The truth is, when you first start menstruating, it’s normal for your periods to be a bit irregular. And furthermore, when it comes to how long periods last or how frequently you get them, what’s normal for you may not be normal for someone else.
This article covers why girls have periods, how long menstrual cycles are, how often periods happen, and a few reasons for irregular periods.
How Often Are Periods?
Every woman is different, but in general, a period is considered “regular” if it starts every 24 to 38 days.
If you are a teenager who has just started menstruating, it’s not unusual for your periods to be irregular for the first few years of menstruation. Your period may skip several months, or you may have two that are really close together. Or, you may have spotting every few weeks, with very small amounts of menstrual blood.
Why Do Girls Have Periods?
If your periods are irregular, it may help put your mind at ease to first understand how the menstrual cycle works and why girls have periods in the first place.
Every month your body goes through two main phases to complete the menstrual cycle and begin a new one. The length of the menstrual cycle is measured from the first day of bleeding through the last day before your next period starts.
Day 1 of the menstrual cycle is the first day you see any amount of bleeding. This also signifies the first day of the follicular phase, when your hormones trigger an egg to start maturing in preparation for being released. When a mature egg leaves a Fallopian tube, it’s called ovulation.
In the luteal phase, the uterine lining is made fully ready to nourish a fertilized egg if it implants—in other words, if you become pregnant. If that doesn’t happen, the lining deteriorates and is shed. That’s the blood, tissue, and mucus you see when you have your period.
Keeping track of a menstrual cycle calendar or app can help you learn about your pattern and know whether you have “missed” a period or there is something affecting your menstrual cycle. It’s also a handy way to make sure you’ve got pads, tampons, or your menstrual cup on hand before your period starts.
Reasons for Irregular Periods
Once you have a regular cycle and then notice you’ve missed a period, it could mean you’re pregnant (if you’ve been having sex, of course). If you think that might be the case, you should take an at-home pregnancy test.
If your periods begin coming more than 35 days apart, or if you start having them really close together, there are lots of things that could be going on. You could be stressed, exercising too much, have lost a lot of weight, or you may have some sort of hormone imbalance. These are all problems that could cause you to stop ovulating, and, as a result, stop menstruating. Be sure to discuss any such changes over time with your pediatrician or gynecologist.
However, there is no scientific proof to back this theory, and many other studies have debunked period synching altogether.
