Did you any peculiar signs while menstruating? Do you want to find out more about menstrual blood loss? Or are you wondering if your menstrual blood loss is normal? Do well to check out this post.
How much blood do women lose during menstruation?
The total amount of menstrual bleeding on average in a month is about 60 milliliters. This means women should lose around 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood within the menstrual bleeding days. This amount is shared between the days of bleeding which should take around three to seven days within the menstrual cycle normally. While some days could be heavier than others, the total amount of menstrual bleeding shouldn’t exceed the ‘normal’ blood loss.
Anything more than these days range is considered as menorrhagia which is severe menstrual bleeding.
There has been a wide range of research to consider what’s ‘normal’ blood loss during menstruation and what can be considered as abnormal. According to Flo.health, abnormal menstrual bleeding is losing more than 80 milliliters which equates to around five tablespoons. It can be the opposite at times, that is, losing below the ‘normal’ amount of blood.
Consider anything below 30 milliliters as abnormal as well.
A lot of factors come into play here, but in cases like these, it’s advisable to visit a doctor to find out solutions to heavy or less menstrual bleeding.
You can go ahead and calculate your menstrual blood loss before deciding to visit the doctor. So how can you do this?
How can I calculate how much blood I lose monthly?
Measuring using cups
The use of menstrual cups is one of the methods to calculate how much blood you lose monthly. This method can be considered as one of the easiest ways to calculate the amount of blood you lose. You might be wondering why. That’s because menstrual cups typically hold between 30 to 60 milliliters at once. Since it does not absorb your period, the cups make it much easier to calculate. Some of these cups as well indicate measurements on them. Are you considering using menstrual cups, find out more at Healthline.
Measuring using Tampons
Tampons can be another method to calculate the amount of blood you’ve lost during your period. While this method is considered difficult, that does not make it impossible. According to Healthline, on average, a woman soaks about six to 12 tampons for around 60 milliliters of fluid during menstruation. That’s mostly because a regular tampon soaks around five milliliters of fluid and twice for a super tampon. For hygiene, you can change your tampons regularly without completely soaking them up.
To use this method, make sure to note down the number of tampons you’ve used.
Measuring Using Sanitary Pads
Sanitary pads are also another common and used material for menstrual bleeding. That can be said because it’s easy to use and absorbs periods well. For women with fewer fluids, the sanitary pad is commonly considered to be favorable, unlike for women with heavy bleeding.
Using the sanitary pad might be harder than the first two methods considering the brands and the varying sizes these pads have. But purchasing a regular-sized pad can make things much easier. A regular-sized sanitary pad would contain about five milliliters while a bigger one would hold double that.
We know using these methods might be hard and can take a lot of calculations and work. That’s why we’ve formulated an easy way out and that’s with the use of the menstrual blood loss calculator. Care to find out how to use it? Keep on reading!
How Does the Menstrual Blood Loss Calculator Work?
The calculator is easy to use and does not require any special knowledge. Simply follow our description and you are good to go. You can take an average of the number of pads you’ve used for the past three months to consider the appropriate average number of sanitary pads and (or) tampons.
The calculator has three methods from which you can choose from.
They are the tampons method, the pads method, and the tampon and sanitary pad methods.
To make use of any, all you have to do is select.
Kindly note that the calculator factors in the fact that your tampons/pads can be used to full absorbance or half which makes it easier for you to use without worrying if the gauge is right or not.
All you need to do is:
For the Tampon method
Select the Tampon method. Choose between a full tampon and a half-full tampon.
If you select a full tampon, next is to select the tampon size and how many tampons you’ve used.
After following these steps, your amount of blood will be presented both in ml and in liters.
Please make sure to choose the right option so as to get your correct amount of menstrual fluid.
If you select a half-full tampon, you’ll need to repeat the same action as that of the full tampon. This is selecting the tampon size which has about four different options. The light (3ml) option, regular (5ml) option, super (12ml) option, and an option to enter a custom absorbance (in ml).
Next is to select how many tampons you used and lastly, fill in the absorbance in ml. Same as in the full tampon method, your results in ml and liters will be presented within a few minutes as well.
After successfully completing that step, you’ll need to scroll down a little and fill in the calculator for a half-full tampon. The process is the same for the full tampon we talked about earlier on.
For further clarification, kindly select the tampon size, how many you used, and your absorbance in ml. After doing that, your total for this will be seen below.
Does it end there? No. You should also get the total amount of blood lost through tampons in ml and the total amount of blood lost through tampons in liters.
For the Sanitary Pads method
The first step is to add the number of used sanitary pads by selecting either a full sanitary pad or a full sanitary pad and a half-full sanitary pad.
For the Full Sanitary Pad Option,
select sanitary pad size (regular (5ml), high absorbent (5ml), or enter custom absorbance (in ml).
The next step is to select how many sanitary pads you use.
Your results should be out anytime from the moment you are done selecting. The amount of blood will be shown in ml and liters.
For the Full Sanitary Pad and Half-full Sanitary Pad Options,
all you need to do is follow the above step for the full sanitary pad and fill in the half-full sanitary pad option as well.
To fill in the half-full sanitary pad, select the sanitary pad size and how many you’ve used. Your results for this section will likewise appear below and the overall total of the amount of blood lost through sanitary pad in ml and liters will appear.
For the Tampon and Sanitary Pads method
Using this method, you can also choose if it’s a full tampon, or full tampon and half-full tampon. Likewise for the sanitary pad options.
Let’s get straight into how to use it. Select either a full tampon or a full tampon and a half-full tampon. In the same manner, select full sanitary pad or full sanitary pad and a half-full sanitary pad.
The process for this method is the same as the first two methods above. Simply follow the steps and your results will be shown below. That’s the total amount of blood lost in ml and in liters.
These calculations can be done manually as well.
To know the actual amount of blood loss, you need to multiply the number of tampons you use by 5ml or 10ml. 5 ml for regular sanitary pad or tampon and 10 ml for super tampon or sanitary pad. The total ml by 0.36. It’s that simple.
Here’s a sample: Let’s say you used about 20 regular sanitary pads or tampons. That will be 20 multiplied by 5 ml which is 100 ml. The next thing is to multiply 100ml by 0.36 which is 36 ml. That amount is considered to be normal.
Frequently Asked Questions about Menstrual Blood Loss Calculator
1. Can the Menstrual Blood Loss Calculator figure out the exact amount of blood I lose monthly?
No! It’s just an estimate of the amount of blood you lose monthly.
2. How much blood do most women lose monthly?
The amount differs from one person to another and can depend on medical issues. One of which is anemia. But on average, a woman should lose about 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood.
3. Is the content of Menstrual fluid only blood?
No, blood is about 36% of it. The other 64% contain vaginal fluid and other substances.
4. Is the Menstrual Blood Loss Calculator a medical tool?
No, it’s not. It’s an educational tool and the results are estimates of your menstrual blood loss.
5. Does the menstrual flow have to be the same frequency on each day?
No, there are days that are heavier than the other, especially the beginning of your period.
6. How many ml does a super plus tampon hold?
According to very well health, a super plus tampon typically holds between 12 to 15 milliliters (ml) of menstrual blood.
7. How much blood can a diva cup hold?
On average, a Diva Cup can hold approximately 30 milliliters (ml) of menstrual blood. However, it’s important to note that the Diva Cup offers different sizes, and the capacity may vary depending on the specific size you choose. Check the Diva FAQ for any further questions.
8. How much blood does an ultra tampon hold?
An ultra tampon is specifically designed to handle very heavy menstrual flow. So, on average, an ultra tampon can hold approximately 15 to 18 milliliters (ml) of menstrual blood.
Let’s End the Flow
Although the calculator’s result is not considered to be the perfect percentage of the amount of menstrual blood you lose monthly, the calculator can serve as a gauge of your monthly flow. Do well to visit the doctor if you find anything wrong with your results.