WHAT’S ACTUALLY NORMAL WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR PERIOD?

(Spoiler: It’s Not PMS and Pain)

Ever been told that your period is meant to be awful?

Like it’s just something women have to put up with – the pain, the mood swings, the bloating, the irrational crying over burnt toast. Totally normal, right?

Wrong.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that periods are meant to be chaotic and miserable, but what’s common isn’t always normal. And honestly? It’s no wonder so many women dread their period — we’ve been taught that “normal” equals pain, PMS, unpredictable moods and energy levels, and generally just feeling crap.

Let’s change that, starting now.

Because when your hormones are balanced and your body’s supported, your period doesn’t have to be a monthly horror show. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful feedback tools you have.

YOUR PERIOD IS A VITAL SIGN — LITERALLY

Your cycle isn’t just some annoying monthly visitor to be tolerated. It’s now officially recognised by gynaecologists and integrative practitioners as the fifth vital sign — right alongside blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature.

Just like those other vital signs give a quick snapshot of what’s going on in the body, your menstrual cycle gives monthly insight into your hormonal, metabolic, emotional health, and more.

Every bleed, every symptom (or lack of one), is your body communicating with you.

SIGNS OF A HEALTHY MENSTRUAL CYCLE

Here’s what we’re aiming for when hormones are humming along nicely:

• A cycle length between 21–35 days
• 3–7 days of bleeding
• Bleeding that’s bright red or crimson, not brown, purple or pink
• Little to no pain, cramping or PMS
• Regular ovulation (yep, even if you’re not trying for a baby)
• No clots, flooding or spotting between cycles

If your current experience looks nothing like that, don’t panic — we just need to work backwards from the symptoms to figure out what your body needs.

WHY YOUR PERIOD MIGHT BE FEELING HARDER IN YOUR 40S (OR EVEN EARLIER)

If your period has become heavier, more painful, or more emotionally intense — or you’ve found yourself irrationally furious at your partner for breathing or chewing too loudly — there could be many reasons why - but it’s likely something hormonal going on underneath.

A big player here? Relative estrogen excess — or what you might often see called “estrogen dominance.” Let’s unpack how that may come about.

RELATIVE ESTROGEN EXCESS

Estrogen isn’t the villain — we need it. But when it becomes too high relative to progesterone, things start to go sideways.

“Estrogen is our assertive hormone. Progesterone is the people-pleasing one. When they’re out of balance, your filter goes missing — and everything starts to feel too much.”

You start seeing symptoms like:

• Heavier bleeds and clots
• Breast tenderness
• Mood swings, anxiety or rage
• Insomnia and low energy
• PMS that feels like it owns you

Here’s what can contribute to that hormonal imbalance:

• Skipping ovulation (which means no calming progesterone to balance estrogen). Very common in your 40s - hello perimenopause! — and in puberty, too.
• Chronic stress, which lowers progesterone (your soothing, people-pleasing, keep-the-peace hormone).
• Poor gut health, microbiome imbalance - ‘dysbiosis’ - or sluggish liver function and therefore elimination of your hormones — when estrogen isn’t cleared properly, it gets reabsorbed into your blood stream, increasing hormone levels.
• Xenoestrogens — synthetic estrogens from plastics, fragrances, skincare and household products.
• Immune activation, and increased histamine — these compounds stimulate estrogen production, and high estrogen in turn raises histamine. It’s a fun little loop many women get stuck in during perimenopause (not).
• Blood sugar chaos — living on coffee and toast, skipping meals, or constant snacking can mess with insulin and cortisol, which then knock on to your sex hormones.
• Low iron, especially something to think about if you have heavy periods — low iron, can make fatigue, mood swings and even period pain worse. It’s a huge missing piece for many women. It's worth checking your iron levels, including your iron stores - ferritin.

So it’s not just about how much estrogen you have — it’s about how much progesterone you have, along with your nutrient levels, and how well your body’s managing and clearing estrogen.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOUR CYCLE (STARTING THIS MONTH)

You don’t need to overhaul your life – just start with small shifts that work with your body, not against it.

DURING YOUR PERIOD:

• Eat warm, comforting, iron-rich foods like slow-cooked meats, broths, and root veggies
• Add magnesium and omega-3s (think salmon, flaxseeds, raw cacao, leafy greens) to ease cramps
• Avoid cold/raw foods that can hinder digestion and blood flow

IN THE SECOND HALF OF YOUR CYCLE:

• Eat your regular style of meals, making sure they’re balanced with protein, fat and slow carbs (eg starchy veg, not crackers or white rice) to stabilise mood and energy

• Focus on fibre-rich foods to support hormone clearance

• Minimise alcohol, caffeine, and sugar (especially if you notice clots, cravings or sleep issues)

• Up your self-care.

Be kind to yourself. Your body is doing a lot. This is the time for softer exercise, more rest, and less pushing.

Check your iron levels regularly — especially if your bleed is heavy or clotty, or you get post-period headaches or migraines. It’s a major driver of how your period feels, and most women aren’t told to monitor it. And remember, those “normal” levels of iron are usually too low to keep you feeling good!

YOUR PERIOD IS NOT THE PROBLEM

It’s a signal. A monthly report or check-in from your body.

When things feel out of whack, it’s not because your body is broken — it’s because it’s doing its best with the information, fuel and stress it’s being given.

You don’t have to “put up with it” just because you’re in your 40s. Your period can be a whole lot calmer and more manageable — and it starts with understanding what’s really going on under the hood.

PS – WANT HELP DECODING YOUR OWN CYCLE AND SYMPTOMS?

If this blog has you realising, “Wait, my period’s been trying to tell me something all along…” — you’re spot on.

And if you’re now feeling confused, trying to interpret what it’s telling you - you don’t have to figure it out on your own - that’s exactly what I help women with inside my high touch program, The Chaos to Calm Method (that features the power of Metabolic Balance personalised nutrition).

📞 Book a free 15-min clarity call here and we’ll chat about what your period’s trying to tell you.

And before you go, I want to share two stories with you…

One of my clients lived with painful periods for nearly 30 years. Every month brought bloating, pain, clots, mood swings… the works. She had accepted it as her “normal” — because that’s what she’d always been told.

But within just a few weeks of shifting how she supported her body, she messaged me and said: “Sarah… I just had my first pain-free period in 30 years.”

Another client with endometriosis used to get pain from just after ovulation right through to the first day of her bleed — every single month.

Then one day she told me something I’ll never forget: “My period took me by surprise.”

Not in the “oh no, I’m wearing light coloured pants” way — but in the best way. No pain. No PMS. No warning signs or symptoms. Just a calm, quiet arrival. She called it her best period ever.

💛 If this blog shifted your perspective, please share it — with your daughters, your nieces, your students, your friends’ kids. Let’s help the next generation grow up knowing that cramps, clots and chaos aren’t something they have to ‘just live with’.

Let’s break that cycle — one woman at a time.