How Much Blood Do You Lose on Your Period?
It can feel like a lot. Pads, tampons, stained sheets, days of it. So it’s a surprise to learn that across a whole period, most people lose only a few tablespoons of blood.
Here’s what’s typical, why it looks like more, and how to tell if yours is on the heavy side.
How much blood is lost during a period
Over a whole period, most people lose about 20 to 90 ml of blood. A common average is around 60 ml. One tablespoon is about 15 ml.
| Amount over the whole period | In tablespoons | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| 20 to 30 ml | About 1 to 2 | A lighter period |
| 30 to 60 ml | About 2 to 4 | Typical |
| 60 to 80 ml | About 4 to 5 | Still within the usual range |
| Over 80 ml | More than 5 | Counted as heavy |
Most of that comes out in the first two or three days. The last days are often just light bleeding or spotting. If you want to know when it really counts as over, see the last day of your period. And if you’re not sure when to start counting, what counts as day one explains it.
Why it looks like more than it is
Period fluid isn’t all blood. It also carries the lining of the uterus, mucus and other fluid, so what you see on a pad is more than the blood itself.
A little blood also spreads a long way. A few drops on fabric look much bigger than they are, and a pad or tampon soaks up liquid and makes it look fuller.
So if your period feels like more than a few tablespoons, that’s normal. It usually is more fluid, just not more blood.
Is my period heavy?
You can’t measure the blood in a pad, but you can watch for signs. A period is usually counted as heavy if:
- You soak through a pad or tampon every hour or two, for several hours in a row.
- You need to double up, like a pad and a tampon together.
- You change protection during the night.
- You pass clots bigger than about 2.5 cm, roughly the size of a coin.
- Your period lasts longer than 7 days.
If you use a menstrual cup, check the markings on it each time you empty it. Adding those up over your period is the closest you’ll get to a real number in ml.
When to talk to a doctor
Talk to a doctor if your periods are heavy by the signs above, if they suddenly get much heavier than usual, or if you feel tired, short of breath or dizzy during your period. Heavy periods are common and there are good ways to manage them, so it’s worth asking.
Lua keeps track of the days you bleed, so you can see your own pattern over a few cycles and bring it with you if you ever need to.
Sources: NHS, womenshealth.gov, CDC, InformedHealth.org, MedlinePlus.
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