Every woman is unique and so is her period. There is no standard formula when it comes to your menstrual cycle - it can vary for each woman depending on the flow, duration; or even the number of days between two periods. On an average, a woman gets her period 450 times in her life – that’s a long time for us girls to figure out a pattern and understand our bodies enough to know what a healthy period is and what to expect during a normal period cycle. However, there may be some questions left unanswered because no one wants to contact their ob-gyn for every little period problem. Don’t you worry ladies; we’ve got some of these topics covered so as to minimize your doubts!

1. Skipping your period - Skipping your period once in a while is okay! We all have those times when we’ve gone on birth control pills, so as to not ruin a pre-planned beach vacay! Why does this happen, you wonder? Birth control pills are hormonal contraceptives. This fluctuation in your hormones causes thinning of the endometrial lining which doesn’t require the occurrence of your period in order to get rid of it. You only need to start worrying if you are skipping your periods naturally, without the interference of birth control pills.
   
   
2. Spotting - Have you ever notices small spots of blood on your panties between periods? This is known as spotting and it can also be seen towards the tail end of your period cycle. There are two hormones responsible for periods – estrogen and progesterone and it this hormonal imbalance that can lead to spotting. This isn’t a concern if it happens regularly every month (at approximately the same time), owed to hormonal fluctuation; so it is always a good idea to keep a track of your periods. However, if this is not a natural occurrence you may want to watch out for cervical cancer, uterine polyps, uterine cancer or other possible serious conditions, which can trigger spotting.
   
   
3. Cramping - Cramps are a normal occurrence when it comes to periods – almost every woman has to go through discomfort once a month. Good old hot water bottles and pelvic massages usually do the trick to ease the pain. However, it is when the cramps begin to become extremely painful to the point of almost unbearable that you need to pay a visit to your doctor because this can be a sign of uterine fibroids or endometriosis (caused due to uterine tissue growing outside the uterus).
   
   Also read - Home Remedies To Cure Period Cramps
   
   
4. Period sex can be heavenly - In case you’re a stranger to period sex, we suggest you get familiar with it! The blood acts as a lubricant and makes sex all the more pleasurable. Now, you don’t have to have sex during heavy flow like the first three days of your period but the fourth and fifth days are more manageable for most women. Remember to make your man wear protection to avoid STD’s (most easily transmitted through blood), avoid foreplay (the blood can get everywhere!); and definitely put a towel underneath before your little experiment! An added bonus of period sex – it shortens the length of your period and is know to reduce cramping.
   
   
5. Pregnancy and period sex - Although it is pretty unlikely for you to get pregnant when you have sex on your period, it isn’t impossible. Yes, you read that right! Most women start ovulating 14 days after their period starts but there are always exceptions. Did you know that sperm (in rare cases) can stay alive inside your reproductive tract for up to 7 days? Now, based on this fact, if you have period sex on the 7^th day (i.e. the last day of your period) and this sperm lives in your reproductive tract for the additional 7 days, technically your body could have started ovulating and your egg can get fertilized. This would lead to this sort of unexpected pregnancy. So what’s the moral of the story? Use protection to avoid surprises!
   
   
6. Amount of period discharge - When we use pads or tampons during our periods, it seems like we’ve bled a lot because while absorbing the blood, these products evenly spread it out. So it creates an illusion of a lot of blood being lost; whereas in actuality, most women bleed much less than expected – amounting to about 3 to 6 tablespoons of blood in total. However, if you’re changing your pads or tampons more frequently than not, every few hours; you may want to consult your doctor. This excessive bleeding can be a sign of anemia, which leads to symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue and cold feet and hands.
   
   
7. Eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products - Women usually turn to pads or tampons during their periods. However, we all know that these aren’t sustainable options. One sanitary pad can take up to 800 years to decompose due to the non-biodegradable plastic used. Imagine the amount of waste accumulating and causing health and environmental hazards in the future! The wise decision would be opting for eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products such as organic pads and tampons, made up of natural cotton.   However, if you understand the gravity of the situation and want to make a huge impact, you might want to switch to menstrual cups or period panties for a zero waste period. Yes ladies, zero-waste periods are possible, you just haven’t done your research yet!
   
   
8. Organic tampons may help - If normal tampons cause irritation down there, you may want to turn to organic ones instead. What’s the difference, you ask? While normal tampons consist of chemicals such as chlorine and dioxins, which are used in the bleaching process, organic tampons are absolutely chemical free and can cause less irritation when inserted. If the irritation persists, it is recommended to use alternate menstrual hygiene products that avoid insertion such as pads or period panties.
   
   

Also read: 5 Easy Home Remedies To Regulate Your Periods