Period changes: what to tell your doctor and what to bring

Your period came earlier than usual, came late, or was completely different this month. When you notice a change like this, seeing your doctor is a good step; but if you have dates in hand instead of saying "I think it was like that last month too", the conversation gets much easier. In this post we go through, in a simple list, what information you can gather before your appointment and when you shouldn't wait.

What counts as a change in your cycle?

Cycle length is the number of days from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. According to the NHS, the UK's national health service, it averages around 28 days, and periods are considered irregular if the time between them is shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days. A period itself usually lasts less than 7 days.

But what really matters is your own pattern. If a period that has come every 30 days for years suddenly starts coming every 23 days, that's a change worth talking about, even if the gap still falls within the general range. Working out what a change means is your doctor's job; yours is to describe what's happening just as it is. We explain how to count your cycle length step by step in how to track your period and work out your cycle length.

1. Dates: start, end and cycle length

One of the first things your doctor will probably ask is when your last period started. If you can, gather information from the last three to six months:

• The date each period started and ended.
• How many days each cycle lasted.
• The difference between your shortest and longest cycle.
• When you first noticed the change.

If you don't remember the dates, writing them down and saying they're estimates still helps. A missing month isn't a problem; bring the information you have just as it is.

If you don't keep records, it's not too late to start today. If you can record a few cycles before your next appointment, you'll have something concrete to talk about. A calendar on your phone, a notebook or an app: where you keep it matters less than keeping it with the same rule every month.

2. Bleeding, pain and bleeding between periods

The change may not only be in the dates. Writing short notes on these observations makes it easier for your doctor to understand what's going on:

• How heavy the bleeding is: how often you change your pad or tampon, whether you see large clots, whether blood leaks onto your clothes or bedding. The NHS notes that needing to change every hour or two, rather than every few hours, can be a sign of heavy bleeding.
• How long your period lasts: whether it lasts longer or shorter than before.
• Bleeding or spotting between periods: bleeding between two periods or after sex, and its date.
• Pain: when it started, how long it lasted and whether it affected your work, school or sleep.

The easiest way is to write these down during your period, on the same day. Instead of wondering a few weeks later "was it the second or the third day that hurt?", your note from that moment will give you the answer. If you also want to log your painful days, the period pain diary guide walks you through what to note.

You'll find a broader list of what you can note in what to note when tracking your period.

3. Other changes in your life and your medicines

Your doctor will probably also ask about changes outside your cycle. Thinking about them beforehand helps you not to skip anything at the appointment:

• The medicines, vitamins and supplements you take; if you've started, stopped or changed a method in recent months, with the date.
• Changes you've noticed in your weight, sleep, tiredness or skin.
• Intense stress, travel, a change in shifts or a big change in your exercise routine.
• Situations that apply to you, such as giving birth, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy.

Nothing on this list means a cause on its own; it simply shows your doctor the whole picture. Don't stop or change a medicine on your own; ask your doctor or pharmacist about anything to do with your medicines.

Before the appointment, you can turn all of this into a one-page summary: write the change in one sentence at the top (such as "for the last three months my cycle has dropped to 24 days"), add your dates, observations and medicines below, and put the two or three questions you want to ask at the end. That way, even in a short appointment, the most important information is said in the first minute.

When should you book an appointment, and when shouldn't you wait?

The NHS recommends seeing a doctor if your periods have changed, if your period lasts longer than 7 days, if you bleed between periods or if heavy bleeding affects your daily life. If you're also finding it hard to get pregnant along with the change in your cycle, you can talk about that at the appointment too. To prepare your questions, you can also take a look at 12 questions to ask at your gynecology appointment.

Keep recording while you wait for the appointment. If something new changes in the meantime, add it to your list too; that way your doctor sees the most up-to-date picture. If there's something you don't understand at the appointment, don't hesitate to ask for an explanation.

Some situations, though, shouldn't wait for an appointment. If you have very heavy bleeding together with dizziness or feeling like you might faint, unbearable pain that starts suddenly, or severe pain and bleeding at a time when you could be pregnant, call the emergency line without delay.

How do you prepare for this in Oveluni?

In Oveluni, the Cycle area opens in the women's profile; the details are on the Women's profile page. With Period days in Quick add, you record the start and end date of each period; you add observations such as pain, bleeding between periods or a heavy week with A note. In Summaries you see your recorded period lengths, and with period comparison you put two equal periods side by side. Days without records say nothing about your cycle; you can also add a day you forgot later.

Before your appointment, you can prepare and preview a 30- or 90-day PDF report; "Include notes" is off by default, so your notes only go into the report if you want them to. In the app's own words: "These summaries reflect your records. They do not diagnose or predict future cycles." Oveluni is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources

1. NHS: Irregular periods (UK National Health Service)
2. NHS: Heavy periods (UK National Health Service)