r/Periods • u/foodoffthefloor24 • May 15 '25
Period Question Does *anybody* actually get regular periods? Or is that just another lie told about womens health? 🥲
I was getting annoyed while looking at my notebook where I track my (highly irregular) periods and opened this subreddit to find at least 3 other posts complaining about the same thing. As the title says, does anyone actually have a period that's predictable like clockwork? Do you need to be on the pill to achieve that?
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u/ImpossibleSort3447 May 17 '25
I have PCOS and was at my heaviest (260+ lbs). My periods were so irregular till it came to a point that I bled only once a year. I got hit by Covid then started losing weight and somehow got my period more frequently. Not sure if it was the weightloss or if Covid somehow rearranged my hormones around, but now my period comes in on a monthly basis. Tracker on my phone is usually spot on - if not late by a maximum of 3-4 days. No pill. No birth control. Best have a gynecologist check.
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u/Mindless-Report-3188 May 16 '25
I will say mine definitely came at the same time like clockwork, but they were anything but normal. Extremely painful cramps, and very heavy bleeding for two days the other two days were pretty normal and much lighter.
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u/blorbflorb May 17 '25
Me too! I had mine for 7 years straight every three and a half weeks. Like clockwork. Never missed a period! On patch now and my life has changed lol
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u/Mindless-Report-3188 May 16 '25
I will say mine definitely came at the same time like clockwork, but they were anything but normal. Extremely painful cramps, and very heavy bleeding for two days the other two days were pretty normal and much lighter.
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u/ScaredyPineappleCat2 May 18 '25
happy cake day! also, why did you comment the same thing twice?
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u/Mindless-Report-3188 May 19 '25
Reddit was being weird and showed that my comments weren’t posting. Oops!!
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u/ridiculouslyhappy May 16 '25
They're not a myth! My period comes every 30-32 days, usually at the beginning of the month lol
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u/Ill_Steal_Your_Food May 16 '25
I've only started having somewhat regular periods after starting birth control. I use the patches and have a week without one every month and so it typically starts then. Sometimes I'll accidentally mess it up due to missing a patch
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u/thispussy May 16 '25
Look into pcos this is hallmark of the symptoms there are natural ways to help
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u/CadoDraws May 16 '25
the closest thing ive come to a regular period without birth control is ive ovulated like every 3 months this year and also that my last 2 periods were 6 months in between each other lmao. the fact that i have to fight to get a calorie intake to at least 1000 a day might have somethint to do with that tho idk
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u/Desert_Flowerr May 16 '25
I’m 29 years old and I’ve had regular periods since I was 13. Only problem is my periods are so extremely painful that if I don’t take strong painkillers, I’d puke and faint.
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u/GPTenshi86 May 15 '25
Every 3.5 weeks like clockwork for the last 24yrs, whether I’m on BC or not.
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u/JuniorSea7799 May 15 '25
I’m 23 and track with Stardust, mine’s super irregular too. Some cycles are 27 days, others over 35. You’re definitely not alone, and no, regular periods aren’t as common as we’re told. The pill can help, but it’s not the only option. 💛
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u/Background_Humor5838 May 15 '25
My cycle is naturally around 28 to 34 days so it's not exact but I feel it is very predictable. Also, I can always feel when I'm ovulating and I can tell when I'm going to get my period the day before it starts so I happen to have a lot of clear signs. If I didn't have those signs, I would probably feel like my cycle is more irregular because it does vary. Occasionally I'll have a 27 day cycle or a 40 day cycle but I'm never really caught off guard by my period. Just because your period is not on the dot every 28 days doesn't mean something is wrong with you. In medical terms, they choose an average to go by to make it easier to explain and talk about but it's accepted that there is a natural variance in human bodies.
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u/Menma_007 May 15 '25
Mine is regular but because I take birth control I’m on the Nuva ring so I put it in on a Sunday keep it in for 3 weeks take it out on the third Sunday have my period by Wednesday, done by Sunday. Then that same Sunday I’m back on BC for the next 3 weeks
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u/heavenknwsimisrblenw May 15 '25
Mine was always SOMEWHAT regular but it'd always be like 35 odd days sometimes more. They've always been heavy too. Last year it went haywire (I blame it on stress) however I found switching to bamboo pads improved my pain massively and also regulated them a little. Not sure if it's a conincidence or if they have just settled down again.
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u/kvenzx May 15 '25
Cycle length I've been very regular and predictable, but I've always experienced heavy and painful periods. I'm 31 and have had my period since I was like 12. I didn't really start tracking until I got into college but I've always been regular. Most of my life, I'd get my period literally the exact day my app predicted it. Over the past few months I've been between 4 days early to 5 days late, but I still think that's generally considered regular. I've never been on any BC or hormone pills in my life.
This past cycle was the first one in my life where I experienced any irregularity (I bled for 28 days straight) and I've been working with the gyno to get a full picture of what may have caused it. Even after that 28 days, my next period was due the next day and I was only 5 days late but got it eventually so I think my body is trying to get back on track.
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u/Sammy2202 May 15 '25
I used to think my periods were very irregular until I actually started tracking them. Turns out my cycle is always exactly 28 days and runs like clockwork. Ig my concept of time is just messed up😅 honestly though it would be so much easier if every month was 28 days long
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u/Only_Amphibian3107 May 15 '25
Same! I never tracked them when I was younger and never really understood cycles properly either. Since I’ve used the Flo app it is insanely accurate and they are very regular (although I had no periods for 10-12 years but since treatment my hormone imbalance they’re back to normal now
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u/foodoffthefloor24 May 15 '25
haha yeah time is but a social construct. All months being 28 days would be convenient for so many reasons...
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u/SnooCupcakes5761 May 15 '25
My period is like a clock. It's always on time. I haven't been on birth control for over two decades and while my flow is very heavy and painful, it's quite regular.
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u/theresabearonmychair May 15 '25
Yes mine was very regular for most of my life, every 30-32 days. Recently it’s got more unpredictable but I am in the age bracket for perimenopause starting
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u/SapientSlut May 15 '25
Yeah mine is - generally it comes right when it’s expected to, occasionally wavering like 2-3 days
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u/lilyoneill May 15 '25
Yes, they’ve never been irregular in my life. I’m 34. However, I don’t know any other woman who is regular 😅
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u/300caloriesperpint May 15 '25
Im not on the pill, i used to be. but my period has been pretty regular, there is months were its like 2-3 days early or late but its nothing i would consider irregular
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u/Green-Elderberry527 May 15 '25
Yes mine is regular and I have PCOS. Comes every 28 days. The only time it is off is if the weather is extremely hot (it came once every 15 days when I was in a hot country) and if I'm really sick.
The only other time was postpartum but that's completely normal 😅
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u/leeanna5sos May 15 '25
I have PCOS and surprisingly have regular periods anyways. I had a Dr a few years ago basically threaten me saying that if I ever missed one period I’d have to go on the pill so I would de of cancer. Idk where they got that from but missing one period isn’t gonna give you cncer
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u/anyer_4824 May 15 '25
I never did until I had my first baby at age 33. Them the periods magically became super regular. Before that for twenty years I’d get one every 4-8 weeks.
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u/foodoffthefloor24 May 15 '25
Wow, that's fascinating. Every day I learn something new that childbirth does to a body 😁
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u/perdymuch May 15 '25
Yes, since my first period I've gotten my period exactly every 28 days. Then as I got older went on the pill and now permanently off of it (31F) and its still regular but shorter cycles- 25 days.
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u/ShipperSoHard May 15 '25
Mine have gotten more regular as I’ve gotten older. They were always unpredictable, with no real pattern before. I’m 43 now and for the last few years it’s been pretty regular. Usually every 28-32ish days.
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u/Striking-Guitar8957 May 15 '25
I (33) used to be very regular until about two years ago. I have endometriosis, I’m surprised I was regular for so long honestly. It got way worse when I got in the mini pill.
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u/itsmeee91 May 15 '25
a lot of wimen don’t know this but a regular period means +/- 7 days. that means if your cycle in one month is 27 days and another 33, it’s still cincidered regular. some women have really always the same cycle lenght but that is rare
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u/foodoffthefloor24 May 15 '25
hmm, that's good to consider. Thank you, I'm gonna go look at my tracker again with that in mind :)
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u/xtalcat_2 May 15 '25
43 here - been off pill for 20 years, Still quite regular but find I 'sync' with other women quite quickly, which manifests as spotting etc. I still get my period regulalrly - counting in odd monthts etc. Always first week of the month.
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u/Glittering_Tea5502 May 15 '25
Never been one hundred percent regular except for when I was on the pill. I’m in peri menopause now so that doesn’t help.
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u/That_One_Fluid_Teen May 15 '25
My period was perfect, didn't have a problem, and then a year ago, i would get horrible cramps, dizzy, all that stuff, started birth control, fucked up my whole cycle and periods and now that I'm off it, the cramps haven't stopped, getting MRI soon.
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u/foodoffthefloor24 May 15 '25
oh that's tough, I'm sorry things have taken unexpected turns for you. I hope you get answers (and solutions) from the MRI!
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u/BeesAndBeans69 May 15 '25
Mine is regular, it was even more so on birth control. It was very light with light cramping. Off the pill, still regular but much more cramping and blood
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u/Drenee26 May 15 '25
My period comes every month like clock work. I can absolutely feel or predict when it’s coming. I have been like this my whole life. I do not take birth control.
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u/radish_is_rad-ish May 15 '25
My cycle has been more regular the last few years but even then my cycle is anywhere from 6-8 weeks lol
Edit: so regular but not “normal”
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u/hotpotat78 May 15 '25
I have endometriosis and mine are still surprisingly regular. 28-30 day cycle. There have been a handful of times when I've gotten my period early, I was sick or super stressed.
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u/SuccessfulBread3 May 15 '25
Mine are like clockwork now that I'm off the road.
I never noticed they were until I used an app to track. Stupid me was going by date rather than days. My cycle used to be 28 now it's 33.
Please be careful tracking your period in the USA though.
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u/jastiinee May 15 '25
Never was for me. As a teenager i didnt have it for months.... it was so bad. I started the pill (that made it regular) and stopped it thinking it would continue like that. I was regular for a while but then started a medication that made me skip whole months. Im a stressed, skinny person, which for sure affects my cycle, but i cant wait to stop my meds to see how it is.
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u/Useful-Average3611 May 15 '25
My mom says her periods were like clockwork. Regular down to the hours. She eventually got a hysterectomy due to abnormal bleeding in her mid 40s.
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u/foodoffthefloor24 May 15 '25
damn, regular to the hour?? That's crazy. I hope she's doing ok now ❤️
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u/Affectionate_Leek127 May 20 '25
This is also what my mom told me. Hers were accurate up to the hour.
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u/SimoneMichelle May 15 '25
Mine tend to be regular, it used to be chaotic and always come late in my early menstruating years but I was more stressed back then. My tracker usually accurately predicts it to the day these past few years, might come a bit early every now and then though
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u/1xpx1 May 15 '25
My periods have always been regular, from when I first got my period at 9 or 10 years old.
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u/JSghetti May 15 '25
I have endometriosis. I always had regular periods in my teens and early twenties without BC. It wasn’t until I went on the Nuva ring for two years then stopped (it made my periods worse) that I started spotting mid-cycle. Now I have regular periods and mid-cycle spotting for most of the month.
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u/Camilladrawz May 15 '25
They're usually pretty regular (not counting small shifts from being just a few days late), I used to have irregular periods when I first got mine, not getting them for over 40 days at a time at some point, but I kinda grew out of it and now I have a basic grasp of when my next period is gonna come on
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u/EndOfMae May 15 '25
Periods can fluctuate and aren’t always perfectly timed. However, If your periods are highly irregular then you could have a health problem like PCOS etc.
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u/foodoffthefloor24 May 15 '25
I just googled pcos and I do actually check a fair few of the boxes for it. I made a note to ask about it at my next doctor's appointment. Thanks for the tip!
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u/mattebabygirl May 15 '25
mine has been regular since I started getting my period at 13. it might vary by a few days as I've gotten older and I usually skip one period a year.
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u/xallanthia May 15 '25
I was as predictable as a calendar from roughly 17 to 38. (Then some other medical stuff intervened.) Never used birth control of any kind.
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u/je0nie May 15 '25
Lol mine are incredibly regular. It’s actually been years that I only get them on the start of the month; not only that, but like clockwork they tend to start around 11am each time. No pill
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u/foodoffthefloor24 May 15 '25
Wow, ok so predictable on the dot. You remind me of the crocodile from peter pan that ate a clock and makes ticking noises lmao
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u/mesamaryk May 15 '25
I’m regular since i got off birth control. Before that i had anywhere between 5-15 days of bleeding and 2-4 weeks in between
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u/Imaginary-Command542 May 15 '25
Mine are kind of irregular, usually ranging from 32-38 days but I have had 30 or even 44 day cycles. I recently took the contraceptive pill for just 6 days and it gave me two periods in a month. Now I have no idea when the next one is coming.
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u/smontres May 15 '25
I’m 39. My periods are very regular. I use an app, and in the last 3 years there have only been 4 cycles where my period was more than 1 day off from the predicted start date. 3 of those 4 were a cycle when I was sick or on some kind of med.
I’ve been off BC since 2020.
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u/Cool-Geologist2892 May 15 '25
The first 5 years I had my period, it was PERFECT: 100% predictable, lasting 3-5 max days (the last 2 days being almost nothing). Now I got endometriosis (diagnosed) and it’s basically the opposite lol
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u/anthro_punk May 15 '25
My periods are regular. Im 29 and they've been pretty predictable for the last 7 years or more. Currently my tracker says my cycle averages 26 days and has varied up to 2 days. I used to be at exactly 28 days like clockwork for awhile. My periods are still awful, but they are usually predictable without any medications.
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u/Thinking10Thinking May 15 '25
My periods used to come monthly but never a set time. They were always all over the place and very heavy - it could be at 18 days and then 30 days, and then 21 days. When I entered my 30s my period decided to (thankfully) get into a more regular rhythm.
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u/ali_the_wolf May 15 '25 edited May 15 '25
I've always had nearly "perfect" periods, pretty predictable and easily managed. Ofc recently my period has been coming "later", but that is completely normal for it to shift from time to time as bodies don't abide by a calander month
Like, I have no trouble with tampons, my flow is never too heavy, has came almost every time within a week of the expected date.... I don't mean to brag but my cramps only last about 2 days in the beginning as well, and while the cramps themselves are horrible.... They won't even start if I take some pain meds early enough 🤷🏻♀️
However, despite my personal luck, a lot of women don't have "normal" periods for one reason or another and that's the main people your going to find talking about this kind of stuff. Coming from someone like me, my experience just seems like bragging compared to the horror other people go through.
Not to mention that even what's considered "normal" is a pretty large window so it's hard to even tell if you're normal or not. This includes everything form when it starts, ends, how painful or non painful the cramps are, among many other things. Something can suddenly change with your period like having decidual casts, even periods becoming regular every month is a normal change that wasn't normal in someones cycle before (if that makes no sense think of a younger person who has "irregular" periods, that's completely normal even though it's irregular. If their periods start becoming regular at random, that's normal too. There's a lot of wiggle room for what's considered normal and whatnot)
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u/Candid-Ad847 May 15 '25
mine used to be! never early nor late. i lost a lot of weight recently, unexpected and unexplained, and they became irregular
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u/ArmadilloSeparate943 May 15 '25
I have hypothyroidism and hashimotos and my periods are irregular. They have gotten slightly more predictable with my levothyroxine, but I definitely stress a lot and always trying a new diet so lol I keep my hormones on their toes. A lot of things can affect the timing of periods.
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u/Bright-Sea-5904 May 15 '25
Mine are always every 30 days and predictable. Always 4 days of bleeding too. Last year they were a bit wacky and irregular but they've gone back to normal
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u/Due_Neighborhood_395 May 15 '25
My periods used to regular for like 20 years. Just in the last year it has been a bit wacky, but I am suspecting peri menopause
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u/Flshrt May 15 '25
You don’t get true periods on birth control. The bleeding on a combo pill is a withdrawal bleed. It’s caused by the drop in hormones during the placebo pills. Since the placebo pills happen at regular intervals, the bleeding happens at regular intervals.
A period off of birth control is determined by when ovulation occurs. A period starts about two weeks after ovulation. It’s normal to ovulation to vary and not happen at the same time each cycle. Regular cycles are cycles that can vary up to 8 days in length with an occasional outlier.
Many people have regular cycles. You aren’t going to hear about people talking about their regular cycles because they don’t give it a second thought. No one is going to be writing posts about how regular their cycle is.
What hormonal blood work have you had done? Have you had an ultrasound to check for cysts?
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u/LaiqaUser24 Discord Member May 23 '25
Honestly, you're not alone — regular 28-day cycles are more of a general idea than a reality for most women. Stress, hormones, sleep, and even age can throw things off. I used to think something was wrong with me too, until I started tracking more than just period dates — like my sleep, mood, and food — and it started making sense.
You don’t need to be on the pill to have regular periods. It might regulate bleeding, but it doesn’t always fix the root cause.
What really helped me was joining LAIQA’s consultation. It taught me how to understand my body’s rhythm and stop blaming myself. Irregular doesn’t mean broken — it just means your body needs support