Measuring the exact volume of menstrual bleeding may be quite confusing. You may think that you have a heavy flow, while in fact, it may turn out to be medium according to doctors. Here are some smart life hacks that will help you understand how much blood you lose each month and what the definitions are for that. So let's quickly go through the key ideas.

In general, normal menstruation lasts for 3 to 7 days.

Technically, scientists have calculated that for medium bleeding you lose between 36.5 (1.2 oz) and 72.5 mL (2.5 oz) of blood per period. It may seem like more, as menstrual discharge contains other fluids. In reality, it is hard to measure.

You may use a checklist to make sure that everything is OK:

• Average personal hygiene product use - 3-6 medium-size tampons (3) or pads per day

• Duration of the cycle -  between 21 to 35 days with possible deviations up to 6 days

• Color of blood - light red at the beginning, dark or brown-red.

• Your period usually starts with a light flow. After that, the menstrual flow becomes heavier for a day or two.  

Keep in mind:

The volume of menstrual bleeding is a very personal issue, just like eye color or food preferences.

It depends on many factors of your lifestyle, genetics, as well as health conditions. If you have been stressed out, traveled, partied or had excessive exercise, the amount of bleeding may change.

Keep tracking your cycle with the MIA app to get to know more about how it functions and to quickly detect any deviations from the norm.

Sources:

Menstrual Bleeding Patterns Among Regularly Menstruating Women, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign, acog.org