Science Writers at Clue

A photo of Science Writers at Clue

Science Team

This article was a collaborative effort by members of Clue’s science and content teams and was produced using leading sources in American contemporary midwifery practice.

What’s “normal”?: period length

A typical period length for someone who’s not using hormonal birth control or an IUD is 8 days or less

A balance scale with drops of blood dripping into each plate.a

What’s “normal”?: period volume and heaviness

Different birth control methods may affect the heaviness of your period

Thermometers with different temperatures, on orange background

Basal Body Temperature (BBT): how is it used to estimate ovulation?

Your reproductive hormones have a measurable impact on your temperature.

Diet & Exercise

Go with the flow: yoga for PMS relief

Yoga may help to ease your cramps in a few different ways.

Illustration of an uterus with fibroids

Uterine fibroids: a common reason for irregular bleeding and pain

Fibroids are abnormal growths of muscle tissue that form in or on the walls of the uterus.

Diagram showing the phases of the moon from new moon to full moon, and a drop of menstrual blood.

The myth of moon phases and menstruation

Periods do not sync with the moon: Here’s the science