwear numerous times, and once it leaked through onto a padded chair.) I never know whether any wetness I feel is just normal discharge or if it's my period. I wouldn't be bothered by it if I didn't spend so much of my time in places that aren't acceptable to leave to go check unless I'm absolutely sure -- like in 2 hour long classes, meetings, appointments, etc.

[fornicate-me.livejournal.com]

i used to have irregular periods, actually in november, i had my period 4 times, and i went to the doctor got scanned, and it turned out i had a tumor on my right ovary, thats also because my period was very irregular, one time it was 17 days, then 17 days apart, then it was 35 days apart, but if you're like me, go to see a doctor, it turned out i had ovarian cancer, but now im set and fine.