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i think it varies and theres no way of measuring it so theres no strict 'this is nromal, this is heavy'.. but i think generally if you have to use towels and tampons and if you have to change them every hour it is considered heavy... but i would say heavy comes before you get to that stage...

before i went on the pill i would bleed very heavily for 3 days, so much so that i could barely leave the house... then lighter for a further 4 -6 days..
but everyones different!

I think helpwanted gave you a very good answer. I did find a period calculator out there if you care to look. I didn't think that I was too heavy because I've always been that way and I described it to the nurse and she said that is still heavy even for 24 hrs. After I got it fixed I can really tell the difference now. If you think that you are heavy, you probably are. FLFLOWERGIRL:)

I've had the same questions because everyone kept asking me if my period was heavy. I had no idea. The rule of thumb is if you soak through a tampon within an hour that is heavy. If that goes on for a day, then you've got a problem. When I asked my doctor "what size tampon are we talking about?" he looked at me like I was weird. You see, I use the OB Ultra tampons. I *rarely* soak through them. Many years ago they didn't have those tampons and, you bet, I was soaking through the other types of tampons. So, was he talking regular, super, Ultra??? It's really hard to judge.

Funny thing is, as my anemia is gone and my ferritin is increasing, my periods are getting lighter and lighter. I heard that when you are already anemic you will do a lot more bleeding.

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Littlebunnyfoo--Your right about the pads, but it does give you a much better idea doesn't it. I was like you and never really knew either. You would think that it wouldn't be that hard to tell. I guess we get conditioned to it at such a young age we truly don't get it until it's too late. FLFLOWERGIRL:)

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It's definitely a tricky question. On day 2 i usually go through 5 or 6 'regular' pads and day 3 i could wear an ultra thin pad for the entire day and not need to change. It's like all the blood rushes out on day 2 and the evening of day 2.

I never used to be like that. It would stay at the 'gushing' stage for 2 or 3 whole days. I would have to keep a doubled over towel beneath me in bed as was easier to wash that than the entire bed linen and the matress protector. I would also need to keep a doubled over towel when i'm driving "just in case". I would also spot for a few days prior to the heavy stage and then have a light period or spotting for days after the heavy bit was over. Far out, what a production!! The whole thing could drag on for well over a week if not close to 2.

Since using the herbal drops from the naturopath my periods have lessened a lot and recently they have lessened even more. I thought it was again due to the herbal drops, but it could be as Christine says, when the ferretin rises then you might bleed less.

Whatever it is, it's for the better. Less bleeding and the pack of pads/tampons etc goes a lot further. A whole pack of pads would be gone for one menstrual cycle, but nowadays it can last me 2 or nearly 3 times as long. I cant believe that panty liners, pads and tampons can cost so much.

I get a lot of big clumps/clots on the 2nd/3rd day. That's confusing because it doesn't soak the pad, but it counts as blood. (Sometimes feels like I'm disintegrating from the inside).

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I get a lot of big clumps/clots on the 2nd/3rd day. That's confusing because it doesn't soak the pad, but it counts as blood. (Sometimes feels like I'm disintegrating from the inside).

I have those too. Sometimes I feel like I delivering a child!

I get a lot of big clumps/clots on the 2nd/3rd day. That's confusing because it doesn't soak the pad, but it counts as blood. (Sometimes feels like I'm disintegrating from the inside).

me too! I feel like I'm miscarrying or something. It's alarming yet oddly satisfying, like I'm getting more out faster or something.