How Much Do You Bleed During Your Period?

1. What’s the average amount of blood loss?
2. How it changes through your cycle
3. How do I measure my menstrual flow?
4. What is an abnormal period?
5. When to check in with a Doctor
6. Did you know?

Ever wondered if you're bleeding “too much” or “not enough” during your period? You’re not alone.

Periods are generally an indicator of overall health but the menstrual flow will vary from person to person. Knowing your menstrual flow can help you understand what your baseline is and changes to your menstrual flow or frequency may indicate an underlying health issue so it’s a good idea to track your cycle.

What’s the average amount of blood loss?

There is a wide range of menstrual fluid loss amongst individuals but most people with periods lose between 30–80ml of menstrual fluid during their entire cycle. That’s about 2 to 6 tablespoons in total, so it's much less than it might feel like!

The average period lasts around 5 days however, a period as short as 2 days or up to 8 days may be normal for some people.

Here’s a rough breakdown by flow:

Light flow: up to 30ml per cycle (about 2 tablespoons)
Moderate flow: around 30–50ml (2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup)
Heavy flow: up to 80ml, sometimes slightly more (up top 1/3 cup)
Very heavy flow (menorrhagia): more than 80ml (1/3 cup) - may require medical attention

It’s important to note that menstrual fluid is not just blood — it also contains cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, and endometrial tissue. This mix can make it look like you're bleeding more than you are.

Flow Type	Blood loss (approx.)	Common Products Used	What It May Look Like
Light	Up to 30ml per cycle (< 2 tbsp	Mini tampons, panty liners, ultra thin pads, cups and discs	Spotting, light pink or brown discharge
Moderate	30–50ml per cycle (2 tbsp - 1/4 cup)	Regular tampons and pads, cups and discs	Steady red flow, some small clots
Heavy	50–80ml per cycle (1/4 - 1/3 cup)	Super tampons and pads, cups and discs	Full pads/tampons in 2–4 hours. Full cups or discs in 4-8 hours.
Very Heavy	80ml+ per cycle (> 1/3 cup)	Super plus tampons, maxi pads, overnight pads or maternity pads, high capacity cups and discs	Flooding, large clots, frequent changes of period care products.

Doctors consider a loss of greater than 80ml (some say 60ml) during a menstrual cycle to be a heavy period and heavy periods are believed to affect approximately 12% of menstruating people. An indication that you have a heavy period would be requiring a regular-sized tampon or pad change every 2 hours or having to empty your menstrual cup every 4 hours.

How it changes through your cycle

Most people experience the heaviest bleeding in the first 1–2 days of their period. After that, the flow usually tapers off. A typical 5-day period might look something like this:

Day 1–2: Heavy bleeding (you might lose 10–20ml per day)
Day 3–4: Moderate (5–10ml per day)
Day 5+: Light (2–5ml per day)

Everyone’s pattern is different. Some people have short, intense bleeds. Others have slower, more spread-out flows. It’s all about what’s normal for you.

How do I measure my menstrual flow?

The easiest way to measure your menstrual flow is to use a menstrual cup. Record the amount of menstrual fluid loss each time you remove and empty your cup and calculate the total at the end of your cycle. Do this for 3-4 cycles to get an average.

What is an abnormal period?

Extremely heavy periods, missing your period, having irregular periods, passing blood with large clots or blood which is dark brown or black in colour may be an indication that something isn’t quite right.

Frequent periods, which occur more than once over a 21-day period, may also be cause for concern if you don’t usually experience a shorter menstrual cycle.

Abnormal variations in bleeding may also be a result of one of the following conditions:

Ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage
Early menopause
Endometriosis
Hormone imbalances
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Fibroids
Sexually transmitted infections
Stress
Weight gain or weight loss
Certain medications
Thyroid disorders
Uterine cancer

If you experience any of these abnormalities, it is important to see your doctor. Tracking your cycle will be helpful information for your doctor, who will be able to diagnose underlying health conditions or refer you to a specialist and put a treatment plan in place.

When to check in with a Doctor

If you’re consistently bleeding more than 80ml per cycle, or if your period is interfering with your daily life, you might be experiencing menorrhagia (abnormally heavy bleeding). Symptoms to watch for include:

Changing your pad or tampon every hour or less
Having to empty a menstrual cup or disc every 2 hours or less
Passing large clots (larger than a 10-cent coin)
Periods lasting longer than 7 days
Feeling dizzy, tired, or short of breath

Some cramping during your period is normal; however, extreme pain, called dysmenorrhea, which leaves you debilitated, may signify an underlying uterine illness.

Likewise, if your flow is extremely light or suddenly changes, it's worth talking to a healthcare professional to rule out any underlying conditions like hormonal imbalances, PCOS or thyroid issues.