Heavy periods: how heavy is too heavy?

Would you say you experience heavy periods? How often are you changing menstrual products? Are you running to the bathroom every couple of hours during shark week?

I ask a lot of questions in consultations around period health and to quantify blood loss, because the heaviness of our flow is totally subjective, right? We’ve only ever lived in our and experienced our body. 

So what actually is a normal, healthy blood loss? Normal and healthy blood loss: 

  • Total roughly 50mL of blood loss, which is only two and half tablespoons

  • Less than 25mL is considered a scanty/light flow 

  • More than 80mL of blood is indicative of heavy flow. This amount 5 tablespoons. The term for this is menorrhagia. 


How do we quantify blood loss? We can work it out according to how often we are changing menstrual products. 


Pads: 

  • 1 regular pad holds 5mL (1 teaspoon)

  • 1 overnight pad (fully soaked) 10-15mL 

Tampons:

  • 1 light tampon holds 3mL

  • 1 regular tampon holds 5mL (1 teaspoon)

  • 1 super tampon holds 10mL

Menstrual cups: volume does vary from brand to brand, so check. They can hold 30-60mL depending on the brand. 

Period undies: volume does vary from brand to brand, but hold anywhere from 5mL (light) up to 20mL (heavy/overnight). 

Things to keep in mind when tracking total blood loss:

  • How full are your products when changing?

  • How often are you having to change?

  • Not all fluid is blood; tissue, mucus, and uterine lining add volume to your flow


There can be many causes of heavy periods and they warrant investigation. If you are experiencing heavy periods or period problems, get in touch as I’d love to help.

Hayley Brass